In a recent episode of Bridge the Gap, hosted by Dale Zwizinski and Adam Jay from Revenue Reimagined, Michael Guymon, President & CEO of SQA Services and former leader at SpaceX and Rocket Lab, shares his insights on building systems that don’t crack under pressure—and what go-to-market teams can learn from high-stakes industries.
1. Defining Quality in High-Stakes Contexts
Michael highlights that quality is ensuring a system performs its intended function reliably—every single time. In environments where failure means catastrophe—like rockets or medical devices—slipping standards simply aren’t acceptable.
2. Quality Systems vs. Quality Initiatives
He distinguishes between:
- Quality initiatives, which are focused, short-term improvement efforts, and
- Quality systems, which are enterprise-wide frameworks ensuring consistency across design, manufacturing, and distribution.
“Quality isn’t just the job of engineers—it’s everyone’s responsibility,” he emphasizes.
3. Learning from SpaceX’s ‘Fail Fast’ Model
Michael unpacked how SpaceX embraced a paradigm shift: launching early iterations (their first three Falcon 1 rockets failed) to learn and iterate quickly. This MVP-style, iterative approach—“test, fail fast, learn fast”—enabled innovation speed unheard of in traditional aerospace.
He applies this mindset to regulated industries today: build tolerance for early-stage failure on internal or non-customer projects, so systems are robust when it matters most.
4. Managing Risk Across Vast Supply Chains
Michael points out a major challenge for large aerospace and pharmaceutical firms: they often manage thousands of suppliers but lack bandwidth to monitor them effectively.
At SQA, this is addressed by combining expert third-party data collection (site inspections, audits) with advanced analytics to prioritize risk proactively.
5. Systems Thinking for Go‑to‑Market Strategies
He challenges GTM teams to shift quality left—not just reacting to failures downstream but embedding robust processes from the start. Whether launching rockets or medical products, reducing variability trumps optimizing yield; consistency enables reliable delivery and avoids surprises.
6. Leadership Under Load
Michael reflects on his transition to CEO, drawing parallels between engineering leadership and people leadership. He emphasizes:
- Empowering teams by stepping out of the weeds and delegating thoughtfully
- Cultivating healthy conflict, encouraging debate and truth-telling even when opinions differ
- Balancing technical depth and strategic oversight
Watch the full interview below or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Looking to strengthen your quality systems or supplier oversight?
SQA Services partners with regulated companies to deploy scalable solutions in quality assurance, supplier development, and compliance. Contact us today to learn how we can support your operations from launch to lifecycle.