Q&A with Philip Branning, Software Engineer

Q: What excites you the most about working at a company like Apex?

The wide-open possibility of building something new is exciting in its potential and terrifying in the lack of an established path forward. I enjoy working with high-agency people who find this mode of work fun.

Q: Why are you excited about space?

Space today is the Internet in the 90s. We have emerged from the government research phase and into the commercial phase, where an ecosystem of companies create interoperable parts and scale up. The commercial efficiencies feed back into cost reductions in government programs, and everybody goes faster. I’m excited to have a hand in that growth.

Q: You are somewhat new here at Apex. What has surprised you the most so far?

I probably shouldn’t be surprised by this, but the quality of the staff is uniformly high, and the vibes are good. I feel honored to have a role here.

Q: Tell us a bit about what you do in your free time.

I’m a happy trail runner, an unhappy road runner, and a bike commuter. I run without music, somewhat for safety and maybe for keeping equipment to a minimum, but mostly to appreciate the immersive experience of running in nature.

I like to cook at home for my wife, and we are adventurous eaters. We got close to eating at every restaurant on Sawtelle when we lived in West LA, hard to keep up with all the new ones though, of course.

I enjoy taking transit adventures around LA, riding the Metro or the bus to another neighborhood to walk around and explore, find a coffee shop, and a place to relax with a drink.

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