I don’t travel for work. I don’t like work travel and I find the loss of productivity stressful. Most importantly, there is little I can accomplish on the road that I can’t accomplish here in the office. Not to mention, the TSA’s incompetence deflates my patriotism.
So naturally, I pushed back when Viewpoint’s CEO, Jay Haladay, suggested that I attend his annual user conference. He said that I should come experience “the vibe” and momentum at Viewpoint. In the end, I relented because Jay is a good customer. While I was there, I had the time to record a twenty minute interview with Jay about his company, its strategy and his view on tech topics like software as a service.
Jay was right. There was a vibe - a good one. I was surprised by a few things:
- Hundreds of Viewpoint’s customers made the trip to invest further in their Viewpoint relationship, despite the very difficult construction economy;
- Viewpoint is at an exciting inflection point (inflecting upwards) as a result of a reinvigorated CEO and an influx of $10 million of venture capital; and,
- The company is operating from a World-class, LEED Gold facility built by Haladay on the banks of the Willamette River.
Why is “vibe” important? Because software buyers want to enter into a relationship with a vendor that is going places. Companies with momentum improve their products. Employees that like what they do and like going to work will typically serve customers better. Finally, energized leaders lead their organizations to higher level of achievement.
So, while I don’t want to become a road warrior and compete for frequent flier miles, I’m glad I made the trip. I came away enthusiastic about Viewpoint, and excited to visit more customers over the next year...if I can find the time.
