130: All the Things You’re Searching For | Barry Darmody and Search4Less
Barry Darmody, founder and CEO of Search4Less and ENKI, shares his story on the life experiences that were the catalysts for him becoming a startup founder, getting the Search4Less product to market in the early days, keeping the faith through the lean years, making yourself expendable through building a great team, and connecting the dots of life through his passion for problem solving.
MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by PAT Fintech, the training partner that demystifies fintech and digital finance for financial services professionals.
Search4Less is a limitless company information platform that allows you to access any publicly available information about directors, shareholders and companies in seconds. ENKI is also part of the family, which is a focused product built around the Search4Less core that makes law searching easy and efficient for property transactions.
HIGHLIGHTS:
On the impact of playing a key role in acquiring businesses early in his career: “I learned a lot in the due diligence phases and in being part of the discussions in the negotiations. A lot of empathy is required to convince the vendor that their ‘child’ is going to be looked after and their reputation is going to remain intact post-deal.”
“These were important things when we were making these acquisitions because a lot of these businesses are personal to the owners. The owners struggled with the thoughts of getting out, but they just knew the timing was right.
On leading a business that had been acquired by a multinational (MDA): “It was a massive experience for me because I learned how multinationals work and I learned how to navigate the bureaucracy and the decision-making.”
On waking up to what he really wanted to do: “I moved into crisis management, rationalizing businesses, managing shareholder relations. All of that helped the business, but it was all complicated, and it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. I wanted to build products and make processes better, use my skillset to make life easier for people and to be more efficient in delivering the end product.”
On launching a corporate-joint-venture-funded startup: “We did Insure4Less from startup. It was a great experience, especially with the amount of open-source technology we brought to the business. As you know, failure is an orphan and success has many fathers. When the business started to get a little bit of success, we got a bit of interest from my corporate peers who wanted to ‘help’ with the future direction of the business. And I just thought, ‘I've been around the block now and I've done this a few times and maybe it's time I did it for myself.’”
On early customer feedback after launching Search4Less: “When people started to use it, they were saying ‘wow, this is impressive’. And the prompt just kicked off from there - half of the clients that we sign up are referred by somebody else. We're even seeing trends now where people move between firms or start new firms. And the first thing they do is ‘What do you mean you don't have Search4Less? We need to have it, this is an essential tool’, and it just grows from there.”
On the lean years: “Those were difficult times. I always checked myself at those times to say to myself ‘you're going to just remember this when you're successful, you must remember this’. Human nature is to forget pain - they were difficult times, but we got through them. It certainly didn't happen as quickly as I thought - I thought that in a year, I'd have 5,000 SMEs signed up to Search4Less and that I'd be kicking back, watching my kids grow up, standing there on the sidelines and shouting and roaring for them.”
On making it through and turning the corner with a successful business: “The big thing that has changed is that I've built a pretty strong team and it's not just me. I’ve found that I've become surplus to requirements in most days in the office.”
On the qualities of a strong team “I'd like to think that everybody who works within our organization would say that we're an honest organization. We're candid, we're transparent. We put our hands up when we get it wrong, and we lead by example. But most important, we back each other and I wouldn't be anywhere today without that team.”
On staying agile: “If you get too big, you can't react quickly, and I think that's our secret sauce. A customer might make a suggestion to us in the morning, and it could be there by close of business tomorrow. I like being able to do that, and that's what gets my juices flowing.”
Episode title inspired by All the Things You’re Searching for by G-Eazy
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Hey there, I'm Pete Townsend,
and this is money, never sleeps.
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We look inside the minds of
entrepreneurs and at the
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crossover of startups and a
prize Finance technology and
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Life, as We Know It, This
episode of money.
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Never sleeps is sponsored by Pat
fintech the training partner.
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The demystifies fintech and
digital Finance for financial
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services professionals on the
show.
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This week, we've got buried
Darmody, hi, I'm Barry Darmody.
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And I'm CEO search for lesson
and key sharing.
