SaaSy Talk Unfiltered

About The Guest(s): Michael is an award winning leader. He was part of the management team that grew advertising technology company Criteo (NASDAQ: CRTO) from 50 to 2,500 employees and $2BN USD in annual revenue. Prior to Criteo, Michael was Managing Director of AOL UK. He has also held executive positions in the US and has lots of experience scaling businesses internationally.

Michael is currently the CEO of Tradify, a job management application used by thousands of trade businesses globally to simplify their job quoting, scheduling, management and invoicing.
Summary: 

Ricky and Sean interview Michael Steckler, the CEO of Tradify. Michael shares his journey into the tech industry, from starting in media sales to working at Microsoft and Criteo. He discusses the challenges and rewards of transitioning from a founder to a CEO and the importance of building a strong leadership team. Michael also talks about the unique aspects of the New Zealand tech scene and the opportunities and challenges of running a global software company from a remote location. He emphasizes the importance of having a support structure as a CEO and the value of networking and learning from other leaders. Michael shares his insights on budget planning, pricing strategy, and the key factors that have contributed to Tradify's success. He also discusses the importance of authentic company values and metrics in driving business growth.
Key Takeaways:

• The strongest founders recognize their weaknesses and build a team that complements their strengths.

• Moving from a founder to a CEO requires measurable impact, trust, credibility, and understanding company culture.

• Building a support structure as a CEO is crucial, including a strong network of mentors and peers.

• The most rewarding moments for Michael at Tradify are seeing long-term employees reflect on the company's growth and impact.

• Building a successful company culture involves authentic values, leading by example, and fostering open communication.

• Key factors contributing to Tradify's success are a great product, understanding the customer, and a scalable go-to-market strategy.

• Metrics play a crucial role in driving business growth, differentiating between vanity metrics and operational metrics.

Quotes:

• "The strongest founders...assemble great teams and recognize that."

• "If you're going to be a CEO, you need to...thoroughly understand that business."

• "Values aren't about being that value 100 percent...It's about calling each other out on it."

• "Having a great product and understanding your go-to-market are the key factors in cracking the code for business success."

• "Understanding...the most important metrics to the business...is probably the most important thing for me."

• "Understanding the difference between vanity metrics and metrics that really drive the business...is important."

• "If you have a bad ENPS, everything else you're worrying about is irrelevant."

• "Keep executing, keep growing the business, keep growing the team, do all the things that we're doing well, and fix things that we're not doing so well."

• "The number one thing I care about is respect...That is the most important thing."

Chapters  00:00 Michael’s Background

00:05 Journey into Tech and Early Career

03:28 Taking the Helm as CEO of Tradify

04:35 Reflections on Past Experiences and Lessons from Microsoft and Criteo

06:05 Adjusting to NZ's Tech Scene

08:02 Transition from Founder to CEO

09:35 First 100 Days as CEO

17:05 Building a Support Structure as a CEO

19:39 Learning from Mistakes and Pricing Strategy

23:57 A Day in the Life of a CEO

25:39 Budget Planning for 2024

28:12 Most Rewarding Moments at Tradify

29:52 Building a Successful Company Culture

35:19 Cracking the Code: Tradify's Success Factors

40:20 Looking Ahead: Future Plans for Tradify

42:06 Quick Fire Round: Getting to Know Michael

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