Michael Kräftner: Embracing Your Inner Nerd and Being Authentic – Success Factors For Running An Employee Centered Tech Company
- 1. EMBRACING YOUR INNER NERD AND BEING AUTHENTIC SUCCESS FACTORS FOR RUNNING AN EMPLOYEE CENTERED TECH COMPANY October 2017
- 2. MICHAEL J. KRAEFTNER @CELUM & @CONTIDIO ― 2002 Mediatechnology & -Design Graduate ― Private Pilot ― Entrepreneur since 1999 ― Main role is CEO and Product Evangelist at CELUM ― Computer kid from the start: ― First Computer was of course a C64 ― First lines of „code“ done on a Sharp PC1403
- 3. COLLABORATION & CONTENT WHAT WE DO
- 5. THE CELUM CONTENT PRODUCTIVITY PLATFORM CREATE, MANAGE, BUY & ENGAGE THROUGH CONTENT
- 6. COMPANY FACTS & FIGURES 2016 €10M REVENUE AND FAST GROWING Revenue growth 2015 vs. 2016 +32% +90% Growth in new software licenses 2015 vs. 2016 Revenue growth Q1 2016 vs. Q1 2017 +49%
- 7. CELUM IN NUMBERS 112 people in total 70+ software/tech people 4 DEV locations (hagenberg, linz, vienna, kosice) 30%+ female workforce overall
- 8. MAKE IT A PLACE YOU LOVE THE 10 CELUMANDMENTS FAMILYUNDERDOGNESSAWESOMENESS CURIOSITY PASSION SIMPLICITYFUNRESPONSIBILITY BEAUTIFULNESS PERSISTENCE
- 10. ACQUIRING, MANAGING AND RETAINING EMPLOYEES IN A TOPSIDED MARKET IS A CHALLENGE WHEN THE TABLE HAS TURNED
- 11. 11+ NUMBER OF LEADERSHIP MISTAKES I MADE IN THE LAST 30 DAYS
- 13. MY 10 TOOLS A PERSONAL SWISS ARMY KNIFE 100
- 14. A GOOD LAUGH WILL DEFROST THE MOST INTROVERT PEOPLE 1. HUMOUR IS MAGIC 78
- 15. THE BEST OPEN DOOR POLICY IS WHEN THERE IS NO DOOR 2. SIT CLOSE TO YOUR TEAM 95
- 16. EVEN SMARTASSES CAN BE INTROVERTS ASK PEOPLE WHAT THEY DO, WHAT BOTHERS THEM 3. BE THE FIRST TO TALK 36
- 17. STAND BY YOUR MISTAKES, ADMIT FAILURE 4. LOWER THE INVISIBLE BAR 67
- 18. BUILD INCENTIVES, DEFINE SUCCESS CLEARLY BEWARE OF PROCESS FIRST – RESULT LATER 5. MAKE EXCELLENCE A GOAL 42
- 19. DEVELOPERS ARE HIGHLY SELF AWARE SO ONLY CRITICIZE INDIVIDUALS IN PRIVATE 6. DON’T GRILL IN THE OPEN 80
- 20. MEASURE – ASSES – INVEST AND DEVELOP BUT: HAVE THE GUTS TO LET PEOPLE GO THAT YOU CAN’T EVOLVE AND WHO UNBALANCE YOUR TEAM 7. CLEAN YOUR TEAM 22
- 21. BLOW OFF SOME STEAM TOGETHER BE AUTHENTIC WITH THAT 8. NERD IT OUT 73
- 22. I recently visited a customer in Minneapolis, went to the Mall of America and I brought this back home! I had to leave clothes behind to fit it in my luggage. Naturally!
- 23. PEOPLE DESERVE THE TRUTH IT IS SHOWING RESPECT TO TELL THEM IF SOMETHING IS NOT WORKING OUT – BEWARE OF THE BLAME GAME 9. BE HONEST 75
- 24. IF CHANGE IS PERCEIVED AS A THREAT, MAKE IT SMOOTH 10. EMPATHY FOR ANGST 8
- 25. MOTIVATION AND TECH-EMPLOYEE RETENTION A SIMPLE METRIC
- 26. Retention value Effort IN WHAT (physical) ENVIRONMENT FOR WHAT (PERSONAL BENEFIT) FOR WHOM FOR WHAT (short term) RESULT WITH WHOM HOW WHAT
- 27. A BIT IN DETAIL ― It is easy (but costs money) to provide a nice work environment ― This has comparatively low value ― And others can compete easily ― It is more difficult to provide a technological ecosystem that talented people will like ― But others can compete here as well ― The holy grail (for larger teams) is to fully align people on the WHAT thing. ― Easiest for companies that build DEV tools ― Dangerou for startups if they lose the „What“ advantage
- 28. TO THE POINT THE HARD THINGS The hard thing isn’t setting a big, hairy, audacious goal. The hard thing is laying people off when you miss the big goal. The hard thing isn’t hiring great people. The hard thing is when those “great people” develop a sense of entitlement and start demanding unreasonable things. The hard thing isn’t setting up an organizational chart. The hard thing is getting people to communicate within the organization that you just designed. Ben Howowitz (of AndreesenHorowitz) “
- 29. “The hard thing about hard things“ Book by Ben Horowitz I RECOMMEND