For centuries, infrastructure maintenance has barely evolved. Since Roman times, it’s been reactive, manual, and inefficient—trapped in a time warp. BrightAI is here to break that cycle.

Our mission is to transform critical infrastructure management from reactive maintenance to proactive operations, using multimodal AI to anticipate and prevent costly failures before they happen. Today, we’re proud to announce $15 million in seed funding led by Upfront Ventures and reveal the potential of our Stateful OS platform – read more on Upfront’s investment in BrightAI. 

Currently, 50% to 80% of infrastructure operations costs are tied to labor and truck rolls just to assess conditions. Without a comprehensive understanding of asset health, operators are left scrambling to respond to power outages, water main breaks, bridge collapses, gas leaks, and even food contamination—failures that could be prevented with real-time information.

This data exists, and now hard working field teams can access it through Stateful OS, our new platform that turns complex infrastructure data into actionable intelligence.

Purpose-built for industries ranging from water and energy to pest control and manufacturing, our platform is already making an impact. With over 250,000 active AI endpoints and 25,000 AI locations—deployed at more sites than Starbucks stores in the U.S.— we have achieved $80 million in revenue. Remarkably, this growth was accomplished while remaining in stealth mode and  without raising any outside capital — until now. Stateful OS captures exclusive, real-time data that no other system can access. This data powers multimodal AI models that detect infrastructure flaws before they escalate, enabling workers to make smart, informed decisions regarding dispatch and repair. With Stateful OS, workers arrive equipped with insights equivalent to 30 years of experience on their first day—preventing failures, cutting costs, and building resilience. 

The Stateful OS platform offerings include:

1️⃣ Asset & Site Visibility

Imagine having 24/7 monitoring, diagnostics, and automated dispatch at your fingertips. Stateful OS provides continuous visibility into infrastructure conditions, empowering teams with real-time insights to anticipate and resolve issues before they escalate.

2️⃣ Workforce Wearables & Copilots

With our AI-powered wearable solution, field workers gain access to real-time guidance and reporting, supported by a comprehensive operations knowledge graph. This enables faster, smarter decisions on the ground, ensuring your workforce is both informed and empowered.

3️⃣ Autonomous Inspection

Leveraging autonomous robotics and drone systems, Stateful OS automates complex, dangerous, and repetitive tasks, increasing inspection accuracy and frequency while reducing operational risks.

For leaders managing critical infrastructure, these capabilities represent an opportunity to:

• Transition from reactive to proactive management, reducing downtime and operational waste.
• Empower hard working field teams with tools that enable smarter, data-driven decision-making.
• Scale inspection operations with unmatched precision while improving safety and cutting costs.
  
  

With deployments spanning water, power, energy, transportation, pest control, HVAC, and critical home services, BrightAI is already transforming how critical industries manage and maintain infrastructure. Today, it’s possible for large, traditional businesses to evolve into data-driven digital operating systems of their own—accessing and adopting solutions once reserved for multi-billion-dollar companies. Our technology is leading this shift, replacing outdated, reactive methods with proactive, AI-powered precision. The $15M in seed funding will allow us to scale even further, enabling us to bring these solutions to new industries, more regions, and businesses of all sizes. Together with our partners and investors, we’re shaping a future where infrastructure resilience and efficiency are accessible to everyone.  

With over 25 years of experience as a strategic business leader and Army Combat Veteran, Brett has honed his ability to work across disciplines and with diverse clients to drive channel and commercialization growth. His career spans large corporations, startups, and mid-sized companies, consistently focusing on technology and its transformative potential. 

Now, Brett is preparing BrightAI for its next phase of growth. He believes that BrightAI excels at demonstrating to traditional companies how technology can revolutionize their industries, address global infrastructure challenges, and deliver new value.

Why did you decide to join BrightAI?

BrightAI is truly solving real world problems. Everyone needs drinking water. Infrastructure is aging. You need safer environments. The labor force is aging. How are we inspiring younger generations to come into any industry that doesn’t necessarily have technology? They will be excited to enter into that space because of technology. That’s a pretty cool intersection.

I’ve always been a technologist, even before the buzzwords of AI and the Internet of Things (IoT).  My love and passions in my career have been around commercialization, partnerships, and driving scale and growth with revenue and BrightAI was at that phase of maturity and ready for the next chapter. 

BrightAI has evolved to address aging infrastructure globally, showcasing how technology can offer operational efficiencies. In many of the verticals we operate in today, such as HVAC systems and pest environments, we focus on understanding the real-time state of machines. Traditionally, these tasks required a human to drive to each site for monitoring. Now, with edge computing, we can monitor, understand, and obtain real-time data and analytics remotely. The ability to detect, predict, and understand problems remotely is transformational for any company.

What are your roles and responsibilities?

My role is building out commercialization with the customer. That can mean scaling a product post-pilot and development, to global expansion. We have a great customer that is now looking to extend the next generation of technology and  AI to the 26 countries they operate in today. That’s a massive plan of ongoing commercialization. You have to think about how you execute and deploy the technology at scale and make it repeatable. 

It’s pretty exciting. We’re going to start to see that flywheel effect of commercialization and helping our customers. This is new for them, and so we must be patient, but at the same time push them and drive them. We want massive adoption of those products.

I work closely with Nancy Li, our EVP of Strategy & Growth. She’s building our funnel of new customers. I think about what it is we’re trying to build, and what is the ideal transition period when we do a proof of concept.  We will execute a pilot with a customer where later in the process I become involved to get to know the customer because we know it’s going to move to a commercialization opportunity and we make sure there is a beautiful transition between that phase of development and proof points to take it to market and deploy it.

What do you enjoy most about the work you are doing? 

BrightAI has so many talented people! It’s fun to learn about our customers’ products, how they built them, and about the next iteration. When you bring the right collaboration of people with business and technical acumen to data and science, you’re going to be smarter, and you’re all going to learn along the way.

I’ve always had a fierce appetite to learn. I’m not an engineer by trade, but I enjoy working with engineers because of how much I learn. I also love bringing the insights of the customer into the business so that it doesn’t get lost in the new product development cycle. 

I love interfacing with the customers and building long term partnerships. I want to plan and know where we’re going to be in 3 to 5 years together. I view these partnerships as long-term with tremendous growth and enterprise value creation for our customers as well as BrightAI.

How do you make sure that all the verticals get the attention they need from you when you move between them with your skills?

I’ve just always had a natural ability to compartmentalize. We’re all grinding, and especially in my daily world, I’m pivoting to probably 10 to 12 different things per day and need fierce prioritization. You must have ‘think time’, and you have to be highly organized. That probably comes from being in the military for a long time. I’m very structured that way.

