What does XETLA mean?
While it might be a nice ending for a game of Scrabble® (EXALT), the name comes from an old joke about technology.
Discussions around technology and research are filled with acronyms. TLAs are Three Letter Acronyms. The joke then runs onto ETLAs, Extended TLAs and finally XETLAs, eXtreme ETLAs.
Coming up with an original unregistered business name was challenging. XETLA was available and relates to the role of the Company, technology and R&D.
And while we’re on the branding topic…
Like all good business logos, ours has a meaning. The seven hexagons represent:
Bee honeycomb – bees hives are a lot of individuals all working together for the greater benefit of the whole. Bees are awesome.
Honeycomb is not just for bees but material construction. Thin skinned aluminium honeycomb core was a major breakthrough in aerospace materials. Fantastic compression strength for a comparatively low weight. Even 'hollow' house doors typically have a cardboard honeycomb core.
Segments of a large, adaptive, optical telescope mirror – an amazing piece of innovation and a good example of smaller pieces making a larger whole.
Under Construction! Our website is still developing and needs a good buff and polish. Stay tuned.
G’day, we’re XETLA Consulting
With 17 years commercial experience, we aim to make your R&D efforts smoother and more efficient. Tips and suggestions on a wide range of topics including building and running an R&D team, preparing for a patent, scoping and running a project.
We can give whirl-wind one hour talks, through to 2 day courses or bespoke, direct, onsite consulting. Embedded mentoring in a broader program is another option we would enjoy.
Why XETLA Consulting?
R&D experience is what we offer. Our observations and suggestions come from experience spanning almost two decades of commercial R&D across those areas. Our key differentiator comes what we’re not. We’re not patent lawyers, venture capitalists or business consultants.
Maybe you're a start up coming out of your incubator phase and it's time to start efficiently and effectively converting that market research, seed funding and early prototypes into actual products. Or maybe you're a small business that needs to ramp up production. XETLA Consulting doesn't focus on one or the other. Our knowledge and experience is agnostic to your type of business.
We’ve experienced the rush that comes from an idea going from your head to working in the palm of your hand. We’ve also experienced the frustration and knocks that come from projects coming off the rails.
Our goal is to get you more of the rush and less of the knocks. A smoother and more efficient R&D path that avoids some traps, missteps and dead ends.
Who is this bloke and what does he know?
Steve Heaton
Founder of XETLA. R&D Generalist.
G’day, I’m Steve Heaton. Founder of XETLA.
I’ve logged over 18 years doing commercial R&D. Another 5 years on top of that for straight out project management. A prehistory in technology.
Yeah, I’m old… DOB: 321ppm CO₂ (http://CO2.earth).
Inventor and innovator. A steward of the Creative Spark. A raconteur.
International patent development and ‘defence’.
Invited speaker and organising committee member at International conferences. Global press interviews and media trained. Travelled around the world to many amazing facilities too.
The ‘golden pen’ on projects with ~$14M budgets
R&D in the simulation, detection and monitoring of ionising radiation through to thermal clean energy materials science and multi-physics sims. Enjoyed studying agricultural digital technology too. I’m passionately curious.
Actively engaged with local, state, Federal and international governments. Standards bodies and Regulators.
Worked for one of the largest corporations (GE in the Jack Welch days) and small businesses with less than a dozen staff.
Ran a huge construction program for one of Australia's largest property portfolios.
Successfully managed stupidly short duration, super high risk financial IT projects (weeks in the planning - executed overnight).
MSc from Swinburne (Astronomy): Galaxy collisions, hydrogen forensics, high energy physics, spacecraft design.
I enjoy designing, building and flying kites and perpetual solar planes. Some interesting (small scale) robotics platforms. I also love exploring and camping in the outdoors… and chasing ‘glamour’ fish.