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His story on the life
experiences that were the
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Catalyst for him, becoming a
start-up founder getting the
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search for Less product to
Market.
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In the early days, Keeping the
Faith through the lean years.
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Making yourself Expendable
through building a great team
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and connecting the dots of life
through his passion for problem
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solving.
All right here on money, never
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sleeps.
In the run-up to you, founding
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your first startup tell me about
what were some of the formative
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experiences from your time, with
ifg, to Rotary, Brady to MDA and
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then back to ifg that were the
Catalyst for UConn is saying,
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alright, I'm just going to do
this sure.
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So I've been lucky enough in my
career that most of the business
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I've been involved in.
I was involved in earnest.
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H.
So when I joined I have G in.
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96, I joined a company called
lowland guy, was the third
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employee was a very Innovative
product tried to do a lot of
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what I do today, just as a way
ahead of its time, it was 1996
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and we were trying to sell none
and I'm information platform and
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the challenges we encountered
were solicitors didn't have
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internet.
So we had to provide the
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internet, we had to provide the
connection, the modem, the
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computer, and a lot of cases.
So just it was just way ahead of
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its time, it was a great
product.
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Act was a great idea and it was
a very strong leadership there,
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but Jesus mentioned services
company and this was third.com
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play.
So in 2001, 2002 when the.com
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bust happened, they kind of lost
interest in driving that
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business and a lot of leadership
actually left.
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And I was left there with an
option of maybe going back into
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mainstream employment or giving
a go for six months.
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And I didn't like the idea of
going back into mainstream and
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So I meant mainly because I was
probably being paid more than I
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was worth and mainstream
employment where I was.
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So I decided to give it a go for
six months, we rationalize the
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business.
We actually discontinued the
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side of the business that I was
working in, which was the
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consultancy side, which funny
enough is the cash card for the
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business and I focused on the
information products.
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And at the time there was good,
few law search firms in Dublin.
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And we spoke to Roger Brady who
were just after been taken over
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by an entrepreneurial culture,
So if Grant and he was looking
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at, developing out that the
Roger, Brady propositions.
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So he and I met he bought the
business are 75% stake in the
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business from ifg and part of
the deal was I went with it.
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So we joined Roger Brady and
that was a very clerical
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organization.
So there was a lot of paperwork
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going on there.
There was a 60 or 70 staff,
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delivering clothes and searches
campaign, searched every day.
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And then we had this technology
business.
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So my goals there were to kind
of bring the technology To the
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workflow within the Roger.
Brady day-to-day operations,
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which we did.
But on top of that, we acquired
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a few little searches around of
them that were sort of
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family-owned, but they were, you
know, coming to end the life in
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terms of the family ownership.
So we acquired a few of those.
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We integrated them and we grew
market share through that.
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And then in 2006, we both to
businesses in Northern Ireland
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from both sides of the divide,
and we Amalgamated them, which
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is probably the most rewarding.
His of my career kind of
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overseeing that the joining of
those two businesses and
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overcoming quite a few
challenges.
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Not just hate your related, but
it was a very, very rewarding
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experience and we modernized
those two businesses that became
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rolling UK.
It's still in existence today.
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Can I can I say that I remember
this?
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Sure.
Yeah.
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You know, I do remember this.
I remember you telling me about
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the experience of bringing
together businesses from both
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sides of that divided in
Northern Ireland.
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Yeah it was it was it was it was
a Thing the very first day, I
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went up there, I was petrified
of must admit about the, the
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reaction I would get.
This is the first time we
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brought the two businesses from
their independent offices and
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put them into one office.
Mmm.
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And I remember going up into
train thinking, like, what I'm
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going to do, I'm going to
experience here and I arrived
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and got into the office and I
just ran for the management
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office.
I just sat at my desk.
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When what are we going to do?
How am I going to engage these
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people?
And there was a deadly silence
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in the place.
And I thought it was because of
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Me but is actually they were the
conditions, they worked under
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and I kind of went out and these
are all young, early 20s workers
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and young people.
