Site map

Where do you want to go?

A flat list of every page on this site, in case the navigation menu isn’t cooperating or you just want to see everything at once.

The guide.

The seven chapters of Engineering North Star, in the order a project unfolds. Read in any order — each chapter stands alone.

Start

Start Here

The shape of the problem and the philosophy behind the rest. First-principles thinking, the engineering mindset, and how to use this guide.

Core

Principles

The operating habits underneath every chapter: what you’re actually trying to do, Software SNR, separating the what from the how, and building for the real need.

Fundamentals

Power, mass, link, timing budgets — the four non-negotiables that decide whether a system is physically possible.

Requirements & traceability

Requirements as contracts. Writing them so they’re testable. Tracing them so they survive the lifecycle.

Design & trade studies

Defensible engineering decisions. COTS versus custom. Innovation under constraints.

Integration & testing

Designing for testability from day one. Locking interfaces. Building incrementally.

Verification & validation

Proving requirements are met with evidence. Testing strategies, traceability matrices, reliability engineering.

Problem solving

Taking control of the unknown. Analysis, ranked hypotheses, test solutions, and the four-line status.

Project lifecycle

Concept to retirement. Phase deliverables, code freezes, hotfix discipline, anticipating customer needs.

Leading the Work

Growing people into the right tasks, setting a shared vision, and estimating honestly with the 80% rule and weighted complexity.

Tools and diagrams

Context diagrams, the C4 model, flowcharts, UML, and the discipline of choosing the right altitude for each.

Ref

Quick reference

Red flags, decision frameworks, troubleshooting checklists, formulas, acronyms.

Other pages.

Site administrivia, plus links back to Wavelet Solutions.