The Electric Adventure Vehicle

Mechanical Engineer

UBCO

_From childhood dreams of working as a Formula 1 engineer, to helping lead the development of a more sustainable means of transportation, Colin Godby, Chief Product Officer at UBCO has had quite the career to date._

_We caught up with Colin to learn more about his career journey into tech, what attracted him to working at UBCO and why he is excited for the future of what they are building._

_Colin also shares some great nuggets of wisdom around the importance of learning by doing, as well as an enthusiasm for the humble but mighty cast-iron pan which the team at Matchstiq share in equal measure. If you know, you know. Thanks for sharing your story, Colin._

> “I help to build teams of awesome people that can solve really hard problems..” 

**Firstly, how would you explain to a five year old what it is you do?**

I help to build teams of awesome people that can solve really hard problems, so that we can build really cool products. 

**And for the adults, what does that translate to in regards to your day-to-day?**

I work to organise cross-functional engineering and design teams focused on developing advanced technology platforms. 

Whether in my past in consumer products, or current days with Utility Electric Vehicles, I have always been drawn to creating experiences that delight and inspire, and are clearly more than the sum of their parts.

**What are some of the common misconceptions about working in an early-stage company?**

That everything is all about fundraising and particular actions to make the investors happy. 

Ultimately, the most successful startups are the ones focused on solving real problems (or acting on unique opportunities) for actual customers, and in turn, creating meaningful value for all stakeholders. 

The fundraising and valuations are a by-product of the impact that a company might have, and so if you are looking to help shape the future, then startups are a great place. 

Don’t become jaded by the focus on money, as all it is there to do is try to amplify the positive outcome. 

> “Initially, I really wanted to be an engineer in motorsports, like World Rally or Formula 1.” 

**Was working in tech something you dreamed about doing as a kid, if not what was?**

The tech industry was actually not something really on my radar. I am part of the first generation to grow up with computers in school, and smart mobile devices as soon as we entered adulthood, but I have never been enamored with tech for the sake of tech. 

Initially, I really wanted to be an engineer in motorsports, like World Rally or Formula 1\. I thought that engineering systems that break through perceived physical limitations was really cool. 

Ultimately though, I have always been most interested in the unique ways that we can make our lives better. 

Sometimes that means a really thoughtfully crafted “dumb” object that lasts for generations (like an awesome cast-iron pan!) or a high-tech connected device that shares its data in order to steadily improve itself. 

> “... it opened my eyes to the awesomeness of New Zealand!” 

**Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and ultimately about how you ended up working at Ubco?** 

I started out my career as a Mechanical Engineer in California, working for an engineering and prototyping consultancy focused on advanced vehicle technology, including EVs and autonomous drive. 

It just so happened to be helmed by a Kiwi, former rally racer, Rod Millen, and it opened my eyes to the awesomeness of New Zealand! 

I loved working on those projects but wanted to see my work launch as real products, rather than stay in the prototype space, so I moved into more consumer focused spaces. 

I developed my skills in mass production, overseas manufacturing, safety-critical designs, and smart technology integration.

I did this by working for companies such as Skullcandy (headphones), Walt Disney Imagineering (Disney rides!), Sphero (educational robots), and lastly Glowforge (consumer desktop laser cutters). 

All along the way, I picked up many tools for my toolkit, by failing lots, and also helping build awesome teams that accomplished great things. 

As I progressed, I realised that I really loved the organisational development side of things, and product strategy and that’s the path I decided to focus on until I ultimately landed at UBCO. 

I had actually connected with Tim Allan, CEO of UBCO, while he was still leading Locus Research, about 7 years ago while I was evaluating my next career moves. 

We stayed in touch, and I had made it clear that if there was ever good timing to try to come together, I would love the chance to apply my love for vehicle development in a growing organisation, where I have lots of experience. 

It just so happened that the window opened up late last year! 

> “The best way to develop your skills is to learn by doing.” 

**What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received?** 

The best way to develop your skills is to learn by doing. This was in the form of a professor at university telling me that it is not a bad thing to go start my career, and then assess whether or not it makes sense to head back into academia. 

