Bringing Cloud Down to Earth with Greg Robinette

Switched On with Paul Modderman and James Wood

James and I spoke with the amazing Greg Robinette. Greg works at Newport News Shipbuilding as a systems architect. He’s got great perspective on watching ships being built and then marrying that knowledge to the SAP systems he’s architecting. We had a blast talking about organizational culture, decision-making, and value lifespans…all through the lens of the cloud.

Highlights

• Got into tech at University of Dayton at University of Dayton in 1980 — and then was asked to leave that same year. So went on to being a fleet electrician in the Navy.
• Programmed handheld PLCs for factories in late 80’s and early 90’s, and discovered a gift for troubleshooting and system analysis.
• Found his way to SAP from his brother in mid 90’s.

Greg always looks this good, even when he’s breaking down systems

• Greg is phenomenal at helping people understand what pool they’re swimming in.
• Smart perspective on new technology and processes making it so that whoever is the most innovative with their data — whether it’s legacy or new businesses and industries — win in the cloud era.
• You need to understand your industry to know what you’re up to, but the deepest knowledge is to understand what your industry really is. Great newspaper metaphor…listen around 18:00 in.
• Cloud innovation can’t happen if technologists enamored of the tech don’t understand anything that businesses do. You can’t get anywhere just wanting to write code.
• If you just translate your tech policies from on-premises to cloud without connecting the reason for those policies to exist, you’re not going to have the success you need.
• Mention of Amazon Leadership Principles.
• “Definition of success”: be real. It’s almost never a date: it’s the value you are (trying to) deliver.

Money Quotes

Greg

When you connect people in back offices with actual products, your ability to participate in decision making is enhanced.

Decision-making culture has to adapt to the resources it lives in.

It’s as big a change for shipbuilding industry to go from oil/steam driven ships to nuclear-powered ships as it is to go from paper-based processes to digital.

The cost of delay and waiting is one of the most understated technology costs out there.

James

[re: cloud] The minute I have an idea, I have this medium I can put it into to get it in action very quickly.