Dave and Alicia Store, co-founders of DSNM, join the Evolve to Succeed podcast to trace their 25-year journey from a one-man, paper-based chart-correction service to an award-winning super-yacht-navigation technology company with 27 employees and 620 vessels under subscription. Dave candidly recounts the scrappy early years - dot-matrix printers, Pritt Stick, and fax machines - while Alicia explains how joining the firm (initially to cover maternity leave) professionalised its finances, people processes and long-term vision.
The couple unpack the pivotal moments that reshaped the business: realising captains would pay for a fully managed service; raising prices to signal quality; surviving the 2008 crash, COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine shock; and, most dramatically, self-funding and launching their proprietary software, Compass. Their complementary personalities - Dave the risk-taking visionary, Alicia the detail-driven operator - emerge as the engine behind DSNM’s culture of obsessive customer service and constant product iteration.
They also share the realities of running a high-pressure, family-run company in a glamorous, yet unforgiving industry. Topics range from work-life integration with their young son Louis, to tight recruitment standards, to the pride (and responsibility) of winning two Queen’s Awards and employing a close-knit team.
This episode of the Evolve to Succeed Podcast covers…
Find a pain-killer, not a vitamin. Early success came from doing the tedious chart-correction work crews hated.
Price can signal value. Raising rates—rather than undercutting incumbents—attracted more super-yacht clients.
Service DNA first, tech layer next. DSNM’s core white-glove support never changed; software (Compass) scaled it.
Complementary co-founders matter. Visionary risk (Dave) + operational diligence (Alicia) created balanced growth.
Crisis = clarity. COVID and the Ukraine conflict forced the team to reassess purpose, costs and future bets.
Culture of “no passengers.” Every hire must be a self-starting problem-solver; weak links show instantly in a small team.
Bootstrapping builds resilience. Funding software internally preserved speed and ownership—crucial in a niche market.
Work-life “blend” beats balance. Shared purpose, clear role boundaries, and intentional family time keep burnout at bay.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to DSNM and Its Founders
06:50 The Evolution of Services and Software Development
12:04 Navigating Business Challenges and Financial Lessons
20:39 Balancing Growth with Company Culture
30:04 The Impact of COVID-19 on Business Strategy
38:18 Reflections on Success and Personal Growth
42:50 Family Dynamics and Work-Life Balance
48:53 Quickfire Questions and Final Thoughts
