The Achieve Podcast - Tyler Hernandez (Tynt Technologies)

Welcome to another episode of the Achieve Podcast, a show where we highlight leaders, creators, entrepreneurs, those who are shaping the industries and making impacts. My name is Taylor Baker Baker, your host today, and excited to be joined by Tyler Hernandez, the CEO and co-founder of Tynnt Technologies. You can find them at T-Y-N-T dot I-O, Tynnt .io. Now, Tyler, what you guys are doing here is changing, and it's changing the tint world. And so you're a bit of a niche. How did you get into this space, and who are you currently serving?

Yeah, great question. Well, first off, Taylor, thanks for having me today. It's an absolute pleasure to be here. Um, yeah, so kind of a quick background of, of Tint. So, uh, first and foremost, uh, Tint's vision is essentially to turn every transparent surface in the world into a tintable one. We have a new approach to electronically tint glass. So the name is appropriately suited for what it does. So, you know, where it really all started. So I started my PhD at Stanford back in 2015. You know, I was really looking to work on technologies that are much more application-based. The quick background on myself, I'm a big application-based guy. I really do have a fundamental belief in, you know, working on technologies that, you know, try to give back to the world what's given to us. And so I was I joined the chemistry department at Stanford and the big technologies everybody was working on were batteries and solar cells. Those are kind of the two big energy technologies in the world right now. And while I find it very fascinating, solar cells you throw into a field, batteries you put in your iPhone or your laptop, grid storage, obviously wonderful applications, but I really got drawn to developing a technology, working on a technology that doesn't just have the energy benefits, but has something that people don't just need, they also really want it. And you look at the way the world is going nowadays, we spend so much more time indoors. There's a massive surge in the biggest buzzword in the world right now, which is AI and the ability to display information, the ability to improve indoor comfort while still having the beautiful aesthetics. I think one of the beauties of building a company and living in Colorado is you get access to the beautiful views of mountains outside. We were really drawn to this idea of redefining the way that the world looks at transparent surfaces, not just looks at, but looks through them as well. And we were desperately in need of an upgrade. So we started to drive our attention towards that, initially with building efficiency. When you run the numbers, 40% of energy goes into buildings, 30% is wasted through the window. Those numbers don't stick with you. The numbers that do is what that means is on a global scale, it means that every 15 minutes, we waste an average of $2 million through window inefficiency. So the joke we always make is, like, we're literally throwing money out the window. So there's a huge building component. We really are driven towards making an impact on climate change and being able to reduce HVAC loads in buildings. There's a lot of technologies out there that can kind of solve their piece of the pie. And Tint's initial mission was to contribute to that piece of the pie. And so we really got drawn to the idea of electronically dimmable glass. You know, blinds and shades are kind of going to be ancient things of the past. And everybody wants more windows and less walls. That's just the way the world works. That's how we like our homes. But unfortunately, windows are not as efficient as walls. And so the idea of being able to replace blinds and shades with an aesthetically beautiful product, but still provide the energy benefits that you get from walls, but in the form of a window, electronically tintable glass was the way to go. And we looked at all the technologies in the world. And, you know, it's such a cool idea and it made you kind of question, okay, like, why do you not see this everywhere? And obviously there's performance things around, you know, how fast does it switch? Does it switch with the right color? Does it get dark enough for privacy? But, you know, what it really comes down to, it always comes down to cost. So we took a completely different approach when we were at Stanford. We chose to rely on a very common industrial practice, metal electroplating, and we became the experts making that process reversible, you know, not only being able to tint transparent surfaces, but also reverse it back to clear. And we really drove our attention towards developing a technology that's novel, that's unique, that really circumvents all the previous issues with the existing technologies. And long story short, it ended up being a great success. You know, we were really successful with not just making prototypes, publishing papers, going to conferences, but You know, when we moved to Boulder in 2018, we really switched our attention from that academic approach to more of the, you know, starting a business, a commercial approach. You know, how do you take this really cool academic idea and turn it into a product? And we spent 2 years from 2018 to 2020 solving those major technical challenges. We spun the company out in 2020. We have a wonderful team, everything from R&D all the way through manufacturing and business development. And more recently, actually, we have expanded the technology portfolio beyond just window applications. We really got pulled into the world of consumer electronics about a year and a half ago. There's a big surge right now, like I mentioned, in AI, and everybody believes that AI is the software of the future. So you need a pair of hardware that can enable that software of the future 24/7, 365. And they decided on the thing that you and I are wearing today. It's a pair of glasses. And so this massive surge in AI smart glasses has been really a technical expansion for Tint. So our saying lately is, you know, from wearables to windows, we make glass smart. That is what we do.

