Alex Frappat
Early Life and Education
Alex Frappat grew up in the south of France and moved to the UK at the age of 18 to pursue his studies. He enrolled in a computer systems engineering program in London. Like many university students, Alex initially struggled to find a job. He eventually took on various student jobs, including working in a hotel and as a delivery driver for Deliveroo, which was still a burgeoning service at the time.
The Opportunity at Starship
During a chance meeting with Charlie Hollway, Alex discovered job openings at Starship. With his background in deliveries and his studies in robotics and engineering, the role of a robot handler seemed like a perfect fit. In early June 2017, Alex embarked on his journey at Starship in London. He started by walking behind delivery robots, using a PS4 controller as an emergency stop button. Throughout late 2017, Alex fondly remembers covering nine to ten kilometers daily, alongside cycling to and from work. Surprisingly, the delivery robots also served as excellent tour guides, helping Alex explore every street in Milton Keynes.
This early role provided valuable insights into the robots' autonomy, which was still in its nascent stages, with operators controlling much of the robots' actions via phone calls. Alex got to know a lot about Estonian culture through those long phone calls that lasted for hours. Some of the people operating back then are still with Starship today, making it amusing to see familiar faces from seven years ago.
Alex’s first day at Starship is a cherished memory. He thought he was finally joining a "real job" and was thrilled by the office environment, complete with stocked fridges filled with Coca-Cola and snacks. Having actual colleagues and seeing the potential for growth in the startup made him super excited. He vividly remembers the three days of training, where he shadowed different employees, learning about the company and its mission.
On his very first day, he experienced something no other handler had faced: an attempted robot theft. While the robot was waiting to cross a busy High Street, a person tried to steal it. Alex, adhering to the protocol of not getting into danger, stood back and filmed the event. This unexpected incident was a stark introduction to the real-world challenges of working with delivery robots, leaving a lasting impression on him.
Taking on New Challenges
Alex Frappat's journey at Starship has been marked by a series of promotions and diverse projects that have shaped his career path. His proactive approach and passion for learning quickly earned him a promotion to operations specialist, where he played a pivotal role in launching commercial delivery areas in Milton Keynes. Alex's dedication was further evident during the US launch, where he worked tirelessly to establish a new service at a university campus in Texas.
His ability to thrive in varied roles led to another promotion as Incident Management Specialist, and eventually to his current position as Senior Program Manager. As a senior program manager in incident management, Alex’s days are filled with monitoring incident reports, communicating with claimants, and collaborating with internal teams to address safety concerns. He also works on identifying patterns in incidents to help improve the robots' performance.
Future Aspirations
Looking ahead, Alex envisions a future where robotics play a pivotal role in shaping society for future generations. He believes in the potential of robotics to revolutionize everyday life, much like how Lime bikes gradually expanded from major cities to smaller villages, enhancing mobility for people everywhere. Alex dreams of seeing Starship's delivery robots not only in major cities but also in smaller towns and villages across the globe, including his beloved South of France.
He hopes that by 2034, there will be 50,000 robots operational, significantly contributing to efficient and sustainable delivery services. Moreover, Alex emphasizes the importance of maintaining a unified and collaborative atmosphere within the company, even as it grows and evolves. He values the current sense of teamwork and hopes it continues, fostering strong relationships across all teams within Starship.
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Advice for new employees?
Alex advises new employees to own their mistakes, ask questions, and stay curious. His journey at Starship has been marked by continuous learning and adaptation, driven by a passion for innovation and problem-solving.
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What new feature would you design for the robot?
Alex hopes for improvements in tracking technology, which would reduce incidents of lost robots and enhance operational efficiency. "I want them to have trackers," Alex emphasizes, "I want us to be able to know exactly where all of our robots are at any given time, even if they're offline or in space. That would mitigate so many of our lost situations."
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If you could trade jobs with anyone else in the company for a day, who would it be and why?
Alex sees significant value in gaining a thorough understanding of autonomous driving, much like Lindsay's expertise. This experience would enable Alex to better comprehend the rationale behind the robot's decisions and operations, but only for a single day
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