Inspiring Innovators: Dustin Feld Co-Founder & Managing Director Of AdiutaByte On Turning Science Into Solutions
At SAP.iO, we work with innovative people and new technologies that positively impact our world every day, and we think it’s time to share their stories with you! In our series, “Inspiring Innovators,” we get to hear how founders, CEOs, presidents of cutting-edge startup technologies overcame, thrived, and pursued their goals. SAP.iO’s Alexa Gorman sat down to discuss the road to success and lessons learned with some of our most inspiring startup founders.
Meet Dustin Feld
When he was a child, Dustin Feld loved computers. He started programing before he learned another language, using his family’s old computer. “I can honestly say I wanted to grow up to be what I am today,” Dustin said, reflecting on what he thought he would be when he grew up.
Dustin studied mathematics and computer science at the University of Cologne, specializing in graph theory and layout, discrete mathematics, and numerics. Calling himself a “professional nerd,” Dustin focuses on efficient implementation and development of algorithms — especially mathematical optimization algorithms — in time-critical scenarios. He spent 10 years as a research assistant at Fraunhofer Institute for Algorithms and Scientific Computing, then a Ph.D. student, and finally as a Post-Doc & Senior Scientist. This path set Dustin up perfectly to take on the role of algorithm lead and managing director of adiutaByte.
At adiutaByte he is responsible for the algorithmic backends and the algorithm design architecture. adiutaByte develops optimization algorithms for tour and personnel planning, digitizing processes, and reducing planning time and costs. The platform combines the best of both worlds: specialized human knowledge with algorithmic strength in mathematical optimization. A notable adiutaByte customer is the City of Berlin, which uses the technology for waste disposal and recycling, relying on adiutaByte for their optimization and powerful AI.
“WE SAW THIS CRISIS IN THE HEALTHCARE INDUSTRY AND KNEW OUR SOLUTION WAS REALLY UNIQUE, PATENTED WORLDWIDE, AND HAS SOMETHING SPECIAL THAT CAN HELP IN HIGH TECH AREAS LIKE CPU MANUFACTURING AND HERE IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR. AND THAT’S HOW WE STARTED, WITH FOUR FOUNDERS, IN ONE OFFICE, AND WITH NO CLIENTS, BUT WITH THIS INSPIRING CORE TECHNOLOGY.”
Read more and watch highlights of Dustin and Alexa’s discussion…
Let’s Chat!
What inspired you and your team to create adiutaByte?
adiutaByte started based on Dustin’s PhD thesis, which developed an algorithm core and framework to solve complex problems, taking real-time and real-world information into account. He sought to create algorithms that could take last-minute changes into account and deliver solutions within minutes. The team wanted to focus on a field that was people-related and soon recognized the struggle in ambulant healthcare services in how they organize their days without enough support staff. From here, they were inspired by their love of science to positively impact change.
“We saw this crisis in the healthcare industry and knew our solution was really unique, patented worldwide, and has something special that can help in high tech areas like CPU manufacturing and here in the healthcare sector. And that’s how we started, with four founders, in one office, and with no clients, but with this inspiring core technology.”
What are you most proud of regarding adiutaByte?
When asked what he was most proud of, without hesitation, Dustin said the adiutaByte team. Likening it to a dream scenario, going to work, and working with friends to create something you are passionate about. Although the hours can be long, it doesn’t feel like work when you work with those who feel like friends.
“We have the most fantastic team you could imagine.”
What challenges have you overcome?
One of the first challenges was adapting such a high-end technology for everyday use cases. To step back and listen to the world. What inspired Dustin to overcome these challenges is his focus on mathematics, his love of science, and being at the cutting edge of technology. The dream was to bring this powerful technology to real-world applications. The team quickly found out that if you listen to clients and adapt to their needs, you can deliver a unique solution that precisely meets their needs. This mindset makes adiutaByte unlike the other companies in this space.
“Getting those first clients can be a challenge. You know that you have a useful technology that can directly impact, but getting in front of people to show them the value in it takes time. We had to be everywhere, all the time, talking about our solution.”
What advice do you have for a person thinking about launching a business?
Dustin advises not to listen too much to the people who think it won’t work or think you do not have something of value if you are sure you do. Sometimes you have to go your own way and learn for yourself. For example, someone had advised them that the ambulant Healthcare industry is too small a focus area, so there is not enough money. With the combination of his training, mathematics, their cutting-edge technology, the team felt they could make a real difference in this space. Dustin’s advice was not to be afraid to go your own way; do it so that you don’t look back in the end and regret not giving it a try.
“If you have an idea, implement it. If you think it might be an idea, go with it, try it, draw it, write it. Write the program code, try it, and if you see it doesn’t work, you at least know it doesn’t work, and you can move on. This applies to so many things in life for me personally.”
What We Learned
In his conversation with Alexa, Dustin taught us how to embrace ourselves. Knowing that he excelled at math and science, he turned those skills into something that helped create a business and, in turn, a solution for customers looking for something that will uniquely address their difficulties. In doing something you love, you enjoy the work every day, and it gives you the confidence to move forward to produce something of value for the marketplace.
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