Bushel adds VP of Engineering
As the Bushel team continues to grow, we look for leaders to join us who not just align with our core values, but challenge and push us to further grow both as individuals and as a team. David Aichele joins the Bushel Team as Vice President of Engineering. Day-to-day he will be charged with leading and developing our development teams – the core of what is building ag’s digital infrastructure.
Q&A with David Aichele, VP of Engineering
What Have You Learned Since joining BUshel?
I was completely unaware of the opportunities we have in the ag tech space. It’s a new digital frontier that’s just waiting to be explored and developed. From the company’s perspective, there’s a number of genuinely passionate individuals working to improve the lives of the farming community. It’s just a perfect mix of everything going into this new space. Hearing “our biggest competitor is paper and pencil” shows how great the opportunities are to be able to change the lives of the farmer, all the way through the elevator and ultimately to all of us as food consumers..
What’s Misunderstood The Most in software engineering?
The most misunderstood piece is that it’s boring. It is not a boring field of study at all. It’s really a blend of art and technology. It’s a creative pursuit. There’s always something new. Creative. You get to see how your thoughts and words come through in your app. A lot of people look at it and think it’s boring. It’s not any more boring than photography or painting. It’s very artful. People don’t see it because at the heart of it, it’s logic. There’s a lot of opportunity in the STEM space but when people look at it, they think, “Do I really want to just sit at a keyboard and type all day?” But, It’s bigger than that. There is more time spent in thought and collaboration, thinking through “How do I want to convey how I’m solving this problem?” It’s much deeper and rewarding than people realize. It’s new everyday. There are always different challenges and different opportunities to solve. It’s pretty exciting, actually
What should our customers be thinking about in terms of implementing technology?
One thing that comes to mind is thinking about how automation is going to impact their internal processes. How will it change those processes up front? When you think about the space we’re in, it’s not automation we’re replacing, it’s manual work. It can be a big learning curve and they should be prepared for that.
Another thing customers should think about it is how they are going to leverage and get the full potential out of any technology investment. That’s where the art comes into development. You want a technology that’s well thought out to allow for a way for any person to use it to its full potential quickly.
What are the Biggest Opportunities for the Bushel Team?
It’s seeing us really come together as a community. I think about understanding how we impact others around us by our words and actions and by being aware of blind spots. I love seeing the dedication to diversity and inclusion. There’s a tremendous opportunity to build a culture that is just unmatched. When the leadership team has the genuine desire for a positive work environment for everyone, I think that’s unmatched in the industry and I want to be a part of it.
Android or ios?
I’m agnostic. If we’re talking about the mobile experience, my favorite was the Windows Phone, which is no longer in existence. I had it until its dying days. I routinely switch back and forth so I can understand the experience each user group has. I enjoy both of them for different reasons and see advantages in both experiences.
As someone who is relatively new, what’s the onboarding process like at Bushel?
Bushel University is a two-day onboarding kickoff. It does a great job of pulling together an experience that is unique. I previously have worked for other, larger organizations and the onboarding experience suprasses them by leaps and bounds. Usually onboarding focuses on introducing you just to the tools and the things you’ll be doing. At Bushel, the experience immerses you in the organization right from the start. They do a really great job of helping to understand the organization, the industry and even the insights of personalities of the people I’ll be working with. One of the cohorts in my onboarding still reaches out to me. We will always have that bond of camaraderie and a strong connection. That can help an organization feel flat. She should be able to talk to me in the halls and get to know each other in our roles. I don’t want to work where there are people off limits, or feeling that way about me. Onboarding at Bushel is a great framework to support that. It’s not about titles. It’s just about being a part of the organization and making a difference. Removing barriers such as those is another way Bushel separates from the competition.