At Zoomcar I hired a Senior Finance Manager who had spent several years auditing companies at a Big Four firm. He was smart, fundamentally sound and dedicated to his work. We were excited to have him on board. One of his first assignments was to build an asset tracker to ensure the accuracy of our… Continue reading Own It
Month: June 2022
All Software Tastes Like Chicken
I’ve worked in mining, mobility, and fintech. I’ve invested in companies making software, micro-irrigation systems, paper, animal feed and chilli sauce. One of my learnings through this journey is that the fundamentals don’t change. Or, as Robert Smith of Vista Equity Partners puts it, “All software tastes like chicken.” Porter’s five forces (or your framework… Continue reading All Software Tastes Like Chicken
“Our Customers are So Stupid!”
At one startup, I started an initiative where every person in the organization would spend a day a month answering customer support emails. We were a small team at the time and always constrained on resources. One of our senior engineers, one of the best I’ve ever worked with, was highly opposed to the initiative.… Continue reading “Our Customers are So Stupid!”
Disaster in Slow Motion
At two of the startups I’ve worked at, customers defrauded us of over a millions dollars. At three of them, employees defrauded the company of several hundred thousand dollars. Two times, we had a shortfall in customer support staff that caused a month-long wait time for responses. At one, the entire sales team quit within… Continue reading Disaster in Slow Motion