Chris Cera, is the CEO of Arcweb Technologies, a consulting company serving the bespoke needs of its financial and healthcare customers, founded in 2011. This is his fourth startup — his first venture was Vuzit. Chris shares more about the rise and fall of Vuzit over its 8-year lifespan as well as his two other ventures that did not become viable businesses. Chris and Kevin discuss his latest venture, Arcweb — how it is serving the marketplace and some of the challenges he faces in the industry, as well as the unique company culture that sets it apart. As the founder of Philly Startup Leaders whose mission is to develop Philadelphia as a place where everyone can achieve their entrepreneurial potential, Chris reveals some of his hopes for Philadelphia in the future. Tune in to find out more!
Key Takeaways:
[1:19] Kevin introduces his guest for this episode — Chris Cera.
[4:00] Kevin and Chris go through a speed round of five quick questions.
[5:52] What do the letters A, R, C mean in Arcweb? Chris explains more about the name and brand of his company.
[8:44] What is Arcweb and where does it fit in the market?
[10:21] Kevin and Chris discuss the importance of considering the user when it comes to UX.
[13:42] Chris shares a real world case study to illustrate Arcweb's 4D process with Penn Medicine.
[22:52] In the medical industry, faxes are seen as more secure than digital alternatives. What have been Chris' challenges on that front?
[25:47] Chris has "founded" four companies, but only two became viable businesses. What happened to the other two?
[30:02] Chris and Kevin discuss if entrepreneurs are born or made.
[33:46] When did Chris change the name of his business to Vuzit?
[35:05] The two products that made up Vuzit were online document viewer and document security system. How did Chris market these products?
[38:22] How did Chris come up with the idea for Vuzit to begin with?
[44:16] Chris reveals some of his naivety in starting Vuzit that didn't take into consideration how to generate revenue.
[47:00] What caused Vuzit to ultimately fail?
[52:27] How did Chris cope with the "dark days" of his business?
[58:59] When Chris started Arcweb, he decided to run his company without partners, without external money. Has he stayed that course?
[1:08:25] How did Chris leverage his network with the Philly Startup Leaders and Indy Hall?
[1:12:04] How did Chris get vendors in the beginning?
[1:13:14] What are some of the unique aspects of Arcweb's company culture?
[1:23:23] Chris and Kevin discuss some of the challenges that having a whistle blower policy helps address.
[1:26:17] How does Chris guard his time and say 'yes' to the right things?
[1:31:19] What are two things Chris would change in the next 100 days if he were made mayor?
Links:
UX is like a joke. If you have to explain it, it isn't that good.
We're All Born Entrepreneurs, by Steve Welch
The Hard Thing About Hard Things, by Ben Horowitz
Ben Franklin Technology Partners
EMyth Revisited, by Michael E. Gerber
Tim Ferriss Show: Greg McKeown — How to Master Essentialism (#355)