I block time for each vertical and understand where they are, and what’s needed, constantly thinking about what’s next and where we’re at. We have a lot of great tools that enable efficiency and productivity. You must carve out time and block out your calendar. 

What milestones speak to the success of BrightAI’s collaboration with traditional industries?

With pest control, we’ve moved into trials (tests) with very large customers like Nestlé, Rentokil, and Ecolab, brands that people know. It’s testing environments such as food processing plants, medical equipment, or medical test labs where safety is critical. 

In food processing that means trying to produce quality food without any opportunity for pest intrusion such as insects or flies that increase likelihood of bacteria or any type of virus that could impact the health of the manufacturing process. High-level traffic can shut down an operation.  We’re seeing some great early results with trials on our Gen I flylight product. 

We had a pest control operator who installed one of the digital flylights in a test lab for a customer. They couldn’t believe the number of recorded flies because previous reports were so low. There are so many possibilities for error with manual touch. We’ve applied technology to a product that looks very similar to what they’ve been buying for years but AI and data processing are identifying the count digitally. Then you have a proof point to say, here’s what a traditional flylight does, now look at the digital application. That’s a very powerful case study. Now we have that huge manufacturer saying this type of flylight will be the spec on all their buildings. It’s going to be super exciting.

The results we are getting give us the ability to speak to people at a much higher level with proof points where we can say, “Let us show you the difference.” That’s an absolute no-brainer for any type of customer.

What does BrightAI do in terms of commercialization that is unique, that you’re bringing to customers?

We’re anchored with the right partners that we can scale with and continue to drive new growth over time. To commercialize correctly you have to have those anchor partners, market leaders. Then, you build the tools to commercialize that product and take it to other companies. It’s a lot of work, a lot of development, building a playbook along the way. How does that go to customer two, customer three, customer four, customer five. And more rapidly, it’s not going to be as high touch. But you have to successfully commercialize one first. 

As you think about BrightAI in the future, what does that look like? 

It’s a larger go-to-market engine, which includes people who are passionate about customers and the success of a product. They’re passionate about taking that customer to the next level. It’s a very exciting journey because that’s where BrightAI starts to think “How do we scale even beyond that?” And building tools that customers can build against that, whether it’s APIs or SDKs, etc. Those are exciting because that’s what makes a company just a huge multiplier of success when you can commercialize using the right tools and with a team that’s passionate about success and putting our customer first.

 What are your hobbies outside of work? 

I love being off the grid with no phone. I think we have to be more conscious of that in the world that we live in, especially with human connectivity, and what we’ve all been through globally with the pandemic. Technology is incredible but we, as humans, have to strike a balance of interaction and human touch versus just a pure digital environment. 

I’m very active. I’m not one to sit around much. I’m very passionate about coaching. I’ve coached my son’s baseball team and all stars and football since he started playing. I love developing young players not just as athletes, but also as human beings. I think it teaches incredible things about teamwork, respect, and diversity. I love the outdoors and mountain biking, running, skiing and hiking with my family. 

After an impressive 25-year track record in autonomous driving, Kiran Bharwani has joined BrightAI as Executive VP of Engineering and Product. He explains why it’s not a giant leap to move to this innovative start-up. BrightAI’s whole ethos excited him at a time when he was ready for a new challenge.

Why did you decide to join BrightAI?

I am inherently driven by a disruptive spirit, a quality ingrained in my very essence, as evidenced by my transformative experiences at Caterpillar, and Rivian. The excitement of collaborating with like-minded individuals, passionate about rewriting the rules, fuels my professional journey. I thrive on reimagining possibilities and tackling challenges from unconventional angles.

The prospect of aligning with an organization committed to consistently pushing boundaries and nurturing disruptive thinking is what excites me. Joining this extraordinary team at BrightAI is a thrilling opportunity. BrightAI stands at the forefront of digitizing the physical world, unleashing unprecedented potential for business growth and societal betterment. My pursuit was not just a job; it was about finding a company with a visionary mission and a profound purpose. BrightAI’s commitment to challenging the norm and driving innovation with enduring impact resonates deeply with my aspirations.

Knowing what you do about BrightAI’s mission to disrupt and innovate, has anything surprised you about the innovation you have found now that you are part of the team?

The remarkable diversity of verticals that the company is actively engaged with. This presents an exciting opportunity to delve into how our technology can create a significant impact across a broad spectrum of domains. 

One of the other things that motivates me is the enthusiasm of our customers in their pursuit of innovation and bringing these ground-breaking ideas to the market. Talk to any customer and you can see their excitement: “When can I have this?” Imagine the potential this can bring about in our business!

What else do you enjoy about working for an innovative start-up like BrightAI? 

One very exciting thing is the pace we move at. I enjoy the agility to implement ideas quickly, the opportunity to directly shape the company’s direction, and the close-knit community of brilliant minds. Being part of a startup allows for rapid decision-making and experimentation, which is essential in such a rapidly evolving industry.

Do you have a typical working day at BrightAI? 

A typical working day for me at BrightAI involves a blend of strategic planning and hands-on involvement. Mornings are usually dedicated to team meetings and strategic discussions, while afternoons often involve diving into the technical details of our projects. I also make it a point to engage with team members to ensure a cohesive and motivated workforce.

What do you think is important as a leader?

As a leader, I value strong communication, adaptability, and a results-driven approach. Effective communication ensures my team understands our goals, fosters transparency, and promotes collaboration. My adaptability helps me respond to changing circumstances and encourages innovation by being open to new ideas.

I balance being ‘hands-on’ and maintaining a high-level overview by setting clear expectations and delegating responsibilities to capable team members. This empowers them to make decisions within their expertise, allowing me to focus on the broader vision. Regular check-ins and feedback loops keep me informed without micromanaging, ensuring alignment with our goals. This approach empowers my team to take ownership of their work and excel.

You’re known for assembling high-performing teams. Have you found there’s a particular type of person who is drawn to a company like BrightAI?

Definitely. While I believe that individuals with diverse backgrounds and skills can thrive at BrightAI, there are certain qualities that tend to draw people to our company. Many are attracted to BrightAI’s commitment to innovation and its mission to disrupt the status quo. Those who value the opportunity to work on cutting-edge technologies and have a passion for driving meaningful change are often particularly drawn to our organization. We also tend to attract individuals who are collaborative, adaptable, and have a strong desire to make a lasting impact in their respective fields.

You have had great success in getting products to market. What do you see as the crucial winning ingredients for managing this successfully? 

