Q&A with Janie Robinson, CEO at ExistX

"Leadership is the capacity to translate a vision into reality."

—Warren Bennis

?Here at ExistX, we are all about finding a solution to your problem, making your dream a reality. And how do we bring that about? It all starts with fantastic leadership. And we can’t think of a better example of this than our CEO, Janie Robinson . Enjoy the Q&A session we had with her below - we hope this gets you as excited about ExistX as we are!!

?Why did you decide to take on the role of CEO here at ExistX specifically?

I like being part of something bigger than myself and ExistX is going to make a difference in the world. There is a huge gap between novel, innovative research and the hands of people that need it and will use it. Some call it the ‘valley of death’ and others call it ‘tech transition’ – the name doesn’t matter - but the problem remains the same. Imagine knowing that really hard, really important problems have been solved but the solution never sees the light of day!

?ExistX is a spin out and sister company of Galois, a company that solves some of the world’s most challenging, creative and forward-looking problems. I think of Galois as a commercial version of DARPA. The most brilliant minds you’ll ever meet walk the halls of Galois and the research breakthroughs they achieve are astounding. However, moving something from research to a practical application is a different kind of hard. It requires a different technical skill set from a pure research focused business and an organizational structure that enables the delivery of scalable, reliable technology solutions. Add to this that when you are working with operational data or systems, we as vendors hold a significant responsibility for cyber security and compliance – all things that impose restrictions on information technology systems and infrastructure. Galois understood this and realized that retaining their culture of research innovation and not stifling their scientists meant that it was better to operationalize these research breakthroughs in a separate entity designed from the ground up for that purpose – enter ExistX. I couldn’t have been more excited when I was brought into the initial discussions for this role. It’s a blend of all the things I love: Technology and Practical World Solutions. I feel lucky to have this opportunity.

?After starting your career as an electrical engineer, what made you transition to leading businesses? Did you always want to run a company?

I don’t think I intentionally gravitated to leading a business – I gravitated to being curious about how all the pieces of something worked together. That could be a technical problem, interpersonal dynamics of teams, or the macro look at an organization. When you’re curious about how the pieces fit together, you organically learn about different aspects of business from many different angles. As I matured in my technical roles, this helped me better communicate and bridge the gap between technical and non-technical teams and understand the support functions of organizations. I found this really fun, and I still feel like my role in leading a business is grounded in curiosity. I am curious about all the parts of the company – everyone matters, and every role is important. Understanding the bigger picture and the how the pieces fit together in that vision helps me keep ExistX moving in the right direction, bringing people together so we’re marching towards a common goal and objective.

?What is the most rewarding part of your job?

There are two aspects of my job that are rewarding. The first is seeing a technology we’ve helped transition to the real world make a difference. Seeing something you had a hand in getting into the wild is amazing. Every once in a while, it doesn’t happen often, you’ll get a phone call from a customer, and they’ll tell you specifically how your technology made an impact – and those moments are humbling, and in my mind – the reason we do what we do.

?The second rewarding part of my job is watching the organization and people mature and thrive. When you start something from the beginning, like ExistX, it’s a true evolution for everyone involved. I love seeing my team succeed – I’m proud of everything they accomplish. If they’re doing well – then I’m doing a good job.

?What is important to see in the company culture that you lead?

In my eyes, there are two parts of company culture: Core Values and a Noble Cause. Core values are significant for an early-stage startup – they set the tone for what the company personality is and are the scaffolding for culture. At ExistX, we have four core values: Courage (embracing a courageous mindset), Customer Experience (standing with the customer), Trust (pursuing deep trust), and Responsibility (Taking extreme ownership). ?These core values help us as a collective team discuss concerns, ideas, feedback – whatever it is – from an authentically open and common place.

?However, core values are not culture. They’re like the bumpers you’d put in the gutters when you take kids to the bowling alley. They help keep you moving forward in the right direction. Culture is built around a collective goal and vision for the company. The noble cause. In the simplest of terms, the noble cause of ExistX is to operationalize research. We are on a mission ensure that no research breakthrough or groundbreaking discovery is left on a dusty, virtual shelf and forgotten.

?When an organization has a common goal and a noble cause, it attracts the talented and passionate employees that believe in its purpose and want to be part of that vision. In my opinion, the ExistX Tribe is a great – one of a kind - tribe to be part of.

?Is there a favorite piece of advice that you’ve received?

I think sometimes the best advice is the advice that isn’t spoken but shown through actions. That’s how it was/is for me. One of my first bosses was a retired USAF Lt. Col and was 24 years into his second career ?when I was lucky enough to work for him. I was a young engineer at the time and moving into my first project/task lead role – something I’d never done. It was through his on-the-job guidance and mentorship that I learned how to truly listen – listen to understand and not to respond. He showed me through actions how to put the client first. He seemed to magical powers: he always seemed to know what the client needed before they knew they needed it - and made sure they had it before they even asked. He was a wonderful boss and mentor to me, and every unspoken piece of advice given, I keep with me. I hope to be the kind of mentor to others, that he was to me. ?

?As ExistX grows, how do you see your role as CEO changing as the company moves out of the early startup phase?

That depends. Worst answer ever, right? But it’s true. It really depends. Obviously, in an early-stage startup everyone is wearing multiple hats and as the company grows that’s just not feasible to continue indefinitely. The reason I say ‘it depends’ is because we hire differently in ExistX than most places. In my experience, a job description is a guideline, and when you bring in the right person who adds to the culture of the company – that job description will morph based on their individuality. We want people to lean into their strengths and their passions.

?When you’re passionate about your work – you are happy in your job and motivated. Everyone has unique strengths and passions, and I want people to lean into areas that make them happy and provide value to ExistX. This mindset on talent means that while we hire for the role, we also hire with consideration of the larger ExistX tribe. We want people that will complement each other – fill in the gaps of expertise so the team is strong and well rounded. For me as the CEO, this means that my role will change based on the composition, passions, and strengths of the amazing people that continue to work in and join ExistX. I look forward to answering this question again in a few years!

Bonus Question: Will you share with us a bit of non-work trivia about you as a person; a Janie-Fun-Fact?

I make desk monsters. Little clay desk monsters that, when we all worked in offices before covid, I’d gift to people to brighten up their workspace.