Metric-X - My Entrepreneurial Journey

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This presentation was given to a class of MBA students at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. I share my personal journey of starting and running a business that provides software development and analytics consulting services.

Transcript of Metric-X - My Entrepreneurial Journey

Saad Shah5/12/2014

Metric-X, LLC

Being an IT EntrepreneurMIS 524: Enterprise Information Systems

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MIS 524 - Enterprise Information Systems

(3 credits)

The strategic use of information technology (IT) in the enterprise.

Topics include intra-organizational systems, interorganizational systems, the use of IT in a competitive environment, control of IT, IT resource planning and organizational issues for the management of information systems.

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IT Career Scenarios Work for a Non-IT Company

– Work in the IT Department– Use IT to get your job done

Work for an IT Services Provider– Sell or deliver IT services to others– Start your own company

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Topics About … Point of View The Journey Technology / Customers Highs, Lows, Mistakes Strategy

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About Metric-X Focus:

– Help companies manage and analyze their data

Founded:– 2000

Team:– 10 people

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Services Business Intelligence Software Development

– .NET, SQL Server Excel Integration Project Management

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Customers

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About me …

• Project Management• Software Engineering• Analytics

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Partner

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Point of View

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Immigrant

Michigan (home)

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Mission

Help companies intelligently apply information technology to improve their performance

“we help you turn your data into profits”

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Ideal Customers Midmarket and Smaller

– Revenue Range: $10 to $500 Million– Located in Michigan

What We Look For:– Healthy– Hungry

• “Data-Driven”– Attitude towards vendors– Pay on Time

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Our Guiding Principles “Open Doors, Open Minds”

“Success is a consequence of doing the right things for the right reasons”

“When a customer asks for help, we are receiving a gift”

“We get what we want in life when we help other people get what they want”

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The Journey

2000 2014

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Career

1980’s 1990’s 2000’s 2010’s

BS Industrial Engineering

MS Information

Systems

Wizards of Word

Processing

Cambridge Technology

Partners

EDS / GM / OnStar Metric-X

Software Engineering

Product + Consulting

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QuickBooks Dashboard

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The Challenging and the Fulfilling

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Fulfilling Pay it Forward Growing People Make a Difference Use Talents, Gifts. No Complacency!

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Challenges Cashflow

– Accounts Receivable / Collections “Quality”

– Requirements on-time, on-budget Talent

– Finding, Retaining, Growing

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The Future

Variables: Technology Competition Economy Talent

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Technology (Opportunity) Cloud Mobile Big Data Predictive Analytics In-Memory Analytics

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Lessons Learned

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Mistakes “Working in the Business” instead of

“Working on the Business” Not selling during good times

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Second Guessing No Equity Partners No Debt Limited Geography Few Services

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Strategy

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Operating Approach (Pre-2011) Provide personalized service

– Serve only a few clients at a time

Invest in understanding the clients’ business, priorities, systems and culture Provide services that help clients get the most out of their technology investments

– Architecture, Project Management

Conduct knowledge transfer Keep costs low

– Don’t maintain a bench of consultants– Minimize fixed costs

Subcontract specialized talent when required by clients– Engage partners where appropriate

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Operating Approach+ (Since 2011) Teachable:

– products and services that you can teach others to deliver

Valuable: – Specialize in doing one thing better

than anyone else (“Microsoft BI”)

Repeatable: – generate recurring revenue through

products that customers would repurchase often (“Software Subscriptions”)

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What Really Matters

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Thank you!

Saad Shah1-248-495-4925

sshah@metricx.com