And I can you guys have a radio
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here and then response was oh
you know, we don't really rather
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you values radio bright and I
ran around to our guests that 11
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pounds on a radio brought up.
Why tuned in tuned in today
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event because it was the only
Channel.
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I knew I could get or how to get
and I said, look, the rule is
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whoever's in first chooses the
station and that's been a rule
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that we Had in all of the
businesses I've grown since.
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So there's no railing about the
radio station everyday whoever's
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in first chooses, that's it.
So I spent three weeks
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modernizing that business and as
I say we could team building
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exercises and and we did a lot
of trying to break down the
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barriers and, you know, by and
large by the end of the three
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weeks, we've gone from a very,
very paper-based system to and
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fully automated hired, a manager
up there to kind of help us role
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in the business and I believe
she still there.
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Awesome.
That was 2008.
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So he got a job out of that the
end through the years at one
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point.
I remember you saying something
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about the number of businesses
that you had integrated or that
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had been acquired during those
first seven eight years of this
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Century, buying businesses but
driving that experience into how
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you think about your own startup
that must have been quite
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helpful.
I certainly learned a lot to the
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due diligence phase at that
time.
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Certainly buying the businesses
and negotiating as party to all
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of those discussions.
The empathy that's required to
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convince the vendor that, you
know, their child is going to be
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looked after and their
reputations is going to be
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remain intact.
And they were important things
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when we were making this
Acquisitions, because a lot of
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these businesses were personal
to the owners, particularly in
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Northern Ireland to owners, you
know, they struggled with the
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thoughts of getting out and they
just knew The timing was right,
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there was a lot of consolidation
happening in the UK at the time
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there was home information pack
was initiative that the cook
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Tory government had been pushing
in terms of the vendor being
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responsible for the information
and a conveyance, and the parts
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you being able to rely on that.
So I got a huge amount of
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experience to time being
involved in that initiative and
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understanding it.
And and that came about because
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in 2006 we entered into
negotiations with mdaa which is
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a multinational firm.
Based out of Vancouver, who were
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buying up property information
companies all over Europe and
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they had floated on the stock
exchange in the back of their
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space missions business, which
was they built, the Canada arm,
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which is the arm that comes out
of the old space shuttle and
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they moved into building
satellites.
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And then they saw a correlation
between selling satellite images
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and owning the land information
them.
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And they had a big business in
the US where they were able to
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do lots of Justman by
calculations on the backup
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location.
So if building was destroyed in
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a tornado, they could work out
based on localized information.
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What the cost of of rebuild was
and there are very big in that
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space with a company called Data
quick.
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They bought a few businesses in
the UK and in Germany.
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And one of them is they bought
in the UK was a company called
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Miller, but Bryce, which is the
biggest law search company.
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In Scotland and men are Bryce.
Had a reputation of the time for
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kind of mean regardless the
kleenex of Blah searching.
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So you know, if you didn't say
going at the goes and search,
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you said go and get the medical
research.
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So they were very strategic in
the Acquisitions.
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They were making, then they came
along and they targeted.
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Roger Brady, we did a deal.
I became CEO virtue.
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Brady and I reported in 2nd a
initio is they were going to get
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us a report into you know, Bryce
but the chain strategy primarily
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because our technology was more
advanced and I felt to be
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counterproductive for us too.
It's kind of report in.
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They might lose that secret
sauce that they already have in
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the, are required through us,
because we were probably the
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largest law search firm at the
time.
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And we had kind of, grown our
market share but to fold, but we
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had reduced our overheads,
through automation by a factor
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of four.
So it was a good business model
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and truly true acquisition.
That we grew rapidly and I was,
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I entered into that earn out, it
was to urinate and at the end of
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their nose, I had a choice.
My family was quite young and
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I'd worked really hard during
their I've been in Vancouver for
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a week once every six weeks and
you know, there was a couple of
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Milestones that I missed.
I remember when we were working
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on the deal, you know, the
morning of my, my second son's
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christening I was, I was working
and I, you know, so that wasn't
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that wasn't a great work-life
balance.
