GET TO KNOW annuity business models and the margins available to lean operations that have achieved economies of scale . That said , the biggest investment seems to be going into several areas : Applying Machine Learning to optimise campaigns and adding more execution channels and inserting different advertising categories like Social to offerings on a broader scale .
What are some of the challenges associated with international growth and expansion ?
We are currently focusing on a channel strategy to infiltrate the UK market . Going into any new market holds similar challenges , such as : localising the offering in terms of value proposition and interface , pricing the product appropriately , finding product-market fit and building the brand to create a soft landing for sales , while competing with feet on the ground .
just thinking , conceptualising , philosophising and entertaining thought-experiments . I also have some personal ventures that allow me to diversify my thoughts .
If you could go back and change one career decision what would it be ?
As it stands , I wouldn ’ t change anything . This doesn ’ t mean I have no regrets , just that changing one thing may have entirely changed the outcome thus far . I ’ ve worked extremely hard to prepare myself to be lucky . I ’ ve also been fortunate to have had people who took an interest in my growth early on .
What do you currently identify as the major areas of investment in your industry ?
The multi-channel marketing hub space is extremely competitive , with hundreds of high-quality players around the world offering similar products that can be used anywhere in the world . We compete with international players , resold or directly selling into South Africa . There has already been significant consolidation and I think it will continue because of the
Within our industry – multi-channel marketing hubs with automation – there is a significant opportunity for optimisation to providers that have data sets that support such outcomes .
What changes to your job role have you seen in the last year and how do you see these developing in the next 12 months ?
We have been extraordinarily busy over the past year and I have been overseeing and supporting various initiatives ( beyond the day-to-day ) including having doubled the direct salesforce – twice created and staffed a new channel sales department and recruited about 30 people . We are also in the process of replatforming our infrastructure and we have recently added automated voice as a channel . The next 12 months will see me climbing out of operations a bit and ultimately , I will focus on three things : scaling direct sales , ensuring our platform remains globally competitive and penetrating the international market primarily via channel sales and alliances .
What advice would you offer somebody aspiring to obtain a C-level position in your industry ?
For someone looking to make an impact within the Software-as-a-Service ( SaaS ) B2B technology space , it ’ s very important to ensure that you have a firm understanding of all the business fundamentals in operation – as well as an understanding of how the ‘ gears ’ of an organisation really work . It isn ’ t good enough to only know the tech or only the commercial side . To be truly successful , you need to be able to provide support across the entire organisation . From a more general perspective , I believe you should always prepare to be lucky – and be poised and ready for opportunities as they arrive . A good strategy here is to attach yourself to someone above you who shares your values and also legitimately cares about your growth . p
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