There are several crucial ingredients. The first one–and most important–is a deep understanding of the target market. What problem are we trying to solve by bringing this product into the market? This knowledge informs the product’s design and features. 

Once you have clarity around that, then the next key thing is effective project management. This includes setting clear objectives, timelines, resource allocation, and having the right resources on the project.

You also need to foster a culture of innovation within the team, and continuous feedback from users. Doing that drives product refinement and improvement. 

Ultimately, successful products are the result of a combination of market insight, effective execution, and a commitment to ongoing improvements.

BrightAI is a remote-first company. Do you find certain strategies more useful when working remotely with a team?

When working remotely, clear communication, effective time management, and organized schedules are important for both personal and team productivity. Using digital tools for collaboration and maintaining a sense of team spirit through virtual activities and recognition also play a key role. Don’t forget to take breaks, stay active, and unwind after work for your well-being.

I like taking breaks in between meetings or relaxing at the end of the day because sometimes remote work doesn’t have a well-defined start or end of the day. Meetings just come up at any time. Slack messages are there all the time. You need to make sure you take breaks to stay healthy. 

 What are your favorite ways to relax? 

I find relaxation in a variety of activities. One of my favorite ways to unwind is by immersing myself in a good book. I also enjoy taking long walks or hikes, connecting with nature, and letting go of the day’s stresses. Additionally, I find solace in practicing mindfulness through meditation, which helps me maintain a sense of balance. Spending quality time with loved ones, whether it’s through engaging conversations or shared activities, is another cherished way for me to relax. Ultimately, I believe in the importance of finding a blend of activities that cater to both mental and physical well-being.

Where do you see BrightAI in 5 years?

 I envision BrightAI becoming a leader in AIoT. We will continue to innovate and disrupt the industry by introducing groundbreaking solutions. Our goal is to expand our reach into new markets and continue to attract the best talent. We see BrightAI at the forefront of making AIoT more efficient but also a ubiquitous reality in various industries. Our commitment to innovation and excellence will drive our success in the coming years.

BrightAI and Pelsis joined forces in a multi-year partnership to infuse artificial intelligence into Pelsis’s highly successful flylight product lines, beginning with the popular Cobra LED model previewed in October 2023 at PestWorld in Honolulu, Hawaii. This launch represents a giant leap forward for intelligent pest control, especially for pest control operator sustainability and food & pharmaceutical safety. Powered by BrightAI’s infrastructure AI platform, the new AI flylights have advanced multimodal AI models for automated insect counting, size classification, real-time alerts, and audit analytics. 

BrightAI, a trailblazing Infrastructure AI platform innovator, launched its strategic partnership with Pelsis, leading global pest control manufacturer and distributor, at the PestWorld conference. This partnership debuts the next-gen flying insect monitoring technology, combining the market leading Cobra LED insect flylight with automated insect counting and size classification insights through Pelsis’s intelligent pest platform powered by BrightAI’s “virtual master tech” platform. The fusion of cutting-edge AI technology and industry expertise promises to redefine the way we approach pest management, emphasizing early detection, real-time monitoring, and a proactive, sustainable strategy towards less chemical usage. Stay tuned as we usher in a new era in intelligent pest control.

A New Era in AI-Powered Pest Control

“Our partnership with Pelsis marks a significant turning point in the world of pest control. Traditionally, insect monitoring is a manual process, demanding valuable time and effort. Technicians climb up ladders and manually inspect from 25-250 flylights at each site, tallying the number of insects and assessing glueboard conditions. However, with routine service visits, often the discoveries come too late, resulting in costly infestations, factory shutdowns and increased chemical usage”, explained Nancy Li, EVP Growth & Strategy at BrightAI. “Pelsis Digital brings AI into the mix, transforming this process, reducing safety risks in the food and pharmaceutical industries, minimizing damage to brand reputation, and empowering pest management professionals to provide a more efficient, data-driven service.”

24/7 Pest Monitoring with Virtual Master Tech 

Imagine having a virtual master technician at every food and pharma location, tirelessly working around the clock. The new AI insect flylight does just that. It acts as an ever-vigilant monitor, sending alerts when insect counts hit a customizable threshold. This not only gives customers peace of mind but also allows pest management professionals to intervene early, preventing pest activity from turning into full-blown infestations.

• Leading Flylight Product, Upgraded with AI: Equipped with a high-res camera and AI sensors, this flylight provides 24/7 real-time monitoring of flying insect activity. Routine insect counting truck rolls become a thing of the past, as notifications guide technicians to the exact time and place for glue board checks. 
• Better-than-Human AI Models: The new AI flylights incorporate advanced multimodal AI models with extensive training and testing and proven to perform better-than-human  automatic insect counting and size classification, which provides a good signal for potential root causes and remediations. BrightAI’s advanced multimodal AI technology delivers time-sequenced algorithms to increase counting accuracy particularly on crowded glue boards. 

• Early Infestation Detection & Proactive Service Alerts: The Pelsis Digital mobile app and online portal, included with the monitoring subscription, provide real-time reporting of flying insect activity while delivering insect count and size categorization, UV source replacement analysis, and temperature and humidity monitoring. 
• Digital Audit Reporting & Analytics: The Pelsis Digital portal provides immediate and accurate data for trend analysis and auditing needs, effectively reducing the amount of paperwork. The data can seamlessly integrate into existing pest management systems through Pelsis Integration APIs.

The Future of Pest Control

Commenting on the new product launch in their recent press release, Alex Ashmore, Pelsis Group CEO, said: “We’re delighted to showcase Pelsis’ commitment to driving new standards in pest management best practice, by launching our market leading digital insect light trap. The benefits of this intelligent product fit squarely within Pelsis’ vision to help move the sector to a more sustainable way of working alongside nature and our environment, while protecting public health.”

About Pelsis

Pelsis’ vision is to develop sustainable and innovative solutions, providing peace of mind and protecting public health, while working in harmony with nature. Their leading commercial and retail brands deliver innovative pest management and garden care products to a global customer base of more than 4,500. Pelsis employs more than 650 people across 14 sites in the UK, mainland Europe, USA and India, and their international team offers customer service, sales, technical and account support in more than 14 languages. 
To learn more about Pelsis, visit pelsis.com.

About BrightAI

BrightAI is a hyper-growth Infrastructure AI platform company with a mission to revitalize and automate western infrastructure, accelerated by the trillion-dollar infrastructure bill. By empowering major infrastructure services companies with autonomous monitoring, inspection, and rehabilitation solutions that can be universally retrofitted to legacy infrastructure and augmented with frontline AI copilot tools, BrightAI helps its customers deploy hundreds of thousands of AI endpoints cost-effectively. BrightAI’s customers trust BrightAI to turbocharge their frontline workforce productivity and accelerate enterprise value creation with AI-powered proactive services. 
To learn more about BrightAI, visit www.bright.ai.

