SaaSy Talk Unfiltered | SaaSy Talk S01.20: WorkWave CEO David G discusses transparency, challenges, and scaling in field service software

SaaSy Talk S01.20: WorkWave CEO David G discusses transparency, challenges, and scaling in field service software

November 7, 2023 / 39:42/S1:E20

About The Guest(s): David F. Giannetto serves as CEO of WorkWave, where he has led the company to become an industry-leading partner that delivers premier field service and last mile, full lifecycle SaaS software and solutions. His focus is on creating an organization of empowered employees focused on unifying field service, workforce management, sales and marketing, and payment facilitation fintech to provide customers with a tangible competitive advantage in their local markets. He has recently been named a Top 10 SaaS CEO and a Top 10 Software Leader in NJ.
He has nearly 30 years of experience leading and managing international organizations focused on the deployment and usage of enterprise-level technology. Prior to his time as an executive for software companies, he was CEO of The Telos Group and the practice lead of the nationally respected EPM consulting practice of J.H. Cohn (CohnReznick). Earlier in his career, he was a hands-on service leader for Airborne Express and an Officer in the US Army.

He is the author of three books and nationally respected thought-leader on how information and technology can drive business performance. Giannetto received his MBA from Rutgers University and his undergraduate degree from Monmouth University. He has won awards as both a wildlife photographer and a Delaware river decoy carver. He currently resides in Ringoes, NJ.

Summary:

David discusses the importance of transparency in business metrics and the challenges and rewards of scaling a company. He shares his journey into the tech industry and how he ended up at WorkWave. David also talks about the impact of culture and the role of mistakes in leadership. He highlights the qualities he looks for in leaders and the key elements of a winning culture. David shares his excitement for the future of WorkWave and the company's focus on internationalization and acquisitions.

Key Takeaways:

Transparency in business metrics is important for telling the story of a company's performance and growth.
Building a winning team requires finding the right balance between experience and hunger for success.
Culture is set by the CEO and should be authentic and aligned with the company's goals.
Scaling a company requires trusting and empowering others to make decisions and manage operations.
The key metrics to track depend on the ownership structure and goals of the company.

Quotes:

"Transparency and honesty are important in telling the story of WorkWave's performance and growth."
"You're either a fit or you're not because you can go get a very senior person, but if they're not hungry, they won't be willing to go the extra mile."
"Culture is set by the CEO and should be authentic and aligned with the company's goals."
"Scaling a company requires trusting and empowering others to make decisions and manage operations."
"The key metrics to track depend on the ownership structure and goals of the company."

Chapters:
[00:00] Transparency and publishing numbers

[05:29] Merging multiple companies successfully

[08:58] A CEO's mistake and recovery

[10:29] Quiet quitting in the workplace

[14:29] Financially disciplined growth

[17:21] Embracing change and forward thinking

[22:09] Being too authentic hurts the organization

[24:38] Challenges of rapid scaling

[28:17] Leadership style evolution

[32:52] What's the next phase look like?

[35:37] Quick Fire-Round

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