In this episode Ross and John speak to James Quiqley, the founder and CEO of GoCanvas. Founded in 2008 GoCanvas is a mobile platform that makes it simple for any business to automate how work is done, replacing outdated processes and expensive paperwork. The GoCanvas App works on all smartphones and tablets, helping companies easily collect information across their organization, share it instantly with others and gain real-time insights on their business operations.
James shares his journey as an engineer and what drove him to make product and practices the best they needed to be with a highly mobile workforce.
- Classically trained engineer, driven to find out how mobile technology can help other businesses
- Sharing nuances; typically a company is led by an operational person, product side of the journey, and not the sales side of things; why is that?
- Truly understanding what is possible, what can your product do to solve a customers problem
- “You need someone that is rooted in what you do.”
James shares his advice for CEO’s of relatively early stage tech companies as they begin their journey.
- Every phase, re-evaluate what your job is, recognise that it changes
- Stay amazingly passionate; consistently aching to learn more;
- “Growth is never a straight line.”
- “How the CEO shows up, affects everyone.”
- “Modelling and teaching empathy in the organisation and not sympathy.”
- The Benjamin Franklin Strategy
He further shares how he navigates his high level corporate objectives to his organisation.
- Operational systems and processes internally when setting quarterly OKR objectives.
- Regular All Hands Meetings - how is everyone doing? (Rally Cry)
- Having a unique view on how you see people; T-shape skill sets.
Furthermore, James shares how they engage customers through their Sales Process and how great qualities present themselves.
- Can we have the customer do the work for us, in advance?
- We insert our product in ways in which you’ll find us first and start exploring it.
- Re-learning how to sell. Forgetting what you know.
Lastly James tells us what is different about GoCanvas and shares his super power.
- Paper based solutions to digital transformation.
- Capabilities of what your solutions provide.
- Understanding our why and staying true to that. The benefits of the benefit.
- We over hire and over interview, triple checking our work.
- I am incredibly passionate about what we deliver and we resolve our customers' problems.
- Human centered.