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So I worked with the hearts of
the two years and towards the
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end, mdaa were kind of
indicating that the progression
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for me was UK and ultimately
Vancouver.
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You know, this was a huge
organization, billion-dollar
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00:09:53,100 --> 00:09:54,100
turnover?
Oh, yeah.
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Yeah, and it was a massive
experience for me because I
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learned how multinationals work
and I learned how to navigate
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the bureaucracy and I learned
how to navigate, you know,
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decision-making.
I mean, we had it read a
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situation where we were trying
to rent a room in Belfast.
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I think it was like twenty
thousand pounds a year, right?
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And there was nine levels of
signing Authority for that
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lease.
Wow.
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And the and he said agent
Belfast, looking to hang on,
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what's this?
All about bar?
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You know, why do we have this
complication?
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And like a but I don't know, I
don't know why.
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Why?
20,000 that are the procurement
197
00:10:26,300 --> 00:10:27,900
vehicles of mncs.
Yeah.
198
00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:31,100
Yeah.
So all of that stuff, like I
199
00:10:31,100 --> 00:10:35,300
just sucked up and I really kind
of enjoyed learning how those
200
00:10:35,300 --> 00:10:39,500
organizations work and put the
reality was the travel didn't
201
00:10:39,500 --> 00:10:42,900
appeal, you know, International
Travelers is great crack in the
202
00:10:42,900 --> 00:10:45,600
first four times.
No, remember that period as
203
00:10:45,600 --> 00:10:47,400
well.
That you were going to and on
204
00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:49,300
the airplane all the time.
Yeah.
205
00:10:49,500 --> 00:10:51,500
And you know, you're trying to
collect your air miles and then
206
00:10:51,500 --> 00:10:54,100
you're, you know, it's weird
stuff its way.
207
00:10:54,200 --> 00:10:56,700
It's tough how it works and how
people get obsessed with her
208
00:10:56,700 --> 00:10:59,900
miles and what flights.
But what aircraft are on will I
209
00:10:59,900 --> 00:11:02,400
get bumped up to business class
and it's just, it was just
210
00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,800
horrendous stuff that didn't
really fill up my boat in the
211
00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:08,800
end and I got an opportunity to
go back to I've G.
212
00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:11,600
But they were one of our biggest
clients in in Rochester.
213
00:11:11,600 --> 00:11:13,200
Brady.
So I had maintained
214
00:11:13,200 --> 00:11:16,400
relationships there but the
timing of that moves with
215
00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,000
Shopkin.
I remember one of the first
216
00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:21,100
things it did we actually had a
very good deal with the number
217
00:11:21,100 --> 00:11:24,100
of lenders around town where
they were they were Packaging.
218
00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:27,200
Services.
And I remember, I went into one
219
00:11:27,200 --> 00:11:30,200
of the Landers is going to say,
you know, we need to renegotiate
220
00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:33,200
the price here because we're
kind of below-cost selling and I
221
00:11:33,208 --> 00:11:35,700
think I know any what we're
giving you volume and I said
222
00:11:35,700 --> 00:11:37,700
yeah.
But, you know, I think everybody
223
00:11:37,700 --> 00:11:40,500
should be paying what it costs
at the very minimum, you know.
224
00:11:40,500 --> 00:11:44,200
So they didn't react very well
to that negotiation tactic.
225
00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:47,200
But six weeks later the whole
Market, the whole Market
226
00:11:47,300 --> 00:11:49,800
collapsed know.
I remember back at that time.
227
00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:55,200
You told us, you said Pete, if
there's Any time in history in
228
00:11:55,200 --> 00:11:58,400
Ireland that you don't want to
buy a house, it is right now,
229
00:11:59,500 --> 00:12:02,100
and what did I do?
You gonna go out?
