Creating a legacy of impact for family and society
Growing up, Robson Gama often watched his grandfather hard at work using Bosch power tools. Even at a young age, Robson could see the valuable unity of performance, creativity and the desire to build something that didn’t exist before. Years later, his affinity for Bosch led him to the company’s internship program – and then his affinity for curiosity led him even further. Get an inside look at how Robson turned to Bosch Business Innovations to build something big – for his family and society.
The roller coaster is waiting
Robson Gama was CEO and founder of Bosch Fluid Energy Monitoring, a former internal start-up that sprung to life via Bosch Business Innovations (formerly grow platform). In line with Robson’s personal ethos of challenging the status quo, the promising company offered an intelligent, cloud-based solution that enabled direct sales, logistic optimization, and subscription sales model for the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) distributors – empowering them to disrupt the LPG chain. As a result, homeowners could enjoy a secured pay-as-you-go model and guaranteed availability of heating and cooking.
As it often goes with intrapreneurs, Robson did a bit of everything for the former start-up – from steering the business strategy and managing teams all the way to maintaining positive financial health and meeting the expansion vision of Bosch Business Innovations.
In looking back, he admits that the daily challenges weren't always easy, but there were lessons to be learned around every corner. “My experience always grows exponentially when I face many challenges at high speed,” he says. With the support of Bosch Business Innovations (formerly grow platform), these challenges were quickly turned into opportunities – and opportunities into success.
The smart move to Bosch Business Innovations
In 2006, Robson kickstarted his journey – beginning as a Bosch intern in the area of mobility solutions, then moving on to Product Technician. A few years later, after being promoted to Product Engineer, he was one of the top finishers in the Bosch Young Engineer award in Latin America. But it was at this time that he acknowledged his desire and ability to influence and lead people. He jumped on the intrapreneur path and took advantage of Bosch Business Innovations.
His technical skills are still as sharp as ever, but his views on technology, business and value evolved thanks to Bosch Business Innovations. Every day he was able to merge his natural curiosity, technical background and the opportunities of an intrapreneurial atmosphere. It truly was unlike anything else.
As a result, his perspectives have widened dramatically. Peering through a more dynamic lens, he sees a vibrant future in which real value is not only in technology, but also in the market and customers. He says, “I understood that we need to fall in love with customer pains and focus on generating value for customers. This led me to a complete mindset transformation.”
As an intrapreneur, it’s vital to have an open mindset like Robson’s, or else there can be no personal or professional growth. Before leading his own start-up at Bosch Business Innovations, Robson experienced four failures with internal start-ups. Each one has proved vital in expanding his perspectives and maturing his vision, helping him to put more focus on the market and customer as a starting point.
What’s more, his failures have influenced his leadership style, especially during his time at Bosch Fluid Energy Monitoring. It was always a constant priority to create a safe and positive environment where individuals and teams had the space and autonomy to perform at high levels. He sought to empower team members to wake up excited and ready to be themselves. To this day, he quotes a page from the playbook of Steve Jobs: “It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do.”
Breaking free from business as usual
When it comes to comparing the work life at Bosch Business Innovations versus other Bosch units, Robson offers a simple, yet impactful statement: “The difference is huge.” In traditional Bosch units, team members must follow strict procedures to protect the business and mitigate risks. At Bosch Business Innovations, on the other hand, the working culture breaks free from traditional norms. Robson notes, “Thanks to our internal structure, we were able to act at a much more aggressive speed… putting into practice the culture of fail fast, fail cheap and learn faster.”
It's not just exciting to work in an intrapreneurial environment, it’s powerful, rewarding and inspiring. Robson’s traditional Bosch experiences from early on have proven to be extremely valuable, but the slow, step-by-step processes were holding him back. At Bosch Business Innovations, the opportunities and challenges pushed him and his colleagues to constantly innovate at an exponential rate.
At Bosch Fluid Energy Monitoring, Robson built a business from a blank sheet of paper at start-up speed while bringing together smart people for a common goal. In comparison to a traditional route, Bosch Business Innovations equipped Robson with a broad vision of business, strategy, team building and negotiation.
Working in Bosch Business Innovations also enabled Robson to unite his personal and professional dreams. “My life purpose is to leave a legacy of impact for my daughters and society. That's why I decided to pivot my career. At Bosch Business Innovations, I was able to make my purpose and legacy even stronger."
But is Bosch Business Innovations right for everyone? Well, that depends, according to Robson. If the person wants to embark on the intense, collaborative journey of building something from nothing, then Bosch Business Innovations is the right place for them. “They need to know that start-ups here operate in a high-risk and high-velocity environment, but it provides accelerated skill development and the chance to create the next disruptive business for Bosch.” And, quite possibly, for the world.
Robson Gama
Former business owner of Bosch Fluid Energy Monitoring, located in Campinas, Brazil
Robson has been working at Bosch since 2006, starting as an intern in the Powertrain Solutions unit. He studied Electric Engineering and acquired advanced technical experience while working in this field for ten years. After pivoting to the business area, he studied Project Management at Universidade Positivo, and then Strategic and Economic Business Management at FGV. Robson also specialized in Business Modeling at Berkeley in the Bosch accelerator program. In addition to his active CEO role, Robson is a Bosch trainer for courses related to Innovation such as Business Model Innovation, Agile methodology (basics, PO, Agile Master and Agile for Managers) and in the Bosch Adventure program.