Time after time, I have been reminded that the only real way to learn is to get out of the books (or youtube) and just get your hands dirty. This involves failing lots, as the real world is quite a bit more complex than the theoretical one filled with assumptions. 

Those failures should not be seen as a negative, but rather the standard process of developing the best result. 

**What do you love about working at Ubco?**

I love that we are a small, humble company, helping accelerate the transition towards more efficient means of transportation. We are developing products that make our user’s lives better, while still being a whole lot of fun to use, by applying advanced technologies. 

There is just so much excitement for the future and the role that our platform could play in it amongst the staff. 

> “Finally, being motivated to build the future, while maintaining the amazing things that already exist.” 

**Lastly, Ubco continues to grow and evolve, what are the key traits and characteristics of people that will be well placed to work there?**

I think about this a lot as I am constantly interviewing awesome people. So here is my shortlist:

* Being self-aware. The ability to acknowledge your own strengths and shortcomings, and how they manifest into biases, is incredibly important when working with such a strong team from a variety of backgrounds.
* Being growth-minded. If there is anything about working at a startup that is true, it is that it is always changing, and new challenges are headed your way on a daily basis. You needed to be geared to want to evolve, improve and learn so that we can try to stay one step ahead.
* Being curious. When it comes to developing the best products, I believe that the answers are in front of us, in the form of user behavoior (data), technical limitations, or competitive landscape. It is up to us to be driven to understand the playing field at a deep level, to generate meaningful insights that ultimately create a customer value-oriented company.
* Being open and candid. Progress is built on relationships, and the most durable relationships are built on trust.
* Finally, being motivated to build the future, while maintaining the amazing things that already exist. Progress at the expense of over-consumption is not the path to success, and I strongly believe that while we will make a difference by developing the best products possible, it is also our responsibility to ensure our previous products endure for many years and on into their second or third lives.

Colin Godby, Chief Product Officer at UBCO

_The dream of becoming a Doctor never quite eventuated, however Katherine Sandford, Executive Chair at UBCO, has instead experienced an exciting career in tech. She has held various leadership positions for a US based tech company which saw significant growth through the time she was there, taking her all around the world.

Now back in the sunny Bay of Plenty helping the team at UBCO take their electric utility bikes to the world, we caught up with Katherine to learn a little more about her career journey into tech. She shares more about why now is such an exciting time to be part of the UBCO journey and the people they would love to attract. Thanks for sharing your story, Katherine._

> “I help the boss of an electric motorbike company to build a really great business.” 

**Firstly, how would you explain to a five year old what it is you do?**

I help the boss of an electric motorbike company to build a really great business.

**And for the adults, what does that translate to in regards to your day-to-day?**

I Chair the Board of UBCO and work closely with the CEO and executive team to scale the business globally. I’m following my passion for people experience and culture, and am championing UBCO’s strengths-based leadership programme.

**What are some of the common misconceptions about working in early-stage governance?**

That it’s scary and that being a Director of a start-up is high risk. In reality, it’s all about being aligned with the founders on the vision for the company, and having experience and connections that will be useful for the journey they’re headed on. 

> “I didn’t even know what “tech” was when I was a kid, although ...” 

**Was working in tech something you dreamed about doing as a kid, if not what was?**

I didn’t even know what “tech” was when I was a kid, although I did have a red transistor radio so maybe that counts! I always wanted to be a doctor.

**Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and ultimately about how you ended up working at Ubco?** 

Even though I didn’t become a Doctor, my first job after university was in a hospital at a time when analogue technology was being transitioned to digital. I was fortunate enough to get involved in testing and selecting new equipment. 

A few years later I got a job working for Trimble, a US technology company. There were about 400 employees and by the time I left in 2014, there were about 7500 and annual revenue was about 20 times more than when I started. 

I lived and worked in Europe, the US, and APAC and held a number of global leadership roles. We developed field and enterprise software as well as hardware for high precision measurement. 

After Trimble, I worked for NZTE supporting export businesses - and during that time I met Timothy Allan and became aware of UBCO. One thing led to another... 

> “Be open to new opportunities” 

**What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received?** 

Be open to new opportunities - those that take you out of your comfort zone will offer the greatest potential for growth.