230
00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:07,200
Yeah, the time I couldn't
understand that, you know, and
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00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,600
we did the numbers didn't add up
and on the market collapsed and
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00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:16,200
I went in to kind of modernize,
few of the I have G mortgage
233
00:12:16,200 --> 00:12:20,300
related businesses to going into
crisis management to going into
234
00:12:20,300 --> 00:12:23,200
rationalizing, a business to
going into managing shareholder
235
00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,700
relations.
She were 50% shareholder in
236
00:12:26,700 --> 00:12:29,200
business and you know all of
that stuff.
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00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:32,800
No, my experience locally at the
time, helped a great deal.
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00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,900
But all of that stuff was
complicated.
239
00:12:34,900 --> 00:12:36,600
It wasn't what I wanted to do
with life.
240
00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,700
I wanted to go out and build
products and make processes
241
00:12:39,700 --> 00:12:43,100
better, you know, to use my
skill set to make life easier
242
00:12:43,100 --> 00:12:45,700
for people to be more efficient
in delivering them product.
243
00:12:45,700 --> 00:12:49,500
But that was two or three years
of had, a really was difficult,
244
00:12:49,500 --> 00:12:51,400
you know?
And it was, it was hard.
245
00:12:51,500 --> 00:12:54,000
One of the first things I did
when I joined, I have G.
246
00:12:54,100 --> 00:12:55,300
ABS.
I met every single member of
247
00:12:55,300 --> 00:12:57,200
Staff reporting.
A ninja my division.
248
00:12:57,200 --> 00:12:58,800
One on one and there was no
agenda.
249
00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:01,600
It was just a Tegrity, think it
is business and it took three
250
00:13:01,600 --> 00:13:04,500
weeks, it was a very, very
informative process at the time,
251
00:13:04,500 --> 00:13:06,200
it was a good process.
They haven't seen anything like
252
00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:08,800
that and just get a sense of
well, what's working, what's not
253
00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,100
working in the business?
And then, you know, three or
254
00:13:11,100 --> 00:13:13,900
four months later, I'm setting
up a time saying, hey, we've got
255
00:13:13,900 --> 00:13:17,200
to move some jobs here, it was
difficult, you know that that's
256
00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,100
never an easy thing to do and it
wasn't something that may I
257
00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:22,700
suggest she's a you know, you
always, you always remember
258
00:13:22,700 --> 00:13:26,000
these things that are hard
things to do. one of the things
259
00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:30,900
in order to try and make the
best of a bad situation was we
260
00:13:30,900 --> 00:13:34,800
decided to set up in sure if
less and at the time we set it
261
00:13:34,800 --> 00:13:38,200
up in Dingle and the reason we
chose dingo was there was called
262
00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:41,500
Center facilities there who
their Arsenal, Guild had a
263
00:13:41,500 --> 00:13:45,100
initiatives where you you too
broad industry to the area, you
264
00:13:45,100 --> 00:13:49,200
could evade of Grants, they had
lost a big contractor that year,
265
00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:53,100
who we should devastated the
region along the west coast and,
266
00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:56,600
you know, I'm From Carrie and I
wants to get and give a little
267
00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,900
bit back so we chose that as
location.
268
00:13:58,900 --> 00:14:03,100
The facilities were perfect.
We had an air-conditioned server
269
00:14:03,100 --> 00:14:05,900
room which is probably the only
recognition ceremony Roman the
270
00:14:05,908 --> 00:14:09,400
Dingle Peninsula and which we
subsequently sublet.
271
00:14:09,500 --> 00:14:13,000
But we let Rackspace to kind of
cover our costs and the
272
00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:15,000
facilities were good, the staff
for good.
273
00:14:15,100 --> 00:14:19,100
We also sold Insurance products
are scale guy, which I was
274
00:14:19,100 --> 00:14:22,400
personally very proud of and and
that is something fascinating to
275
00:14:22,500 --> 00:14:26,800
experience when you walk on.
The the sales floor getting very
276
00:14:26,800 --> 00:14:27,500
sleepy.
Yes.
277
00:14:27,500 --> 00:14:28,700
Oh.