You know you’re from Minneapolis if the words “hot dish” mean something to you beyond a warm plate, and what most people consider a harsh winter doesn’t hold a candle to yours.

If you ran this by half the BrightAI team, it might not mean so much. However, the other half would be able to tell you their favorite toppings for the tater tot-laden casserole, and where they were for the Halloween Blizzard of ‘91.

While the BrightAI team lives all throughout the United States—everywhere from California to Florida—nearly half of us, including one of our founders, are local to Minneapolis, and for good reason.

In the last decade, we’ve formed a micro-IoT hub within a city that’s as varied, enterprising, and vibrant as our team.

From SmartThings to BrightAI 

It all started when our founders came together from different start-ups to establish BrightAI in 2019—a unique infusion of IoT and artificial intelligence technologies.

“It’s a little bit infectious when you have a group of people who really like getting stuff done and working on interesting problems,” explains co-founder Doug Burman. “It’s like an automatic fit.”

A ‘Micro-Tech Hub’ in the Midwest

As more engineers joined the team, we formed what Burman dubs a “micro-tech hub” within Minneapolis’ already thriving industry landscape—spanning retail and medical devices to marketing and education.

In fact, that is a good metaphor for Minneapolis, as a whole: It offers a little bit of everything, all in one place. 

“We kind of naturally found the best of the best,” shares Burman. “Once you get a solid group together, it’s a lot easier to find other people attracted to working with a solid team. We planted the seed with some really good people, and now you can pull in some elite talent that has different experiences and from different areas to do more.”

One such engineer is Barry Andersen, who grew up a half hour north of the Twin Cities and earned his undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Minnesota.

“I would agree with that,” he says of Burman’s assessment. “When I was looking for new opportunities for a technology job in engineering, there’s really no other place to go in the Midwest. You have Denver and maybe Chicago, but to find opportunities like Minneapolis and the Twin Cities provide, there’s really nothing else around the Midwest area.”  

Andersen is one of 18 people—from BrightAI’s 45 total—working out of the lab in Northeast Minneapolis. 

The bright, spacious office is in the heart of the city’s northeast neighborhood—a stone’s throw from Jackson Square Park, and home to a sizable artistic community.

While some bike to the office, others drive, and stop at spots such as Young Joni for pizza or Dangerous Man Brewing Co. on the way home. In fact, Minneapolis and Saint Paul are regularly voted the best cities for walkability and bikeability, even despite snow and winter.

Minneapolis’ foodie scene, alone, makes it a worthwhile destination for the other half of our staff to make the trek for intermittent meetings in person. However, the city’s got much more to offer. 

The ‘Special Flavor’ of Minneapolis

This extraordinary city combines industry, nature, art, education, music, and sports—a unique collage that keeps locals around.

The mighty Mississippi River runs through downtown—home to a vibrant arts scene that includes such landmarks as the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden and Walker Art Center’s enormous sculpture of a spoon and cherry. Drive about an hour outside the city, and you’re sitting on the banks of Lake Minnetonka enjoying one of the most beautiful sunsets—one of so many in the “Land of Ten Thousand Lakes.”

Among U.S. cities with the most green space per capita, Minneapolis reserves 20% of its lands for parks, and 95% of residents live within a 10-minute walk of one. Yet on any weeknight, you’ll find locals heading downtown for a Jucy Lucy, Walleye sandwich, or Twins game.

In the much-awaited reprieve following a five-month-long winter, residents don’t waste a second of the warm weather. Outdoor activities include biking, hiking, waterskiing, fishing, or heading to the state fair—the country’s largest, based on attendance. Still, even in the winter, they embrace the cold while ice fishing, snowmobiling, or skiing.

“When they’re shut in, it gives them a natural mental space to spend time to do something a little bit more creative than you would do if you always had the opportunity to be spending time outdoors,” says Burman. “Your year is not necessarily uniform, which I think it’s a good thing. I think it has kind of invigorated a lot of the art scene.”

From its 55 museums and characteristic architecture to indie movie theaters and comedy shows, Minneapolis’ arts culture leaves very little to be desired. However, along with shows at the Armory or State Theatre, the city has also commemorated its outpouring of social justice activism through a striking mural of George Floyd Square on 38th Street and Chicago Avenue—marking the location Floyd was murdered at the hands of Minneapolis police in 2020.

“We have a pretty recent history with social justice work going on,” explains BrightAI Engineer Pat Nelsen. “It’s really been embraced by some of the professional sports teams and other things within the community. So I think all that, with the other arts and different things, kind of gives a special flavor to Minneapolis.”

BrightAI: What Makes Us Unique 

Minneapolis is an extraordinary place, but the people are what gives the area its special vibrancy and atmosphere. 

At BrightAI, we feel much the same. 

Our team not only pushes the boundaries of modern technology in the workplace; they are constantly innovating outside of work—often learning new hobbies such as woodworking, gardening, musical instruments, or website building.

They are curious about new questions, relentless in disrupting with AIoT, intelligent in unlocking unimagined potential, and optimistic about how these innovations can transform the future of industries. 

Much like our city, we are a little bit of everything, all in one place—and it’s exactly what makes us unique.

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At BrightAI, it’s no secret our people are our best assets, and our teamwork produces truly extraordinary innovations.

However, in-person collaborations have been few and far between for several years due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

That’s what makes our recent company-wide outing to Tampa, Florida even more special and meaningful. We are confident that there will be a lasting “Tampa influence” on BrightAI’s future.

More than three dozen team members from across the country traveled to Florida for this incredible, multi-day opportunity to meet and connect with each other face to face, experience the local culture, workshop new ideas and much more. 

Day 1: Historic Ybor City & Bowling

While January is typically the coldest month of the year in Tampa, temperatures hovered in the 60s and 70s for most of our trip—which is prime shorts weather for a large group of team members who came from shoveling snow in Minnesota the day before!

After checking into our hotel, we made our way to historic Ybor City—a vibrant Latin district known for its boutiques, vintage shops, Cuban restaurants and, yes, cigars! 

We took in our first sightseeing adventure aboard Tampa’s streetcar system from Whiting Station to Centennial Park Station. Then we had a fantastic team feast at Columbia Restaurant—the oldest Spanish restaurant in the United States, in operation for more than 117 years, and largest in the world with a whopping 15 dining rooms!