I love that. That is fascinating, like to see where we've come and the science behind this. Now, as far as the team goes, how big is the team in the organization now?

Yeah, so we've, uh, we have 12 full-time employees at Tint. So we have a 10,000-square-foot R&D facility. All of the R&D, all of the development is done here. We moved into this facility in September of 2021, so we're going on a little over 4 years now. And our team spans everything from, you know, our engineers, our scientists developing the tech. It's where all of our IP is developed around as well, really owning the technology to be able to say, hey, we can design this technology to fit in many different verticals. Many different form factors. We have some very strong partnerships for manufacturing, scale, materials development, outsourcing. Really, basically the whole goal is let Tint do what we're really good at. Let's partner with the people that are also really good at what they do. That's how you accelerate. That's how you hit speed to market. And it takes a team to build an empire. We're excited to build that empire.

That's awesome. And what would you say is driving growth right now for you, the organization?

Yeah, I would say some of the biggest things are we have partnerships in both wearables and windows. We have a lot of inbound interest in different verticals as well. Defense applications, automotive applications, obviously architectural glass as well. And what's really driving the growth today is being mindful of, we see tint as not just a product, it really is a platform. And we, of course, want to explore opportunities, but we also want to be mindful in the startup life of minimizing distractions. We have, you know, a clear go-to-market strategy in the short term with our partnerships, and that growth is being driven really by the timelines that they've set in front of us, the market need, the acceleration, and the, just the annual growth expectancies in these markets are massive. And we have a lot of momentum right now at Sint and we want to capitalize on that momentum and those opportunities. Wow.

Now looking back for you personally, what turning points have molded the way you think about running the organization?

Yeah, I would say hands down, it has been eye-opening transitioning straight from the academic PhD life to co-founding the company. I remember in the early days, even building the team and interviewing people was interesting, coming from the perspective of never really interviewed for full jobs coming straight out of school. Obviously, small little gigs through college and grad school, but Recognizing that, you know, when those initial interviews, you know, you ask some funny questions like, hey, so what do you do? You don't really know what to ask. And I think what's really critical is that one of the main tenets we have at the company is this idea of we over me. It's really critical to us. You know, a singular person cannot do it. It's why we have a co-founding team that complements each other with our skill sets and building a team of people who complement each other, who bring different skill sets, bring different perspectives. I always say that a puzzle doesn't have the same two pieces. You want to find people that complement each other, that can work together to drive something that is not easy. Startup life is not easy. If it was easy, somebody would have done it by now. And having people that recognize that there is a risk to startups, there's a massive reward in getting people to put their feet in the mud, work side by side, and really drive to do something that we truly see is going to change and revolutionize the world, that's a powerful mindset to have going day in and day out.

Yeah, it's a big vision. Now, as you guys try to grow and expand, what have been some of the biggest bottlenecks or obstacles that keep showing up?

Yeah, I would say a couple things. So like, you know, in the window space, there's been a lot of investment put into dynamic windows. And I think some of those strategies around trying to be vertically integrated, you know, trying to do it all yourself, There's a lot of capital requirements associated with that. It requires you to build a large team to do that. And in the startup life, you've got to be nimble, you've got to be lean and mean, you got to do more with less. And, you know, this business model transition of letting Tint own the IP, own the design, and relying on, you know, the right partnerships to provide the materials at scale, to manufacture at scale, to integrate at scale, like, They have done these things for decades. They are highly reputable partners that are common household names worldwide. You've got to make sure, again, it's— when I talk about the team, it's not just the internal team at Tint. It's not the internal employees only. It's our investors. It's our board. It's our strategic partners that everybody has a role to play. And when people recognize that their role directly contributes to the success of the organization, that mindset is absolutely critical because that's how you make sure that you accelerate on the timelines in front of you. Wow.