**What do you love about working at Ubco?**

I love working with Tim and the team - the collective commitment to building the world’s best utility electric vehicles and providing the best customer experience is infectious. 

**Lastly, Ubco continues to grow and evolve, what are the key traits and characteristics of people that will be well placed to work there?**

We want passionate people who want to make a difference in the world. They’ll be open and collaborative, keen to share their ideas, and contribute to building a world-leading business. Awesome people! Awesome culture! Awesome results!

Katherine Sandford, Executive Chair at UBCO

_An interest in pursuing a career in fine art or becoming a mountain climber didn't quite eventuate for Timothy Allan, Co-founder and CEO at [UBCO](https://www.ubcobikes.com/), however he at least now has a sustainable mode of transport capable of taking him into the mountains._

_We caught up with Timothy to learn more about his career journey leading up to co-founding UBCO, a utility electric vehicle company taking on the world from the Bay of Plenty. Tim shares where he hopes to see UBCO into the future as well as the characteristics of the vast number of people they need to help them get there. Thanks for sharing your story, Timothy._

> “As CEO, my focus is to grow our success and build a high-performance team to help us achieve our goals.” 

**How would you explain to a five year old what it is that you do?**

I'm the boss at a company that makes and sells electric motorbikes

**And for the adults, what does that translate to in regards to your day-to-day?**

UBCO is fast becoming a global leader in utility electric vehicles. As CEO, my focus is to grow our success and build a high-performance team to help us achieve our goals. 

We're all about accelerating the global transition to electric mobility. And we're doing that by designing the world’s toughest electric utility vehicles that are effortless, safe, intelligent, and affordable.

> “ I was keen on pursuing a career in fine art or becoming a ranger or a mountain climber” 

**Tell us a little bit more about your career journey and what inspired you to start Ubco?**

Prior to leading UBCO, I established and led product development company Locus Research for 15 years. We operated across diverse industries, developing products from sporting and equipment, to construction products, medical devices and aerospace. 

This also gave me the opportunity to work with and advise some of New Zealand's leading companies on innovation and sustainability as well as being an active early stage investor.

The inspiration to start UBCO came when I met Daryl Neal and Anthony Clyde at the Fieldays in 2014\. They had entered their concept for a 2 wheel drive electric, lightweight, utility vehicle into the Fieldays Innovation Award and I was the convenor. 

I immediately saw the opportunity behind the idea and we began working together through Locus. In April 2015 we decided to form UBCO and move the project into a commercial mode. We formed the company with a long-term capital plan in mind. 

Fast forward to today, and we're into our fifth generation product and have stacked up over 15 million riding kilometres worldwide and counting.

> “Don't be afraid to think big” 

**Where do you hope Ubco will be in five years from now?**

We want to be the number one utility electric vehicle company globally. 

**What kind of boss are you, if I was to ask one of your employees?**

I think they would say that I have a good strategic head and am good at helping people connect the dots. They would probably also say that I talk a lot and have a quirky vocabulary!

**What is the best piece of career advice you have ever received?**

Don't be afraid to think big.

**Lastly, as Ubco grows, what are the key traits and characteristics of the people you look for when hiring?**

We're looking for people who are smart, collaborative, genuine and open. The only way we are going to make number one is to have a team that works really well together to push the boundaries. We need people who are comfortable with and excited by change and progress.

Timothy Allan, Co-founder and CEO at UBCO

We value transparency, honesty and reliability

We are open

From understanding customer requirements to design for disassembly and product stewardship,  Life Cycle Thinking is at the heart of our product development process.

We embrace sustainability

As a design led organisation, the customer is always front and centre. We’re always looking to be better and to do better. We can’t help it.

We design for individual customer experience

We follow our own path. We are unconventional, open, humorous, collaborative, & genuine

UBCO

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The Electric Adventure Vehicle

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We are open

We embrace sustainability

We design for individual customer experience

We are unconventional

From the archives

Company stories

Colin Godby, Chief Product Officer at UBCO

Katherine Sandford, Executive Chair at UBCO

Timothy Allan, Co-founder and CEO at UBCO

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