So one of the initiatives that
278
00:14:28,700 --> 00:14:31,800
the uterus grants is that you
would know, revive the language
279
00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:34,400
and the language of play an
important role in your business
280
00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,500
model that we were capable of
selling Insurance products via
281
00:14:37,500 --> 00:14:41,300
Oscar Vega in those great just
so everyone knows as well.
282
00:14:41,300 --> 00:14:44,300
Go for those listening in the
u.s. is the Irish language or
283
00:14:44,300 --> 00:14:47,400
Gaelic, as it may be referred to
in the United States of America.
284
00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:51,600
Correct?
Yes Gaelic and we you know they
285
00:14:52,000 --> 00:14:55,300
did that from Stars up.
It was a Great experience again.
286
00:14:55,300 --> 00:14:58,900
And one of the things that I
learned through that experience,
287
00:14:58,900 --> 00:15:01,600
was that, you know, we brought a
lot of Technology, open source
288
00:15:01,600 --> 00:15:04,900
technology to the equation.
And as, you know, failure is an
289
00:15:04,900 --> 00:15:07,000
orphan and success has many
fathers.
290
00:15:07,000 --> 00:15:10,000
And when the business started to
kind of develop a little bit of
291
00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:13,500
success, he got a bit of
interest from peers who kind of
292
00:15:13,500 --> 00:15:16,500
wanted to help with maybe the
future direction of the business
293
00:15:16,500 --> 00:15:17,600
and that was something that I
felt.
294
00:15:17,600 --> 00:15:19,400
You know, what I've done?
I've been I've been around the
295
00:15:19,408 --> 00:15:23,600
block now, I've done this a few
times and maybe it's time.
296
00:15:23,600 --> 00:15:26,500
I did it for South.
And that was the Catalyst.
297
00:15:26,500 --> 00:15:30,500
You know, I really enjoyed my
time in Dingle but I felt that,
298
00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,700
you know, particular the hell
came along, I felt that I was
299
00:15:33,700 --> 00:15:37,100
better off if I if I did the
next thing on my own and for
300
00:15:37,100 --> 00:15:40,500
myself and for my family.
So I made the decision, I'd
301
00:15:40,500 --> 00:15:44,700
always resisted the urge to set
up something on my own primarily
302
00:15:44,700 --> 00:15:48,500
because it's was, I felt had a
duty to provide a home.
303
00:15:48,700 --> 00:15:51,500
And the conditions were never
really write this particular
304
00:15:51,500 --> 00:15:53,400
year.
I had an idea one of the
305
00:15:53,400 --> 00:15:58,400
businesses we We sold to Errata
Brady back in. 2002 was a
306
00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:00,500
business called company
information direct and it's
307
00:16:00,500 --> 00:16:04,200
still going and it was the first
version of search for us.
308
00:16:04,200 --> 00:16:07,600
Say bye-bye, I developed that
system at a couple of other guys
309
00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:10,400
from startup.
It does a lot of what search for
310
00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,500
us does and I would say, now it
kind of search plus we've
311
00:16:14,500 --> 00:16:16,500
learned from all the mistakes
that we made in that particular
312
00:16:16,500 --> 00:16:18,700
product and and we and we got it
away.
313
00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:22,300
But the real Catalyst was I use
that information that company
314
00:16:22,300 --> 00:16:24,800
information on a regular.
Business.
315
00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:29,000
And I use it in ways that it
probably doesn't get used.
316
00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:30,900
So for example, I would use it
for networking.
317
00:16:30,900 --> 00:16:33,800
I would, I would learn more from
pulling down a set of accounts
318
00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:37,300
or looking at a director's past
history, then you would get on
319
00:16:37,300 --> 00:16:40,800
LinkedIn or you find out.
I don't know if it's not about
320
00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:43,100
people when you use the service.
And that's what I used to use
321
00:16:43,100 --> 00:16:47,900
company data for and one of the
things that that was consistent
322
00:16:47,900 --> 00:16:51,000
in 2011, which was the year I
decided to ride going to do is
323
00:16:51,100 --> 00:16:54,800
set, was that every Monday
morning when my Count in my
324
00:16:54,800 --> 00:16:58,200
provider.
