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In this podcast episode, Alisyn Malek, a seasoned leader in the automotive and mobility industry, shares her extraordinary journey from working on an OEM electric vehicle project to pioneering startups that influence the future of mobility. Alisyn addresses the challenges confronting traditional automotive manufacturers in adapting to rapid innovation, highlighting the necessity for a mindset shift and a focus on solving tangible customer problems through data-driven decision-making. 

As she discusses her role at May Mobility and establishing SkillFusion, Alisyn emphasizes the crucial intersection where policy, infrastructure, automation, leadership, and technology converge. The podcast explores her experience developing a software platform to address the pressing issues with EV charging infrastructure, showcasing how her leadership and expertise bridge the gap between established OEMs and the burgeoning startup landscape. Alisyn's commitment to shaping the future of mobility through collaboration, innovation, and an unwavering growth mindset shines through, making this episode a must-listen for those intrigued by the transformative dynamics of the automotive industry.

Themes discussed in this episode:

• Automotive transformation and OEM challenges
• Challenges and opportunities in the automotive industry's transition to automation
• Cross-functional design approach in the automotive industry
• Data-driven decision-making
• Startup ecosystem and innovation
• The human element in EV charging infrastructure
• Leadership traits for innovation

Featured: Alisyn Malek

What she does: Alisyn is a dynamic leader in the mobility and automotive sectors, having played key roles at General Motors, driving EV product development and corporate strategy. As the co-founder and COO of May Mobility, she pioneered autonomous vehicle transportation solutions. Currently, she's driving innovation as the force behind SkillFusion, a platform focused on enhancing EV charging infrastructure through workforce development.

On leadership: “The open mindset helps because you've created a dialogue back and forth. But you also have to demonstrate back that you trust them. That only goes so far, so if they keep messing up, you have to show people there are consequences. But it has to be a two-way street because that, again, really creates the strength of the team that's going to allow you to achieve things you otherwise never would have thought imaginable.”

Mentioned in this episode:

• Ed Olson, CEO and Co-Founder of May Mobility
• SAFE, Coalition for Reimagined Mobility
• Alisyn Malek’s book, Intersection: Reimagining Mobility Across Traditional Boundaries
• Newlab

Episode Highlights:

[00:03:25] Alisyn's professional journey: Embark on Alisyn's dynamic career, spanning GM's automation endeavors to co-founding May Mobility and venturing into the realm of startups.

[00:11:53] A blueprint for innovation: Exploring the multifaceted dimensions of mobility and transportation, Alisyn discusses her book's mission to capture diverse perspectives on the future of mobility.

[00:20:01] Get comfortable with being uncomfortable: Dive into Alisyn's perspective on embracing discomfort and cultivating a growth mindset for innovation within the automotive realm.

[00:33:26] Nurturing mobility ecosystem: A dynamic startup ecosystem that Alisyn played a pivotal role in launching in Detroit. Newlab focuses on empowering founders to scale their businesses, particularly in hard tech areas such as mobility, energy, and materials.

[00:36:31] Explore SkillFusion: Alisyn's recent venture addressing the shortage of skilled technicians in maintaining EV charging infrastructure, ensuring a seamless experience for electric vehicle users.

[00:40:51] Alisyn on authentic leadership: Learn about the key traits that fuel Alisyn’s dynamic approach to navigating the fast-paced world of innovation and mobility.

[00:43:59] Personal side of Alisyn: Peek into Alisyn Malek's personal side, from favorite spots in Detroit to literary preferences, offering a glimpse into the life of a leader shaping the future of mobility.

Top quotes:

[00:07:02] Alisyn: “Why would we do the same thing when we knew the same thing was actually having worse outcomes for people getting where they needed to go?”

[00:11:17] Alisyn: “Our entire economy is underpinned by mobility. Our health and life outcomes are underpinned by our access to mobility.”

[00:19:38] Alisyn: “We need to be able to ask questions, and we need to know that sometimes, at the very start, we won't have all the answers, but we'll get them along the way. And that requires a culture that needs that open mindset.”

[00:22:44] Alisyn: “To write something off because it didn't work once is terrible product planning because other people are working to evolve it… Instead of just telling me it doesn't work. Why don't you tell me why it didn't work then? What part of it failed?”

[00:27:15] Alisyn: “The number of decisions that are made within automotive, because an executive has a gut feel or a passion, not because there was data taken or there was an ill-structured customer study done early on, I think fundamentally is what is wrong.”