From empanadas and crab croquettes to an eclectic cocktail selection and flamenco dancing, our meal was delicious and our time here together was nothing short of spectacular.

Afterward, we boarded a private bus and continued our adventure to Pin Chasers in midtown—with 50 lanes, it’s a serious location for bowlers! We shared some unforgettable bonding—and just a little mischief—before calling it a night.

Day 2: Bright Ideas & Escape Rooms

Some of our early birds kicked off our first full day together in the city with breakfast at the hotel before heading to The Tampa Club for some business.

This 42-floor premier private event venue and lounge features breathtaking views of downtown—from City Hall to the Hillsborough River—Tampa Bay, and much more.

We spent the day brainstorming, discussing and goal setting. We couldn’t miss the opportunity for people to win some BrightAI merch—from frisbees to beanies! Bright Bingo got us up and moving around, and the puzzle break was highly competitive. The M&Ms on every table with our co-founders faces on them were definitely a talking point!

Workshops focused on what we are doing across the business, including operational plans and—importantly—thoughts from our customers. 

The corporate yearbook was a highlight of the trip. This snapshot of BrightAI history will be incredible to look back on as the company grows. The book highlighted our team’s favorite snacks, sayings and TV shows, plus broke down what we all really do. We featured our families, our pets, spotlighted a few engineers and—of course—there were awards. (Some particularly amusing categories raised a smile!) There is already talk about this becoming an annual Bright tradition.

The offsite event gave everyone the chance to consider the exciting prospects for the year ahead. This is the point at which the foundation work starts to bear fruit, so commercialization featured strongly in discussions—getting things into the field, out ‘to the world’ and sharing what we do is an exciting prospect for 2023.

By the time 5 p.m. rolled around, we were ready to make our way to Tampa Pizza Company for a very casual family-style meal. Pass the pepperoni!

Afterward, we put our team-building to the test at The Great Escape Room Tampa.

With themes such as “poker night at the president’s bunker” and Houdini-esque seances, these rooms gave us a chance to do what we do best at BrightAI: think critically, work efficiently and shine a light on innovation where there otherwise hadn’t been. 

It was also the perfect ending to a brief but enriching time together.

Powered by an Unmatched Team

The feedback from our team had one unequivocal conclusion—they want to do it again! More often. And for longer. In particular, with an extra full day to have even more time for functional teams to meet.

Every day, our BrightAI team leads AIoT innovations that revolutionize industries. What made this conference truly special was experiencing this reality alongside other team members, in person.  

Our exceptional team fuels every single facet of what we do at BrightAI—helping a wide range of diverse industries revolutionize processes and unlock unimagined potential as never before. 

Optimistic, curious, ingenious, passionate and relentless—we imagine new solutions to old problems, uncover dormant efficiencies and create a truly innovative future for our clients, and the world.

BrightAI is a platform powered by experienced minds with unparalleled knowledge of AI and AIoT. To disrupt your industry and unlock unimagined potential, contact us today.

While still in its nascent stages, the myriad uses of Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) technology are vast and constantly evolving—even across industries that have traditionally relied upon manual processes with seemingly few data points to leverage. 

With a few simple tweaks, for example, existing coin-operated laundry facilities can be monitored by AI to improve efficiency, and downtime at manufacturing plants can be reimagined with just a few well-placed cameras and sensors.

The possibilities are truly endless. 

As ever more data becomes available for industries to interpret and identify improvements, the potential increases for this technology to likewise optimize business processes.

Despite these tremendous opportunities and proven impacts of AIoT technology, however, the term and concept is still somewhat of a buzzword.

To shed more light on its fundamentals, here’s a brief explainer regarding its uses, benefits, and transformative capabilities.

What Is AIoT?

To understand AIoT, let’s first explain IoT—and the connection between the two. 

The Internet of Things (IoT) encompasses every device, everywhere connected to the internet and transmitting data to a network. Commercial laundry machines, exercise equipment, HVAC systems, refrigerators, and lights are all encompassed within this—constantly sending signals about their operations via sensors, take-over boards, or laser measuring systems.

However collected, such information isn’t useful to businesses until interpreted.

This is where yet another key concept comes in.

Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoT) pertains to the application and utilization of AI technology to attain these critical insights from voluminous, often labor-driven data sets. 

If they sound like broad definitions, that’s because they are. 

AIoT’s uses are incredibly all-encompassing and transformative when properly leveraged across a wide variety of industries.

The Transformative Potential of AIoT Across Industries  

AIoT helps industries streamline efficiencies, optimize processes, and harness unprecedented potential for growth and social good. 

For one, AI pipeline monitoring helps technicians maintain and plan infrastructure more accurately based on 3D pipe data. Close loop curing and augmented cutting capabilities are also welcome alternatives to relying on hard-to-hire, highly skilled CCTV cutting operators and manual analog curing processes, respectively. All of these help technicians mitigate poor-quality and high-failure costs for damaging laterals during cutting.

This is just one possible solution of the transformative impact AIoT can have in maximizing efficiencies and profitability across industries. 

In fact, global market intelligence provider the International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts the worldwide AI software market will reach $596 billion in revenue by 2025, and anticipates $437 billion from the IoT market. Of the two billion frontline workers around the globe, 63% are excited about the new jobs technology creates, finds a 2022 Work Trend Index Special Report from Microsoft. 

With 30.9 billion IoT-connected devices projected globally by 2025—nearly double the 16.4 billion in 2022—organizations that capitalize on such underutilized data hold the keys to myriad advantages, helping them stand out and become leaders within their industries.

AIoT: Industry-Specific Use Cases 

The number of industries that can leverage AIoT technology verges on limitless.

Here are some contextual examples of how AIoT might be effectively applied: 

Commercial Laundry

While coin payments and analog machines are standard in laundromats, AIoT technology enables property managers to oversee machines remotely, and even accept digital payments.

Connected machines and vision AI monitoring technology can send notifications to customers’ smartphones when loads are completed, or opt to add more with just a few clicks.

These real-time visibility, diagnostic, and predictive services yield greater efficiencies and revenues in a sector that previously had very little data to leverage.

Pool Manufacturing

Pool measurement, quoting, ordering, and manufacturing are somewhat arduous processes—typically requiring two professionals up to five hours to manually measure pools, and months to receive the manufactured product. With minimal direct consumer relationships and the need to rely on dealers in many cases, they are also extremely error-prone.

Such a need for accuracy and efficiency is the perfect use case for AIoT.

Using a LiDAR-based scanning device with on-demand AI point cloud, it only takes about 10 minutes to generate digital measurements, create a quote, and place an order to manufacturing—with 99% accuracy.

