On the lighter side of things , we ask the industry experts what makes them tick . . . .
. . . GET TO KNOW . . .
Jason VandeBoom , Founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign
wWhat would you describe as your most memorable achievement ?
Closing my first customer in 2003 was a superimpactful moment . Back then , I was a solopreneur , selling a piece of software via a free directory listing , with the aim of funding my living expenses at art school . I was amazed that someone was simply willing to pay me for what I created . More recently , the realization that ActiveCampaign has grown to such a size – we ’ re 850 employees globally and counting – that it ’ s no longer possible for me to know every detail of everything that goes on here is truly exciting .
What first made you think of a career in technology ?
I ’ ve always liked the idea of building things . As a kid , that meant building things out of wood . Then , as a teenager in the late nineties , I became fascinated by computers and , after pushing my parents into buying one , I spent a lot of time tinkering . For me , part of the attraction of technology is the fact that what you create can have an extraordinary impact on multiple people or businesses ; it ’ s unique in that .
What style of management philosophy do you employ with your current position ?
I want to keep growing and that means surrounding myself with smart people who have complementary skills and who ’ ll push me to do more and do better .
As ActiveCampaign has gone from a start-up to a sizeable company , I ’ ve strived to provide my leadership team with autonomy but , given the chance , I ’ m like water – I ’ ll get into all the little niches and nitty gritty . Staying close to the details – and our customers – is really important to me . Creating a buffer between yourself and the frontline can feel comfortable but
I want to keep growing and that means surrounding myself with smart people who have complementary skills .
www . intelligentcio . com INTELLIGENTCIO APAC 79