"Happiness at work comes from purpose, responsibility, and ownership."
Craig Rupp started his career in 1988 as a hardware engineer at Motorola, designing and developing the first GSM and Iridium mobile stations and John Deere in 2002, developing the Starfire receiver and Greenstar display.
In 2002, Craig founded ATG, providing RF manufacturing software. Acquired by National Instruments in 2005, he became a Chief Measurement Architect, developing AM, FM, RDS, Bluetooth, GSM, EDGE, CDMA2k, EVDO, WCDMA, and LTE solutions.
In 2008, Craig founded Rough Riders Communications, headquartered in Leedey, OK. He architected, designed, and built a portable satellite-based data system deployed in the Anadarko Basin drilling sites throughout the Oklahoma and Texas panhandle.
In 2012, Craig founded 640 Labs, envisioning a simple iPad as a data collection and monitoring device for agriculture. Acquired by Monsanto in 2014, he made his FieldView Drive one of the most ubiquitous and low-cost data collection devices in agriculture. In 2018, Craig founded Sabanto, a company that provides autonomous solutions for agriculture.
He was the first to autonomously plant a farmer’s field in Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota, Illinois, Missouri, Texas, and Indiana. Raised on a farm in Iowa, he earned his BSEE at Iowa State in 1988 and MSEE from Illinois Tech in 1990. He currently has 14 patents.
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Table of Contents
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company
Craig Rupp: Sabanto is revolutionizing agriculture with autonomy. I grew up on a farm and have since evolved into both an engineer and an entrepreneur. Our company develops a retrofit kit that attaches to tractors, utilizing the existing machinery farmers have in their machine sheds, thus saving them significant capital expenses.
We are brand agnostic, meaning farmers can continue to rely on the support from their local dealers without needing to switch brands. Our retrofitted tractors act like the Swiss Army knife of agriculture; they remain fully functional manually. If you want to use our system to push snow this winter, go right ahead.
Our systems are capable of handling multiple field operations with different implements, and implement companies are approaching us to make their products compatible with our autonomy.
Additionally, we have one of the most advanced web-based user interfaces that is capable of being operated by anyone.
If you were in an elevator with Warren Buffett, how would you describe your company, your services or products? What makes your company different from others? What is your company’s biggest strength?
Craig Rupp: At Sabanto, we are creating simple, safe, and cost-effective technologies that enable the future of agriculture. Sabanto stands out because we provide a retrofit solution rather than requiring farmers to purchase new machinery.
This approach is cost-effective and integrates seamlessly with their current equipment. Additionally, our system’s advanced web-based user interface is easy for anyone to operate, and our brand-agnostic approach ensures farmers retain their trusted dealer relationships.
Our biggest strength is our ability to enhance existing agricultural equipment with advanced autonomous technology, making it accessible and affordable for farmers. This, coupled with our innovative and user-friendly interface, positions us uniquely in the market.
Quiet quitting, The Great Resignation, is an ongoing trend causing many businesses to struggle to keep talent engaged and motivated. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued, and misunderstood in the workplace. In your experience, what keeps employees happy? And how are you adapting to the current shift we see?
Craig Rupp: What keeps employees happy is having a purpose with great responsibility and ownership. Everyone in our company, from top to bottom, understands that if they drop the ball, the entire company suffers.
When someone comes to me with a problem, I tell them I’m not a complaint department. I ask them what their proposed solution is.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Craig Rupp: We are definitely capitalizing on this tidal wave. A significant portion of our business involves third-party consultants working remotely and interfacing with them virtually.
However, given the nature of our product, it’s challenging for our employees to work remotely due to the numerous necessary interactions. Building a company culture remotely is also quite difficult.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Craig Rupp: The real challenge is aligning everyone in the same direction. As a startup, we encounter numerous potential opportunities.
To grow, you have to excel at one thing and do it better than anyone else. It’s essential to have everyone in the company focused on the end goal and learn how to say “No.”
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Craig Rupp: The most underestimated part is aligning everyone in the same direction. We are presented with numerous opportunities as a startup, but we’ve successfully focused on our core mission.
For example, during our initial field tests in 2019, we covered just 30 acres in one day. Today, our systems cover tens of thousands of acres monthly, demonstrating the power of dedication and focus.
We’ve achieved remarkable growth and success by concentrating our efforts and saying “No” to distractions.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Craig Rupp: If I could pick any business superpower, it would be the ability to foresee and adapt to market changes instantly.
While we already excel at staying ahead of trends and anticipating customer needs, this superpower would elevate our ability to innovate and grow even further.
It would ensure we continue to lead the industry and consistently exceed our customers’ expectations.
What does “success” in 2024 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision.
Craig Rupp: This is easy to answer. We are going to support our customers to the point where they cannot understand how they functioned without us.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Craig Rupp for taking the time to do this interview and share his knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Craig Rupp or his company, you can do it through his – Linkedin Page
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