Businesses leveraging this can bypass competitors by additionally creating direct relationships with consumers for renewal, up-sale, and cross-sale.

HVAC Services

In commercial and residential contexts, the HVAC industry offers minimal visibility into machine issues before technicians arrive on site. A largely reactive service, repairs are further constrained during peak season—worsened by the market’s lack of remote recovery options.

With full-spectrum sensor data, HVAC AIoT monitoring devices provide predictive maintenance and high-priority service alerts—facilitating more proactive service planning and work, for two to three times as many customers.

By predicting new unit sales and leads, commercial businesses can stay ahead of trends, and make informed decisions. 

Pest Control

The pest control industry is currently highly reliant on operator labor, which requires technicians to manually count the bugs on hundreds of thousands of fly lights for hours every few weeks. The industry is also facing regulation pressure to ban rodenticide, which has been shown to notably disrupt the food chain. 

With multimodal pest monitoring utilizing infrared, visual, motion, olfactory, and connected traps, AIoT technology provides early detection alerts, continuous monitoring, reliable connectivity, low false positives, and long battery life.

This full visibility helps enterprise customers predict intrusions and points for prevention, and assists the evolution of the pest control industry to 100% prevention and zero toxins.

Benefits of AIoT

By mapping relationships based on collected data, AIoT enables organizations to automate, optimize, and refine processes to completely transform operations—shining a light on efficiencies too often overlooked by manual processes.

These capabilities empower businesses to optimize operational efficiencies, improve service, drive revenue growth, fuel new product experiences, reduce capital expenditures, and create greater free cash flow. 

Let’s revisit some of these advantages within industry-specific use cases:

Mitigates Frontline Workforce Shortage

Advancements in AIoT help fill blue-collar staff deficits and augment the frontline workforce.

Example: For every 1.8 frontline job opening in the United States, there is one frontline worker willing to work. Further, Generation Z employees quit jobs every six months on average. These trends, among others, have yielded a deficit in the frontline workforce across industries—pressuring CEOs to maintain current topline revenue with half the staff. AIoT supplements these blue-collar deficits and augments the frontline workforce of two billion.

Productivity

Automation empowers organizations to reach desired outputs faster, and without the hurdles and errors associated with manual operations. 

Example: Autonomous HVAC anomaly detection, lifespan prediction, and new-install identifications enable service professionals to detect issues with heating, ventilation, and air conditioning proactively, rather than calling after it’s already broken. These capabilities help companies to work with two to three times as many customers and stay ahead of industry trends by predicting new unit sales and leads.

Efficiency

Leveraging data patterns to shine a light on where business operations could be improved revolutionizes efficiencies—empowering industries to function in the most optimized way. 

Example: While previously requiring two people to manually measure a pool, it takes one person only 10 minutes when utilizing a LiDAR-based autonomous scanner. Staff can also maintain direct digital relationships with end customers, rather than experience the former slow processing and delays.

Sustainability

Automated functioning streamlines once manual processes—only utilizing the energy needed while minimizing chemical and toxin output.

Example: Multimodal pest monitoring and early detection alerts predict pest intrusion and points of prevention, while helping enterprise customers migrate to a 100% preventative, zero-toxin pest control industry. 

Profitability

By saving time, energy, and resources, industries can ultimately save in their bottom lines.

For Example: Real-time visibility, diagnostic, and predictive services of AIoT in commercial laundromats enable property managers to oversee machines remotely and accept digital payments to maximize efficiencies and revenues. 

Challenges Facing AIoT

Knowing what data to measure can be a challenge for many companies, even if they have the technology and devices in place to do so—which, oftentimes, many do not. 

Even when companies have measured data, there still comes the challenge of leveraging this into actionable insights.

In other words, a key challenge is knowing how this well of untapped data can reimagine processes and unlock value.

The solution: Leading platforms such as BrightAI disrupt sectors with transformational insights that help them optimize essential business processes and become leaders within their industries.

BrightAI’s AIoT platform creates transformational value for traditional companies. 

By enabling industries to transform their relationship with people and machines, enterprise customers create better products and customer experiences, and sustainably accelerate growth, profit, and value.

Our unique partnering model makes it possible for any company to adopt and fully leverage AIoT, overcoming the challenges of expertise, cost, and complexity.

BrightAI: Disrupting Industries by Unlocking Unimagined Potential

With so much collected data unutilized, there exists an unprecedented opportunity for businesses and industries to leverage AIoT to unlock unimagined potential and disrupt their industries.

Our BrightAI team has created billions of dollars in enterprise value for our customers by illuminating transformative insights that optimize business operations. We are the minds behind Amazon Alexa, Amazon Web Services (AWS), and Samsung SmartThings platforms, among many other revolutionary concepts and technologies. 

Leveraging AIoT, our end-to-end turnkey customer solutions generate real-time insights that automate and improve business outcomes, differentiate products and services, optimize operations, and pioneer more sustainable alternatives. 

With proven results in months, not years, capitalizing on these transformative insights empowers your organization to optimize processes in unimagined ways, maximize efficiencies, and establish yourself as a forerunner of innovation within your industry.

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To disrupt your industry and illuminate unimagined potential with AIoT, contact us today.

When we asked our team at BrightAI ‘Who is your absolute most impressive teammate?,’ three names received the most votes. One of them was Staff Engineer, Ryan Goss. 

COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES:

Ryan played a critical role on this project, helping on scoping efforts and swarming technical resources. As a result of his efforts, BrightAI was able to deliver the MVP and receive payment for this milestone in the beginning of 2022. This is a huge accomplishment for BrightAI and for Ryan and the team.

A significant portion of Ryan’s time was spent working with developers. He did a great job in taking high-level requests and translating them into tasks, which allowed us to effectively leverage staffing resources. Ryan exemplified the impact that a strong tech lead can have on solution integration. Furthermore, Ryan demonstrated his dedication and leadership skills by hand delivering scanners to the client, and continued a good rapport with them.

We chatted with Ryan about his background to find out where he developed the skills he brings to BrightAI. 

On being in the top three and a ‘most impressive teammate.’

Getting that recognition means more because it comes from people who really care and see you as someone to look up to. I was surprised, because my team is pretty small compared to some others. It was super cool to get it because working hard and being easy to work with don’t always go together. What’s helped is leaning on each other more.

What I try to do as Tech Lead is make tough decisions. I take a practical approach, and we have lots of conversations with our customers.

