Interview: R&D
Gurpreet Singh is the Director of Research and Development at Prescriptive Data. Gurpreet came to the United States from a small town in India and today enjoys the challenges of solving problems and being part of a worthy cause. He talks about what he does at Nantum, what it’s like to be on the R&D team, and more.
What’s your role at PD?
I am the Director of Research and Development in the R&D team. We start with a concept, do feasibility and technical research, build the prototype, get feedback from potential users, and put it into production. My job duties include getting into the details while keeping an eagle's eye view of the overall system and foreseeing how any solution can fit in our tech stack. I also focus on how to add efficiency as well as value to our users. Additionally, I handle any issues with infrastructure or machine learning code, and support the engineering team and customer success team by providing tools.
How did you first hear about PD and what drew you into the sustainable technology industry?
In 2017, I wanted to start working on something that had a big impact. I spoke to a company in agriculture, another in environment tech, and Nantum. Nantum was the clear winner. The next multibillion-dollar company will be built around environmental and sustainable technology.
What’s the most rewarding part of working at PD?
Every day we solve new problems and it keeps my mind fresh. I love my team and we're very supportive of each other. Within our team, nothing is impossible. It doesn’t matter how much energy it takes - we go for it and we make it possible. This can do attitude is contagious and it’s really motivating.
What’s the biggest misconception about the work you do?
People underestimate the amount of work required to go from a concept to something in production. The real world is constantly changing. We have to make sure the system is adaptive but robust at the same time.
Where do you see this industry in 5-10 years?
In this time frame, the industry should be able to fully automate buildings (depending upon the infrastructure). Our customers trust us more every day and are willing to give us more control over their buildings to achieve even better results. I think in 5-10 years, automation will control 100% of a building.
“Learn to build things and constantly experiment. Always lean towards action - you will learn much more by doing things.”
What does your family think you do?
My spouse and my in-laws understand and they’re really proud we’re working on something so impactful. My parents are in the little village in India I came from and know I work with computers.
If there is such a thing, what’s an average day at PD like?
We spend most of the time discussing problems and how to solve them. We also spend time with the engineering team and the customer experience team. Sometimes we play ping pong.
I’ve heard about the Ping Pong competitions at the office. Who’s the best at Ping Pong?
Kyle Ray or Ali Mehmani.
What advice would you give a young student considering a career in sustainable technology?
Have the curiosity to do experimentation, work on multiple projects to figure it out. Expose yourself to different environments and constantly seek feedback on whatever you build. Learn to build things and constantly experiment. Always lean towards action - you will learn much more by doing things.