Got down to below 10, 10, euro.
325
00:16:58,300 --> 00:17:00,200
I'll get a phone call.
So I get a phone call.
326
00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:01,700
Hey you need to top up your
account ship.
327
00:17:01,700 --> 00:17:03,500
Look awesome.
You know what I only talked
328
00:17:03,500 --> 00:17:06,599
about six weeks ago you know
this is your this is ridiculous.
329
00:17:06,599 --> 00:17:09,300
I certainly think you know
nothing has really changed in
330
00:17:09,300 --> 00:17:12,300
this industry since I left I
didn't feel I had any obligation
331
00:17:12,300 --> 00:17:15,000
to MD at this stage on any
non-competes or anything.
332
00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,300
So I kind of went, you know,
what?
333
00:17:17,300 --> 00:17:21,599
CID is still the same the main
competitor everybody talks about
334
00:17:21,599 --> 00:17:24,900
knows about is still the same.
There's lots of He's here to
335
00:17:24,900 --> 00:17:28,400
actually do it better.
I'm the one thing that struck me
336
00:17:28,408 --> 00:17:32,400
at the time was that when we
sold CID to Archer Brady, and we
337
00:17:32,400 --> 00:17:37,500
sold it again 2nd, a four years
apart during due diligence, I
338
00:17:37,500 --> 00:17:40,400
realized the average income per
customer was the same.
339
00:17:40,500 --> 00:17:42,700
And that's where I came up with
my price point on.
340
00:17:42,700 --> 00:17:46,900
I went, we can do this, we can
do it better, we can do an
341
00:17:46,900 --> 00:17:50,200
all-in model and you're not
worried about having to type up
342
00:17:50,200 --> 00:17:52,500
your account, or you're not
going to get that phone call
343
00:17:52,500 --> 00:17:54,700
anymore.
And that's how Ow, search for
344
00:17:54,700 --> 00:17:57,100
Less was born and then we
started to think about how can
345
00:17:57,100 --> 00:17:59,900
we make it better?
Tapping in the industry and we
346
00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:04,300
found out things like the cro
had apis, that nobody was really
347
00:18:04,300 --> 00:18:06,700
availing of.
We started to connect to those
348
00:18:06,700 --> 00:18:09,200
apis, which meant we were
getting information in real
349
00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:11,300
time.
And we built this product.
350
00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,400
I designed it.
I hired a guy to help me develop
351
00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,800
this and I subsequently brought
him out of the business.
352
00:18:18,800 --> 00:18:22,700
He did it with a private Equity
part salary basis, it
353
00:18:22,700 --> 00:18:25,600
originally.
The search for Less was born.
354
00:18:25,700 --> 00:18:28,600
So tell us, tell us about search
for less and what it is.
355
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:31,900
So search for Less is an online
company.
356
00:18:31,900 --> 00:18:36,000
Information platform that allows
users to access any publicly
357
00:18:36,000 --> 00:18:40,000
available information about
directors, shoulders, and
358
00:18:40,000 --> 00:18:43,100
companies and businesses.
So adding it's publicly
359
00:18:43,100 --> 00:18:44,900
available.
Good bad or indifferent.
360
00:18:44,900 --> 00:18:47,900
Appears on the platform.
We are gate the data.
361
00:18:48,300 --> 00:18:50,800
We package it in such a way that
it's easy to navigate.
362
00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:53,900
We produce reports and we do it
for a fixed.
363
00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:56,900
Annual, see the speed of the
services was the key thing and
364
00:18:56,900 --> 00:19:01,200
initially when I designed it and
we were figuring out, what how
365
00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,000
are we going to present this?
How we going to make it easy to
366
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:05,700
understand, easy to use?
We have no idea that, you know,
367
00:19:05,700 --> 00:19:08,800
what the market is.