The thing about BrightAI is that nobody needs to micromanage because we’re all so amazing at what we do. I don’t have to check up on what everyone is doing. You know who the experts are, you throw the balls at them, and they’ll catch them. On the flip side, when you need help, there’s always support.

On using personality strengths to deliver for customers.

I did a project in college called “Smart Tupperware.” It told you what cereal was in it, when it was going to run out, and then added it to your shopping list. I’ve always loved forms of automation. To me, it’s super cool to be able to enable that for more and more people across the world. 

I’ve never been one to shy away from difficult situations or questions. Even my kindergarten teacher said to my mother, “Ryan asks too many questions.” I’m not rebellious, but if I see something could be more efficient, I will ask, “What if we looked at it from this perspective?” 

Just because I question it, doesn’t mean I have to have it my way. It just means “let’s discuss it and work through it.” You may think something technically is better, and then the customer says no. But very rarely have I said we can make this faster, cheaper, and the company says “we don’t want to do that.” We bring them along, have a shared mindset with them, and travel together.

On being a defining project influence.

I have been on one project for 18 months, so I got to reshape it. It went through a whole experimentation, trial and error process. The overall goal was measuring, but the “how” was left open. There were going to be lasers, and other things, but all that had to be filled in. It’s so rewarding to see the finish line there, get this solution delivered and be used in the field. Now, our discussions have flipped, and it’s about how we optimize it. 

The customer was thinking it would get incrementally better. We were talking vastly better. It’s extra rewarding when you get the product to them, and they see it working. This device is 100% customized. Every time, it’s been a process of discovery, finding a solution, and making improvements. Getting to this point is really exciting, such a triumph.

On collaborating to innovate.

We had to reevaluate the project. We were trying to fully automate it, so you would switch a device on and go. We were struggling, and eventually we said, “What is our ultimate objective?” We want to take this and digitize it and be accurate, repeatable, and easy. So we said, “What if we put a human in the loop, because we need somebody there, and we find a way to complement the human knowledge and the system we have and make it a harmonious method?” 

It’s important to go watch how the user works, to experience the current operations and hear their “pain points.” We get to see how the legacy world does it, and then we go leaps and bounds over it, finding a myriad of ways to get the process into the digital realm—often accomplishing more than the customer can envision is even possible.

This approach with our customers builds trust. Because it’s collaborative, they have confidence in this device. It’s also a lot faster and better overall, and allows us to get more data, so eventually it will be purely automated.

On being part of a small (but mighty!) company.

It has a bit of everything. Being quite small, you get customer engagement, you get into the code and hardware. I physically get to hold devices in my hand and get out into the real world with this thing. I love that purpose, that perspective. It’s really enjoyable. It’s not sitting in front of a computer all day; it’s getting that interaction. What I like about BrightAI is we are half in the real world and half in the digital world. We’re digitizing the real world, and I like living on that boundary.

On big business versus start-up life.

My previous company had tens of thousands of employees, the majority in manufacturing. It was a giant company with lots of bureaucracy. It was manufacturing, with enough engineering to make the manufacturing better; but not highly innovative, not driving new things. For a while, we had a small start-up within the company, and at that point, we were having the best time. Three of those employees are now at BrightAI and were a big reason to come. I knew the people here were the top, and the things we were doing were exciting. 

On working remote.

Our spare bedroom is like a spare parts bin. We have these big suitcases to store things; I’ve got tripods. I have so much stuff, it’s like I have a lab station at home. I do enjoy the at-home experience, and I travel to meet with customers regularly. I’ve seen everyone on our team face-to-face. It also helps that the person I work with most day-to-day is close to my house, three minutes away. We can still get together, brainstorm, get on the whiteboard.

On positive disruption.

I feel we are at a point where AI is disrupting these legacy industries in such a positive way. We’re doing something that offers so much value to everybody in the chain—the businesses, the users who are out in the field with it, and the end customer. Workers can be more efficient; AI is augmenting the situation. Nobody’s speciality is laying down using a tape measure. We are making workers more efficient, and better at what they do. A salesperson could then do the initial visit instead of the tech installer, so it is a better sales pitch. Across the board, I see these value deliveries. We don’t have a “product,” we have a “solution.” We’re making everything better, and that’s where there is such long-term value. 

On changing the world for the better.

In an altruistic sense, what I see we’re doing is making the world better and more efficient. That’s super rewarding because, ultimately, efficiency is the way that humanity will work its way through a lot of challenges, whether it be climate or energy. I want to make the world generally better. It’s not just a job, it’s being part of that. I love it.

When we asked our team at BrightAI “Who is your absolute most impressive teammate?,” three names received the most votes. One of them was Director of Hardware & Manufacturing, Albert Carr. 

COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES:

It’s Albert, and I’d be surprised if many here don’t feel the same way.

[He’s an] excellent engineer, even better person, not sure how he keeps all the projects straight, but somehow he does. We’d be lost without him.

Albert is a special individual because he is a wonderful mix of technical prowess across multiple engineering specializations, blended with humility, work ethic and his desire for success for everyone around him.

We chatted with Albert about his unique role, plus his thoughts on his team and the challenges they face.

An unmissable opportunity.

I’ve been with Bright AI for about two years. It was a very exciting opportunity. The ability to do both artificial intelligence and IOT in a commercial setting just seemed like the right fit for the right time in the industry. The team brought me here. I’ve worked in the past with BrightAI team members, so it just seemed like a fantastic opportunity, with a great company and good leaders. 

On the importance of prototypes.

I take things from concept to production. These last two years, having to navigate supply chain issues has been what keeps me up at night. We never used to have to consider designing around supply chain, but now we design for maximum flexibility, so we can use the parts that we can find. We’ve got an amazing small team that is constantly looking for parts. For our size, we’re definitely punching above our weight, and we’re doing everything we can to push our customers ahead.

I also own hardware, which includes building prototypes. A lot of the front-end work that goes into our projects starts in my garage. We often win business by bringing in a model and conducting a demonstration so our customers can see what we can do for them. I really enjoy this part. I’ve probably built over a dozen of these prototypes, and almost all of these are in production, or are currently in transition to production. 

On the work being enjoyable.

At the end of the day, I’m a tinkerer, so these prototypes are probably the most fun I have. Supply chain is like a treasure hunt—it’s so rewarding. Being able to chip away at the monumental task it has turned out to be over these last two years makes me feel good. 

On big career experiences.

I started working for Proctor & Gamble on large machinery, basically the size of a football field. The plant I worked at had a CapEx of about a billion and a half dollars. 

From there, I took a job with an automotive plant and got into that mentality on manufacturing quality systems. In the automotive world, things are very tight, very lean. I learned a lot from companies like Denzo Toyota, and Honda.

