This post is based on an interview with Mr. Rama Polefka. It is part of our series of interviews of OODA Network members. Our objective with these interviews is to provide actionable information of interest to the community, including insights that can help with your own career progression. We also really like highlighting some of the great people that make our continued research and reporting possible.  For the full series see: OODA Expert Network Bio Series.

Career Progression: Rama’s number one objective upon High School graduation was escaping Wyoming.  He knew he belonged California.  He wanted to get into a prestigious school like the University of California, but he had some work to do first.  Rama put himself through Junior College, paying his way by waiting tables and lifeguarding.  He took his time and picked his courses carefully.  Rama got accepted at UC Davis, and graduated with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, a tough field that prepared him to think methodically.

During the summer, Rama had picked up a job in the Mechanical Engineering computer lab.  Hewlett Packard had just donated 40 computer workstations to the college, and he was asked to set them up.  He had no idea what he was doing, but he had all summer to figure it out.  He found the work challenging and meaningful.

Rama assumed he would work in the Mechanical Engineering field, but upon graduation, jobs were scarce.  He scoured the help wanted and became discouraged when the few available jobs called for experience.  He couldn’t even get an interview.  Meanwhile, he noticed that there were pages and pages of listings for “Internet Engineers”.  He didn’t really know what that was, but soon discovered his experience in the Computer Lab qualified him for many of the positions.  His career in IT was launched.

Rama started with a company that wanted to expand from selling IT equipment to selling IT services.  This was the mid-1990’s in the Silicon Bay area.  He found himself working with a group of Venture Capitalists.  Once they were networked and connected, they sent Rama out to work with the Start Up’s they were investing in.  Rama enjoyed this work and soon started his own company, Ignyte Technology.  For three years, he poured all his efforts into growing a business that provided essential IT and networking services at a critical time in young company’s development.  Timing is everything, however. When the dot.com bubble burst, Rama was lucky to be able to sell his business and get out whole.  He took some much-needed rest and refocused his efforts on a few clients and being more “there” for his family.

Rama worked with a lot of startup companies over his career.  He saw the same trends, over and over.  In the early days, a young company has a few smart guys frantically trying to develop their product (service).  They need to stay focused on what their core mission is, but at the same time, they need to have access to a secure, robust IT enterprise.  Rama started Black Mountain Dynamics  to fill this critical need.  He focuses on hiring the best, most capable engineers, sacrificing quantity for quality.  He loves seeing how his team of experts can make such a positive impact in a fledgling company.

Surprises:  Rama knew when he opened his first email account and saw his first webpage that the world was about to change quickly.  But he never expected the internet to have such a pervasive presence in every aspect of modern life.   “I felt it was big in the 1990s, but the way so many people (and devices!) communicate across so many platforms is truly amazing!” he says.

Advice for Decision Makers: “Stay focused on basic IT best-practices.”  Rama says.  “So many bad things (like the Democratic National Committee Hack) can be mitigated through commonly known good practices – such as multifactor authentication, auditing, and solid processes for review, deliberation and escalation.  You have to be aware of what is going on in your network!”

Security Improvements:  Rama credits improved password security for recent improvements.

Risks in the Near Future:  Rama is carefully watching as improved connection speeds link so many devices, and how that will impact our security efforts.

Technology of Interest: “Turning everything we own into a connection point is both good and bad.  It empowers us and it makes us more vulnerable.  I love working with companies to make sure we get it right!” Rama says.

Views on Thought Leaders:  Rama says.  “I look outside our sector for deeper inspiration, at entrepreneurs and social leaders who manage to interweave excellence in technology with a moral vision to help bring about positive change. One example is Larry Brilliant, a public health expert who has helped eradicate terrible diseases, restore eyesight for millions, and stand up the philanthropic enterprises for Google, Jeff Skoll, and Salesforce. At the same time that IT is more exciting and revolutionary than ever, the magnitude of the problem that humanity has created for itself means that it’s more critical than ever to bring a moral compass with us everywhere we go, to every job we do.”

Quick Hits:

• Favorite piece of content on OODAloop: There are several key people in our industry that I look to with admiration, Matt and Bob (OODALoop) both being great examples.
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ramasan/