Well, now when it comes to your outreach, your messaging, and getting the word out there, your marketing, what has been working well and where are you filling those gaps and frustrations?

Yeah, like I mentioned, when we started Tint, we really pitched Tint as a window company. We have a highly reputable partner in residential skylights, and that messaging has always been more climate-focused. You know, we can throw the numbers out around, you know, CO2 emission reduction, you know, greenhouse gas emission reduction by reducing HVAC loads on buildings. And that is a powerful story. But to make an impact on climate change, to make a global impact, not only do you have to hit the cost, it also requires to basically replace every window in the world with a tint window. And that is the vision of tint. But there has to be a roadmap and a timeline that is representative to actually get there. So the analogy I always make is, you know, Amazon started as a bookstore. You know, now they're the largest retailer in the world. And I think what's really powerful about Tint and the messaging we really want to get across is, you know, this is— this is our bookstore moment. You know, this is our opportunity to deliver the technology in a small-scale form factor with great partners, great customers, work to demonstrate to the world that, hey, right now, in the next couple of years, Tint is going to be the solution in glasses. But then in a couple of years beyond that, then they're just going to wait and be like, okay, when can I get this into my home? When can I get this into my car. And we want people to recognize the brand, that tint is not just, you know, uh, something that tints, you know, no pun intended. Uh, we really want to own the intelligence at that, at that transparent, uh, interface. We want people to realize that, you know, if you want to make movies like Minority Report and Iron Man a real thing, you have to be able to, uh, have a transparent surface that intelligently responds to not just outdoor lighting conditions but time of day, weather patterns. And we want people to make their indoor lives more comfortable, and we want people to have access to information and knowledge to help them grow as humans. Wow. Wow.

Now, with all the talk around the AI and the automation and the future of it, where have you today found ways to utilize it internally?

Yeah, it's, uh, it's wild. I mean, it's so cliché to say that like AI is reshaping the future, but But it is. I mean, let's just be honest. And, you know, of course, we always want to let people know that, hey, while Tint is not necessarily a software company, we very much are a hardware company. We enable the hardware for AI. So that is the end vision. You know, that is really what we're wanting people to recognize is that if you want to have access to AI in the most convenient, least invasive form factor, a pair of glasses is the best way to do it. Letting the AI see what you see, hear what you hear, and really be able to give that feedback loop to help us grow as a human race. Internally at Tint, we are very mindful to not be behind the curve when it comes to using AI internally. We're also very mindful around making sure that our IP is protected when using that AI. So we are very mindful of installing the right AI policies so our employees understand what you can and cannot do. But to me, AI, it's meant to be a tool. Is not meant to be a replacement. It's meant to be a complement and to be an amplifier, an accelerant. And we really drive that internally at Tint to let people know, hey, these resources are available. Tint is willing to fund those resources so that people have access to it because we're all about speed, speed and execution. And AI are things that allow that speed and execution to only be further accelerated.

Wow. Now, Tyler, when you think about the next stages of the business, what are you most excited about?

Oh yeah. Well, hands down, launching our first product. You know, ever, even since the early days at Stanford, I remember the first window I ever made when I was working in Mike McGee's group. Shout out to Mike. But yeah, it was incredible to say, hey, like we, we made something that when you turn it on, you see it with your own eyes. And I think that was one of the first aha moments I ever had of like, wow, this is not just some academic project. Like this really has the potential to essentially be worldwide. So for me, what I am most excited about is not just building the team that we have. We have such a strong culture with the people we have here, and I want to continue to grow that culture with people who are like-minded and are excited about changing the world. But it always comes down to delivering a product that people will actually use in their day-to-day lives, people will actually benefit from. Like getting something from just an R&D prototype to a commercialized product, doing that with the right partners and the right team. Yeah, that's going to be a really exciting moment for Tim's future.