I also worked in defense and aerospace on military computers where things were designed for ruggedness, ease-of manufacturability and cost. Lives depended on everything being right.

Next, I went to SmartThings after the acquisition from Samsung. [I] went from just owning hardware to owning hardware and supply chain, and then transitioning into product. 

On working remote.

It’s been nice to be able to travel again and be able to get out and see some of the folks. Some I’ve worked with in the past, some I haven’t.

My team’s completely distributed. I’m in Florida, my electrical engineer is in Washington, and my procurement manager is located in Texas.

I’d say at least 25-30% of what I deal with is overseas. So, my role is always going to be a remote role. China has been very challenging recently, due to its Covid policy. I’ve not been able to get over there to do some of the work I usually do. But, thankfully, the tools have gotten fantastically better. I’m in constant contact with the people I need to be at all times. I think remote working is here to stay. 

On my colleagues.

I’ve never worked with a team like the one we’ve put together here. It is above and beyond the best group of people I’ve worked with. They’re extraordinary in every way, shape or form. You’ve got people literally at the top of their craft in every single function. Having that type of work environment allows us to implement a lot more things into place faster.

We’ve got a vision and set direction, and everybody’s working towards that. It’s fantastic in that regard. It’s fun working here. There’s not a huge number of people in the world who can say that they are genuinely happy with what they’re doing.

When we asked our team at BrightAI ‘Who is your absolute most impressive teammate?,’ three names received the most votes. One of them was Staff Engineer, Sam Carlton.

COMMENTS FROM COLLEAGUES:

Sam is able to break down projects into components and guide the right technology. He is both humble and detailed. He communicates clearly and always follows up. He knows his audience and is relatable and friendly.

In the day-to-day development of features, I approve greatly of his pragmatic approach and desire to keep a project on track amid lack of clarity and definition. Having tangible websites makes discovering holes easier and faster, and Sam is always working to keep the product development cycle moving forward.

We chatted with Sam about his background and his approach to his work. He has obviously made a strong impact in only eight months. 

On being the go-to person for web tech.

I was so surprised that I would’ve been in the top three, just by the sheer caliber of folks here. I don’t think there’s a person on the engineering team who I haven’t asked for help, so maybe I’m just always reciprocating and helping out as the go-to person for web tech when they need it. 

I’ve been exposed to a lot of new areas of the software development life cycle, and naturally I’ve had to reach out to the subject matter experts in their particular fields for help. I’ve had the opportunity to learn from them through that process. And I’d like to think I was able to teach them something in return, and maybe that’s why the relationships between us have been so positive.

On putting the users first.

I am focusing on the UX, or the user experience, side of our products—the place where our customers actually log into on the web. Think of it like the admin portal, the dashboard that someone would log in to see all of the metrics related to their business.

We’ve been primarily focused on building up what we’re calling a studio. It’s essentially a way for us to monitor our fleet and our connected devices. We are working on one user-friendly app per vertical. 

On being in charge of the challenges.

This is my second start-up. I did have a good eight years back in corporate America between start-ups. That was one of the reasons why I decided to join BrightAI, to just go completely to the opposite end of the spectrum—from being just one team member in some small aspect of a large organization, to being responsible for a whole set of challenges.

On going deep into tech.

A former coworker of mine joined BrightAI, and he reached out to me and said, “I’m working at this start-up now and we’re doing some pretty exciting stuff. You gotta come over here.”

One of the benefits with start-ups is we get to choose pretty much all of the technology that we’re using. At corporate America, you’re probably inheriting a system that another team had built and maintained over years and years and years, whereas here it’s all cutting edge, very modern. I like the problem space. It might sound boring if you say you work with laundry machines or rat traps, but I think if you go deep enough in any technology—as long as you like technology—you’ll find it interesting.

On working for an exciting start-up vs. a big corporation.

It’s kind of night and day to what it was like at my previous (corporate) role. There were so many more teams that would have to get involved in a decision to just bring a feature or a new app on board. 

You get a sense of impact here because there’s not ten other people between you and the customer that are all acting as some sort of feedback funnel. There’s two people between me and the customer now. It’s about getting direct feedback and feeling like what you are working on has a direct impact, versus playing some small part in the overall structure of the company. 

On lightening the load.

Primarily, I’m focused on how it (the user platform) functions. The goal is to make it frictionless to use. A lot of the interactions we’re targeting now are just supposed to be light touch bases. One of the goals of bringing AI into an industry like pest control isn’t to make it so that people have to actually go and check these dashboards all the time. It’s there if they need it, but ideally, they’re getting notifications. If we’re doing a good enough job, they should be proactively notified of the actions that they need to take. They shouldn’t have to be checking the app all the time.

On working remote.

I definitely miss the face-to-face interaction with a lot of folks. There’s no question about whether you can be more productive in certain times when you’re in an office, like strategy meetings, when you can get together with a whiteboard. No software has really gotten that good in collaborative thinking yet—that’s irreplaceable. 

I don’t miss all of the shoulder tapping, interruptions and noise you get in the office. Working from home, I can get a solid six hours of just being able to focus on the code, and that kind of uninterrupted time is what really can make a productive day. 

I think that speaks to a lot of the trust that we have among the engineering team, because there’s very little micromanagement. We’re depending on each other to all get our work done. There’s a healthy trust among the team, and that’s why we don’t have so many meetings in the first place.

On staying organized.

I’m going on 20 years now as a professional developer, so I just have a ton of experience in staying organized in my day-to-day. I’ve got a personalized system that I use. I have nothing on my desktop, and there’s nothing on my actual desk; because if it’s not something that I actually need to be focusing on or doing, it’s just simply removed from the equation. I focus on only the thing that I have to do that day or the next day. That’s kind of one of the benefits of the start-up. What does the customer need immediately for a launch? We’re staying focused on what matters and getting rid of everything that doesn’t.

On being part of a special team.

I’m just so absolutely buzzed to be working with my teammates. It’s always this incredible enthusiasm of, “Oh, it’s so good, I get to work with so and so, and they’re amazing.” Nobody wants to let anyone else down. It feels like the chemistry is just incredible. It’s very special.

What I was born to do.

I learned how to program when I was in elementary school, back in 1998. I built a little program for the T 83 Calculators for the PI theorem. A squared plus B squared equals C squared. You could give it the inputs for your math homework, and it would solve it for you and show you the work. I shared it with all the other kids in my grade. I made milk money.

I guess I’m one of those people who got really lucky and can say that if you get to do what you love, you don’t ever feel like you’re working.