At Reliant, our strength is our people. We bring together experts from diverse fields who share a common goal: to build transformative products with a significant positive impact in the life sciences.
This series highlights the individuals driving our innovation. Today, we feature Joe Baston, our Senior Technical Product Manager, to discuss his path from Life Sciences to technology and what drives his work at Reliant.
A Foundation in Scientific Inquiry
A passion for understanding the world from multiple perspectives defined Joe's academic career. While his primary background is in the Life Sciences, his intellectual curiosity led him to explore a wide range of disciplines.
"Academically, my background is mostly in the Life Sciences, but I've always had a really wide range of interests," Joe explains. "I also studied Philosophy, Material Science & Engineering, and Physics."
This multidisciplinary foundation provided him with a unique problem-solving toolkit. After his studies, Joe moved to Berlin and joined a small biotech startup. The company was developing novel methods for the rapid diagnostics of bacterial infections and contamination. It was here, at the intersection of scientific research and practical application, that he discovered his true calling.
"I was doing a lot of work in this role that I would later find out was actually product management," he recalls. This realization was a turning point. He decided to pivot his career toward the tech world, where he believed he could make an even greater positive impact. His prior experience with bioinformatics during his undergraduate studies made the transition feel like a natural progression.
The Drive for Impactful Products
Since entering the technology industry, Joe has worked in product roles across a variety of industries. A consistent theme has guided his choices: the potential for a product to create meaningful, positive change.
"It's essential for me to work on products that genuinely leave the world in a better position from their success," Joe states. This principle is what ultimately drew him to Reliant.
He had been closely following advancements in drug development and discovery, particularly the revolutionary work by DeepMind on AlphaFold. "This was truly revolutionary for the biosciences, and it got me really excited about the domain," he says. His interest piqued, he began to research companies innovating in that space in Berlin.
When he discovered Reliant, he was immediately impressed. "I was instantly excited and could see the huge potential for impact." However, it was the team that solidified his decision. "What really drove this message home for me was seeing the people who were already involved. World-class researchers, domain experts for the life sciences, and generally a wealth of experience in delivering great products. I wanted in!"
Navigating Product Management at Reliant
As a Senior Technical Product Manager, Joe faces the complex challenge of prioritization. In a field ripe for innovation, the number of potential problems to solve can be overwhelming.
"The biggest challenge in product is always choosing which problems to tackle first," he notes. "We have so many insights coming in from our customers, and there is a lot of room to explore how to aid them in their critical work best."
For those considering a career at the company, Joe offers a straightforward endorsement. "If you love working with smart and driven people, you're looking in the right place!"
You can view open roles at Reliant’s offices in Europe and North America here.
