Radu Reit is the co-founder and CTO of Ares Materials. The company deals with manufacturing the electronic display using UV curable polysulfide chemistries.
He also chairs the marketing committee for the Society of Information Display. SID is a platform where different industries converge to communicate and train technologists to develop the best products. The show is held each year in the middle of June.
One of our co-founders graduated from the University of Texas. He joined a commercial company dealing with polymer films for building displays of different kinds. The man conducted research and noticed no other competitor was building quality fabric displays. So he came back to the university labs, where we met to discuss the idea.
We fell into books to collect more information about bioelectric devices. Then, we came up with a process to build similar products. Since there were no commercial alternatives, our new company used Pylux polysulfide thermosets as a raw material.
To us, there is no typical day. I think this idea makes our job very interesting. But on most occasions, I will wake up to respond to some significant emails. Then, I visit the lab where we run some training exercises. Finally, at 7:30 am, we may have a strategic meeting to discuss technical specifications with customers. This task is difficult, but we have to manage and scale the available time.
Of course, everyone has their way of bringing up their ideas to life. I do listen keenly to my customers. My mind is very flexible, and it absorbs different information before connecting them. Some customers are very helpful, and they will notify you in case of any rapture in the product. Others don’t understand where the problems come from, but a simple observation will open up your mind.
Getting first-hand feedback from our clients is the best reward, and we appreciate it. Then, we develop models through those problems and complaints. I try to mix different technologies to build something legit and different.
I am very fascinated by flexible smartphone displays. Each year at the SID competition, we see different products from various countries. I cherish how some people are talented in the engineering world. Some individuals come up with new designs that we take to the market and get positive feedback.
To remain productive in my business, I do respect my daily todo-list. Coming up with new things daily can disrupt your timetable, but I will ensure I have completed everything. Then, whenever I accomplish all of them, I feel satisfied.
To a younger Radu Reit, networking with various new people is essential in today’s world. This is the main reason why I can’t separate myself from the SID meetings. That is where we meet with various professionals from my field. We also connect with the next generation of engineers through the Young Engineer Spotlight.
People don’t agree with this, but being unconfined for a moment doesn’t mean your productivity is going low. It just shows how you spare some time for your body to breathe the fresh air. It is the best moment to meditate and think about what you are doing and the importance of the act.
I like challenging myself during downtime moments. These are the best times to get things done. Use such moments to increase the efficiency of the product you offer. When I am under pressure, I tend to reason positively.
To grow my business, I always focus on important opportunities to achieve in the real world. For example, we get various requests from our raw material suppliers, but we have to accept things we employ. In short, we focus on the things we can deliver to the customer with a small team.
Since we set up the Ares Materials, we have made more than 100 mistakes. At one moment, we missed a great chance with a Korean company because of a misunderstanding between our boss and the lead technician. This company had a different culture from ours. There was too much pressure for our engineers who couldn’t cope with the pace. Currently, we have set up an away we deal with such senior officials.
If you offer me $100, I will directly walk to an electronic shop to purchase disposable earplugs. They make me have a silent, soothing night. Your next day will be productive when your night is undistracted from external noise.
I use calendly software to set up meetings within the expected time. It’s user-friendly with a reminder that never misses. Science fiction stories and series are my things. I have repeatedly watched the Foundation Series almost three times.
This quote by Neil Gaiman has always been an inspiration in my life. “The world always seems brighter when you’ve just made something that wasn’t there before.”
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