Today's Entrepreneur: David Cristello
No. 1 Mistake: Wait to get customers (paying customers) until you start coding
Today's Entrepreneur is David Cristello, Founder at Jetpack Workflow. Jetpack is replacing outdated, excel based client and team management systems for professional firms. Instead of a generic project management tool (built of product companies), or a CRM application (built for sales people), Jetpack manages everything that happens after you get a client on board (Recurring Client Management or "RCM").
Cristello was a technical marketing consultant & co-founder of Pgh Startup Weekend. He specializes in Marketing Strategy and Execution Copywriting, SaaS, Product Management, and Lead Generation.
Here's a little about Cristello:
If you are an entrepreneur, why? I want to change the world.
My favorite startups: LeadPages (Amazing B2B Growth through education), Uber (for being battle ready), and DuoIingo (a true, global approach to education).
What's most frustrating and rewarding about entrepreneurship/innovation?
Rewarding: Always learning, constantly growing, being challenged daily and being forced to think how to solve a problem or issue with few resources, limited knowledge, and extreme uncertainty. So the rewarding part is the "feeling of being fully alive".
Frustrating: Sometimes "being fully alive" is exhausting, and your answers or solutions do not solve a problem (at least in the short term). Also not knowing how current decisions will impact the long term success of the company (early hires, product decisions, advisor network, etc). But overall running a startup is 90% rewarding, 10% frustrating. If you stay stuck in the 10%, it will overtake your vantage point, and destroy your ability to make the right move and get back into the "rewarding part". This isn't a pity party, we don't stay stuck in 10% of frustration. "If you fall down, at least land on your back, because if you can look up, you can get up"
1. Wait to get customers (paying customers) until you start coding
The #1 a business need is a customer, so why not talk (and eventually sell) to them as soon as possible.
1. Success is determine by the quality of the questions you ask to your customers, your team, your advisors, and your peer group.
2. Persistence and Grit are two underrated (but highly useful) qualities for a founder
3. You have to been rooted in the pain & problem you're solving, or why you started the company in the first place. If you can find a single person (other than yourself) for which your product can help, it will help you navigate the internal battle and have "staying power" .
Founder, Jetpack Workflow (www.jetpackworkflow.com).
Previously was an independent technical marketing consultant and co-founder of Pittsburgh Startup Weekend.
I have a background in (lean,cost effective, measurable, value driven) Marketing, specifically for small businesses, entrepreneurs, and startups. I helped create and maintain marketing campaigns, structure sales and marketing funnels, as well as strategy and system implementation.
“With the help of David's social marketing efforts, we were able to pinpoint hard to reach key players in our industry and develop strategies to connect with them. Through his unique approach, we were able to exponentially grow our sales success, from closing one deal every quarter we are now closing two deals every month. “ Razi Imam, Founder, CEO of 113 Industries.
“David worked closely with me to design and implement a marketing program that allowed Armstrong Search Associates to triple its number of clients, despite the fact that our industry was in a down turn” Tom Schmaus, VP of Armstrong Search Associates
"When we implemented David's suggestions on our website, we immediately saw an increase in lead generation. Most importantly, David taught us fundamental marketing skills that will continue to help us far into the future. " Dr. Tom Galluzzo, Co-Founder, OpenJAUS
Jetpack Workflow is competing in the Splash LA competition. The top eight of the competition will compete live on stage at Splash LA on Oct. 15 at Loews Santa Monica Hotel. Register here.
*Want to be included in our Today's Entrepreneur series? Email me: mitos@vator.tv
Mitos Suson
I produce Vator Events and enjoy the challenge. I am learning and growing a lot, being involved with Vator and loving every moment of it!
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Jetpack Workflow
Startup/Business
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Jetpack Workflow is reinventing client and team management for professional service firms.
Instead of getting lost digging through spreadsheets asking yourself "Which one of my 800 clients has something falling through the cracks" or worse "Which jobs are losing money, breaking even, or actually making money", Jetpack automatically pulls and tracks team capacity, job profitability, and can track thousands of clients and manage ten of thousands of jobs at the same time.
Jetpack was built to transform professional firms to be more productive, profitable, and build genuine, lasting client relationships.
David Cristello
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David Cristello is the Founder ofJetpack Workflow, a leading application that helps professional firms become more productive and profitable. Previously, David was a technical marketing consultant & co-founder of Pgh Startup Weekend.