[00:27:57] Alisyn: “I think the biggest problem that the OEMs are going to be tackling is how do you actually make sure you're solving the right problem. Because each problem is going to take resources, it's going to take capital, it's going to take people, it's going to take expertise.”

[00:30:52] Alisyn: “Stop trying to pretend to be a tech company and actually be a tech company. The whole idea of a tech company from a startup perspective is that you solve a problem that people have and are willing to pay.”

[00:42:03] Alisyn: “Being able to create that learning culture, that open mindset, is going to help your team gel and be able to rally together to be able to do more faster.”

[Transcript]

And since then, it's been sort of like hands-off. The road people do the road stuff, the car people do the car stuff, and none of it has to touch the electrical grid so everybody can go on their merry way. But now everything is changing so quickly and intersecting that everybody needs to get back into each other's business, but there's not actually a good place to just go and learn about that. So the book was sort of my gift to anyone that's trying to understand the variety of things happening in the future of mobility and to be able Just to touch the surface of a lot of different things and then figure out what interests them most, but at least be able to give that broad based understanding.

And all of these stakeholders in this ecosystem don't necessarily speak the same language or have the same culture and here they are all coming together under this broad umbrella called mobilities.

But within a company, like it's not always culturally okay to question that. So, I wanted to create a space where it's like, let's ask the question. Maybe we don't have an answer. Maybe the answer is deal with it, but at least creating that safe space and trying to evolve the mindset from one, you know, the industry historically has a what's called a closed mindset, where, as I like to say, you're fully baked. So, whatever idea you came out with, whatever project you've got, it's the best that you could ever possibly do. So, if somebody's questioning it or pointing out something that's wrong, they're actually saying you are wrong and worthless. And that never feels good. That's why you get reactions of frustration or anger. Why would you even ask that question? But if you evolve into this mindset of an open mindset, it's all about this idea that becoming is better than being, getting used to being on that journey. And as we go from traditional automotive engineering, where I like to joke, it was like a 2 percent change to the product. You go through the full validation cycle and you'd probably be able to meet production on time to now, it's like an entirely new product, an entirely new supply base. That's different. And it needs a different approach. We need to be able to ask questions and we need to know that sometimes, at the very start, we won't have all the answers but we'll get them along the way. And that requires a culture that needs that open mindset of being comfortable with like, oh, got that one wrong, we're going to go back to the drawing board and try again, and being able just to get comfortable with that growth. And so far, the response with it has been really, really positive. Just about creating that space for the conversation and calling out what I think is intrinsically obvious to people. They're like, I know it feels different, and you know, we'll talk about wanting to adopt the Silicon Valley approach but nobody's really talking about that soft skill side. It's not just innovation for innovation's sake. It's actually getting people comfortable with that product development process where you have questions that you have to work through on the path to production.

And it was like, I can't, I can't take this no, no, no feedback. Cause if I did, we wouldn't have a supplier at all. And that's also not an answer, so I think I was fortunate in that we were such at the bleeding edge that we had to throw some parts of the rule book out of the way or we never would have delivered the Volt at all. And it was an award-winning product. And so, as you think about, can the industry innovate, it can. Like that car, the timeline that we took to get it out there, and then the Bolt or the Chevy Spark that was a predecessor to the Bolt, that came right out after that, I worked on that program too. I worked on advanced charging for that program, and it was, it's funny now, but we got DC charging into production, not because it was the right thing for the customer, but because every other team needed the technology in order to keep the cars up and running so they could do their testing.

So, it had to be on the manufacturing saleable build so they could actually do all of the vehicle testing they needed to do. So, it went into production. And it was like these types of decisions of necessity like we were innovating, but it slowed down. I think the focus, you know, moved more towards autonomy. That was the sexy new thing that would help, you know, increase the stock price. But now, the electrification transition isn't about keeping up with the tech news. It's keeping up with what regulations require and not even just regulations in the US, regulations globally. And so, I think that's where you see, you know, not onesie twosies at the edge of a product line, but wholesale across the product line focus on electrification.

Like those were the Corvettes were the ones where we're going to worry about this, the driving experience there. Not the, as a woman, where do you put your purse when you get into the front seat? How do you keep the eye on your toddlers who are like fighting? Like, think about it, the minivan was a huge innovation and it still is a market dominant transportation mode because it solved a real need for people. And I think if we could get the industry away, like just from Wall Street, just shut it down, just, yes, they need to be able to respond, but stop trying to pretend to be a tech company and actually be a tech company. The whole idea of a tech company from a startup perspective is that you solve a problem that people have and are willing to pay, like get back to that fundamental and then branch out.