Vision takes a whole lot of zigging and zagging

Bambi Francisco Roizen · July 18, 2012 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/2836

Online advertising pioneer Jeff Dachis shares his lessons learned building out his companies

In 1995, Jeff Dachis founded Razorfish, a pioneer in online advertising, which Dachis eventually led through a public offering during the dot-com boom of the late '90s. Today, Dachis presides over The Dachis Group, a social media marketing firm that's raised $30 million in funding to capitalize on the brand dollars moving online into social marketing campaigns.

In this interview, Dachis shares his lessons learned about entrepreneurship, particularly about his assumptions and thesis of social and advertising that were completely flawed.

In Dachis' case, he and his team underestimated the impact of social outside the corporation. "We thought the real benefits would be ringing efficiencies out of their internal operations," said Dachis. "What we’re finding is that is absolutely the case, but the oportunites for engagement outside the organization is far greater at this point in time."

"Crystal clarity of vision is something that we have" asked Dachis. "How we got there took a whole lot of zigging and zagging."

Listen to Dachis share his lessons, including the need to stay focused on a long-term vision while trying to not be distracted with short-term pressures from press, customer demands, etc.

See more interviews, articles on vision below.

Bambi Francisco Roizen

Founder and CEO of Vator, a media and research firm for entrepreneurs and investors; Managing Director of Vator Health Fund; Co-Founder of Invent Health; Author and award-winning journalist.

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Dachis Group

Startup/Business

Joined Vator on January 9, 2012

Dachis Group powers the design, development, management and measurement of Social Business solutions for the world’s leading companies. We have been fortunate enough to deliver social solutions, drive social brand engagement and deliver meaningful social insights for the world’s largest companies and most valuable brands.

Through SaaS based data services, a comprehensive set of social technology platforms, and the world’s largest social business professional services organization, Dachis Group is the world’s leader in social business.

Dachis Group:

Measures social performance with Dachis Group Social Business Intelligence

Manages social brands with Dachis Group Performance Brand Marketing

Connects the social enterprise with Dachis Group Connected Company

The company serves global customers worldwide including clients AT&T, Citibank, Disney, Estée Lauder, General Electric, Hewlett-Packard, Kodak, Nestlé, Nokia, and Target with a network of offices in 13 cities in 10 countries, employing over 250 professionals.

Dachis Group develops and maintains the Social Business Index, providing ongoing real-time ranking, analysis, and benchmarking of social business adoption and performance of the most connected and engaged companies based on Dachis Group’s Social Business Intelligence as a Service (SBIaaS) data services platform.

Dachis Group operates and manages the Social Business Council, the largest peer-to-peer knowledge-sharing community for active social business practitioners.

Dachis Group hosts an ongoing series of annual Social Business Summits, exploring the most current ideas in social business thought leadership, fostering ongoing dialog among participants, and engaging other social business practitioners in real-time, in-person, day-long events around the globe.

Dachis Group operates as one of the world’s largest Facebook® Preferred Developer Consultants through Dachis Group and subsidiaries. The company has recently launched over 500 custom Facebook® applications, tabs, and Facebook® Connect integrations for the world’s leading brands.