Tutor profile: Sal A.

What is the first step in the product design jounrey?

The first step is to always understand the problem you are trying to solve from the point of view of your desired user. This is also known as empathy. Empathy can be developed through user research methods like ethnographic research, user interviews, surveys and more.

What's the difference between a buck and boost converter/regulator and what is the primary parameter for determining how well it performs?

A buck converter reduces the input DC voltage to a desired output voltage. A boost converter does the opposite where it increased the DC voltage from the input to a desired output. The primary parameter for performance in both these types of regulators is efficiency.

Of the many ways to debug code in the Arduino IDE, what is one the simplest and most efficient ways to make sure your program is running as it should?

The simplest way to test your code is to use print statements and display them on the Serial Monitor. This practice is done often using the terminal in non-Arduino development environments.