Startup Spotlight: AireXpert
At the ATI Boeing Accelerator, Cohort Two is now halfway through the programme! We’re sitting down with one of the founders from our cohort — Andy Hakes, Founder and CEO of AireXpert — to talk about how the idea behind the business was born and what role the company will play as the aviation industry emerges from the pandemic. Andy also shares his advice for building great team culture and his highlights from the programme so far.
Explain your product in one sentence
AireXpert is a software platform that enables airline leadership teams to control and manage systemwide operations in real-time with an amazing level of visibility.
What problem is AireXpert solving in the aviation industry?
Companies that operate aircraft rely heavily on a highly fragmented & diverse supply chain which in turn creates its own set of challenges. We tend to focus mostly on technical operations where three of the most painful problems manifest themselves in high costs, subpar on-time performance, and compliance risks. AireXpert creates a highly structured environment in which airlines and other operators can take control not only of these pain points but can also alleviate many of their other crisis-level concerns including those surrounding labor availability & costs.
“Part of creating a great team culture means that leadership has to make sure that the team understands that failure is an unavoidable part of success.”
You’re worked in the MRO [maintenance, repair and overhaul] sector for over 15 years. Tell us about your experience before launching AireXpert and how the idea for the business was born.
I may not have realized it at the time, but the premise of AireXpert was born within the first few days of my career kicking off back in 1989. While I worked for one airline, I had a working knowledge of several operations and noted that they seemed to be strikingly similar with only a few minor variations. Later in my career, I was fortunate to be in a position to support many airlines on a daily basis and was exposed to the harsh realities, limitations, and failures which impacted every airline that we supported. When my observations and proposed solutions started to be validated by current & former CEOs, that became the genesis of AireXpert.
What are you doing well as a company and where are there opportunities to grow?
Not only have we been able to identify some large gaps and vulnerabilities that make it difficult for airlines to operate with peak efficiency, our product design and development teams have done an amazing job of delivering systems that are so simple to use. If you’re going to successfully engage with highly skilled and experienced people who understand the complexities of airline operations, you absolutely have to give them tools that work in the way that they do. As our product evolves, so does our ability to tell the story behind the product. It’s not something that we’ve always excelled at and is always a work in progress, but we see signs of getting better at it every day.
Looking ahead, what role would you like AireXpert to play in the aviation industry as it emerges from the global pandemic?
It’s no secret that amazing things happen when smart and energetic people can work together at a critical moment in time and that’s never been more important than right now. We’re seeing an amazing level of energy as leadership teams are reinventing their operations in light of challenges brought on by the pandemic. As global attention continues to shift towards sustainability and platforms which operate outside of the traditional airport environment, we’ll focus on the role that we can play to maximize operational efficiency in those markets.
“Place a relentless focus on identifying and solving a specific problem and then engage the people who are experiencing that problem as early as you possibly can.”
How did your team come together? What would you say are the three most important things needed to build a great team culture?
While not typically thought of as a hotbed for innovation, Buffalo, New York is the perfect breeding ground for just that. Not only is it a very tightly knit community with a lot of talent, but it’s also very well connected to global markets which makes it relatively simple to engage with people and experienced teams who’ve grown and scaled businesses before. Along this journey, we’ve been able to leverage those sorts of networks to create a team that’s all reaching toward the same goal. It helps when you’re solving a problem that almost everyone can relate to.
I’d say that the three keys to building a great team culture are:
- Everyone has to check their ego at the door. No exceptions.
- Leadership has to make sure that the team understands that failure is an unavoidable part of success.
- We all have to appreciate the reality that personal and professional challenges and successes are not mutually exclusive. This has been highlighted in part because of the pandemic and the stresses that have been placed on working and family environments, but the interconnectedness of our working and personal lives is something to be embraced and not viewed as a threat.
Reflecting on your startup journey, what were some of your biggest challenges, and what would your advice be for future entrepreneurs?
Quite candidly, it’s become more evident over time that I’ve needed to grow into this role and I continue to do so. Fortunately, I have access to mentors and coaches which elevates my ability to continually evolve on this journey. If I were to offer a single piece of meaningful advice to anyone, it would be to place a relentless focus on identifying and solving a specific problem and then engage the people who are experiencing that problem as early as you possibly can. I appreciate the reasons that people tend to be stealthy during the early stages, but I’ve found it to be a rookie mistake.
How has your mentoring experience at the ATI Boeing Accelerator been so far? What were the highlights?
As I write this, we’re officially halfway through the ATI Boeing Accelerator program and the experience has been nothing short of amazing. From the wide-ranging content itself to the execution of the program to the access to people at the highest levels of the industry giants at GKN Aerospace, Boeing, and Rolls-Royce, we’ve not only learned a lot about navigating the market(s) but our mission and platform have repeatedly been validated by stakeholders who deal with bleeding-edge challenges on a daily basis.
As a business progresses through the many stages of its lifecycle, teams are faced with some difficult challenges and it really helps to have others to lean for advice or as sounding boards. Many of the highlights during the accelerator thus far have been via in-depth discussions about these issues with people who have the expertise and backgrounds to provide some unique insights. Coming out of those conversations with a real sense of clarity is amazing.
Hear Andy share more about AireXpert and their next steps at the ATI Boeing Accelerator — 2021 Demo Day
Follow AireXpert on LinkedIn to stay up to date with the team as they continue to grow and scale the business from their HQ in Buffalo, New York.
Sign up to our mailing list to hear the latest news from our cohort and be the first to hear about our upcoming events.
For more information about the programme, please contact the ATI Boeing Accelerator team:
Gabi Matic — gm@atiboeingaccelerator.com | linkedin.com/in/gabrielamatic
Wil Benton — wb@atiboeingaccelerator.com | linkedin.com/in/fatkidonfire
Ksenia Kurileva — kk@atiboeingaccelerator.com | linkedin.com/in/kseniakurileva