Oh, wow. That, that is amazing. Now, when you look at your own journey as you've gone along, the wins, the mistakes, what lessons stand out to you and what do you wish you understood sooner?

Yeah, it's a great question. Hindsight's always 20/20. You know, when you look at learning and growth opportunities, one thing is, you know, growth happens outside your comfort zone. You have to be comfortable being uncomfortable, having difficult conversations, being able to address things in a timely fashion, not letting things linger. I have learned in my personal growth that it is actually worse to stay silent about things that you have an opinion on rather than potentially say the wrong thing. Because the worst thing you can do is be quiet about it because at that point people think that you just naturally agree. I think having a culture where you can have a professional discourse with your team, recognizing that it's not personal, it's business. Like we are here to do something that nobody's ever done before and to do something that nobody's ever done before, like not to be repetitive, but it means you're going to have to do things that nobody's ever done before. And that means being comfortable, being uncomfortable, doing things that take confidence and courage and really doing it as a team. And I've definitely looked back on Tint's history of kind of growing into this leadership role that requires you to, to not just set the tone, but, but set the culture of, hey, this is hard. We all recognize it's hard, but we're gonna do it as a team and we're gonna lay out the plan and the, um, and the trajectory and the vision and the direction, uh, for us to win and to be successful.

I love that. Now, if you had to pick one topic, one constraint to solve over the next 90 days, Or to be?

Yeah, there's, um, I would say without a doubt we have a ton of inbound momentum from strategic partners. Um, more so we have a lot of inbound materials coming in and when those materials come together to demonstrate a, um, a lens that nobody's ever seen before, that hits performance that nobody's ever seen before, uh, it is absolutely critical that we capitalize on all the stuff coming in and take that inbound materials and then, uh, have an exported device that brings it all together. That is what's very critical right now. And I think what's going to capitalize from that is that we are really big about securing our entire supply chain all the way from materials, manufacturing, integration, all the way through our end customer that we've already secured. And having that just demonstrates that tint is— it is not just something that is an R&D science project. A product that is ready to be commercialized with the right partners at the speed in which you need to execute.

Wow. The, the future that we live in right now is amazing.

Totally, totally right. Yeah, it's a, it's a, it's an exciting time, um, not just in the world, but, uh, we're doing exciting things at Tint and we, uh, we want to make sure that we are, uh, we are here to shape the future.

Wow. So any final words for our listeners, others who are coming in a similar space?

You know, I would say the biggest things are startup life is, like I said, it's not easy. It is meant to be challenging. It is meant to challenge you. It's made to make you think outside the box. I think the most important thing hands down is teamwork. I have a belief in surrounding yourself with people who are smarter than you, who have more experience than you, who have been through it. If you learn from them, they will help you not go through the same failures and same mistakes that they've made. And it's a way to move faster. And finding people around you that are like-minded in their willingness and pursuit to win, but also those people that complement you and help you to look at things from different perspectives and different angles and bring different experience, I would say that to anybody. Make sure that you have the right people around you that are really driving your vision, our vision, the collective vision on a day-to-day basis.

Value of team.

Wow.

And for those who want to learn more, they can reach out LinkedIn or again, Tint.io, T-Y-N-T.io. Anywhere else you want to send them?

That's our website. Feel free to always reach out to me on LinkedIn. We are based in Boulder, Colorado. I don't just have the background just for fun, but we are based here. People are always welcome to visit on site. Feel free to reach out to me directly on email as well. It's just my name, Tyler@Tint.io. I'm always excited to talk about tint and see how we can work to reshape the world one window at a time.

Oh, I love that. And thank you for coming on and sharing that vision. And thank you to our sponsors of today's episode, Achieve Fractional, which provides fractional executive leadership for growing businesses. And if you enjoyed today's episode, share it with a friend, share it with a tech enthusiast, somebody who's looking at the future of Glass and the many capabilities and potentials it has. Reach out to Tyler and the team and they'll get you directed on what is happening and get involved. So awesome. Thank you so much, and we'll see you in the next episode of the Achieve Podcast.