Reza Pourzia Cyber-Rain Westlake Village Reza Pourzia worked for about 15 years as engineer, architect, or head of research and development at companies like Shopzilla.com, XP Systems, Experian Consumer Direct and Edmunds.com. During that time he watched wireless technology become more refined and less expensive, and planned on eventually developing his own wireless product. In 2006, he took the leap and launched Westlake Village-based Cyber-Rain. “I always followed the technology,” said Pourzia, founder and CTO of the water conservation device maker. “I looked at lighting, security, thermostats, and finally picked this application. People are often not aware of how scarce of a resource water is.” The “smart” sprinkler control system Pourzia developed is installed like an irrigation timer and programmed from a personal computer. Cyber-Rain checks the weather every hour and wirelessly communicates to the unit whether to increase or decrease watering. Outdoor watering makes up about 60 percent of household water use, according to the company. And the Cyber-Rain system can help people save 30-70 percent on landscape watering bills. Consumer models sell for $399, and commercial models sell for $599 or more. There’s no monthly charge for service once the unit is installed, and the company has already sold close to 1,000 throughout the U.S. Municipalities are also taking interest in the device. Pourzia said he excels at the nitty gritty tech side of business, so he hired a chief executive officer (CEO) to take care of most of the business strategy, financial, and marketing issues. “We gotta play on our strengths,” said Pourzia. “I enjoy the nuts and bolts.” To keep-up on technology that might boost Cyber-Rain’s system to the next level, he subscribes to blogs and spends nights and weekends reading about advances in the industry. “I feel like if you don’t keep up with technology, in three months you can be a dinosaur,” he said. “A lot of stuff comes and goes so you have to filter it.” He views his job as like being a kid in a candy store because there are so many technologies coming out that are faster and cheaper. Right now, he’s interested in how “cloud computing” may benefit the business. The term refers to accessing a variety of information technology services via the Internet rather than investing in brick and mortar facilities and equipment. Larger ramifications But Pourzia doesn’t just hit the ground running with unproven tech. “Everything sounds cool, but you can’t forget about the larger ramifications,” he said. “You have to wait for a level of the technology’s maturity, because a small company can easily get wiped out.” Another part of being CTO is forming strategic tech partnerships. Cyber-Rain partnered with a Simi Valley company to manufacture the system; the computer side of the device is based on Microsoft Windows; and the company has had to secure funding from investors. Cyber-Rain is also developing relationships that will enable it to tie units into the “smart grid,” a system that delivers electricity from suppliers to consumers using modern technologies that can save energy, reduce cost and increase reliability. Diana Schulz, CEO, is the company’s public face and financial task master. She meets with municipalities, pays the bills, and is currently seeking a Series B round of venture capital to fund product development and marketing. The division of responsibility between her and Pourzia works well. “Both of us are happy about how easily we come to a meeting of the minds,” said Schulz. “Reza takes time to understand my side of the business and vice versa.”