Well, served by the incumbents,
368
00:19:08,900 --> 00:19:12,700
there's really no point in
trying to disrupt and my idea
369
00:19:12,700 --> 00:19:16,900
was look, we go out with, will
pitch it out. 150 Euro, will try
370
00:19:16,900 --> 00:19:21,800
and mop up 5,000 smes and we
live happily ever after.
371
00:19:21,900 --> 00:19:23,900
And the idea was that we look
big businesses.
372
00:19:24,100 --> 00:19:26,800
In this chapter service
providers using this business
373
00:19:26,800 --> 00:19:29,300
service funds using this
information, why can't I see
374
00:19:29,300 --> 00:19:31,900
means use it and that was that
was the idea that was the
375
00:19:32,100 --> 00:19:35,500
initial plan and what happened
was I showed it to an accountant
376
00:19:35,500 --> 00:19:37,300
in town called.
Brian Mercy.
377
00:19:37,400 --> 00:19:40,200
I was, I was, I was hiding out
in his, a shock.
378
00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,200
I hope he doesn't mind me name
dropping him.
379
00:19:42,300 --> 00:19:44,700
Yeah.
And he came up and he said, hey,
380
00:19:45,100 --> 00:19:47,400
what are you doing here?
And she's I said, I'm developing
381
00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,400
this product.
He had a look and he said, can I
382
00:19:49,408 --> 00:19:52,100
have access?
And I said sure two hours later.
383
00:19:52,100 --> 00:19:55,600
He came up to my the office.
Again, and he said, what?
384
00:19:55,600 --> 00:19:56,800
I'm going to say, two things to
you.
385
00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:59,400
First thing he said is, you have
really got something here.
386
00:19:59,500 --> 00:20:02,100
This is very, very good.
And the second I'm gonna say to
387
00:20:02,100 --> 00:20:05,100
you is it's too cheap, okay?
And we're out about that for a
388
00:20:05,108 --> 00:20:08,800
while and he felt that she got a
wood 95 So eventually I can see
389
00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:10,300
the point.
Now, of course I was being
390
00:20:10,300 --> 00:20:12,600
precious and say, oh, I really
thought about this hundred fifty
391
00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:14,200
or priced.
How did you come up with the one
392
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,600
you see?
Originally when we did the due
393
00:20:16,600 --> 00:20:21,100
diligence that was the average
income per customer on CID.
394
00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,900
So I just thought, you know,
that that has to be the number
395
00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,900
If we go out with this, so from
there, it was introduced to a
396
00:20:28,908 --> 00:20:32,900
networking group and you know
those eleven different
397
00:20:32,900 --> 00:20:35,800
accountancy firms that that
networking group, all 11 signed
398
00:20:35,800 --> 00:20:38,300
up with us pretty quickly.
After that and ground,
399
00:20:38,300 --> 00:20:41,900
Torrington became the first sort
of top-tier accountancy firm
400
00:20:41,900 --> 00:20:45,200
that signed up and they
presented us with our first kind
401
00:20:45,200 --> 00:20:47,100
of real dilemma in the first
three weeks.
402
00:20:47,100 --> 00:20:49,800
Which was, you know, we're going
to go with this but we need you
403
00:20:49,808 --> 00:20:53,500
to sign up 500 users and we kind
of, how are we going to sign up
404
00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:56,600
for every Users.
Just you just me and a developer
405
00:20:56,600 --> 00:20:57,900
here.
We're actually at the web
406
00:20:57,900 --> 00:21:01,000
Summit.
Okay, so we need to figure out
407
00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:04,800
how we're going to click smart.
So we came up with the universal
408
00:21:04,800 --> 00:21:09,300
sign up that staredown we invite
Everybody by email we get a link
409
00:21:09,300 --> 00:21:11,400
and that's it.
We don't have any admit, that's
410
00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:14,000
how we did it.
So we push the problem back to
411
00:21:14,000 --> 00:21:16,700
the user and that is how
everybody signs up.
412
00:21:16,700 --> 00:21:20,300
I'm just went on from there,
kind of truce ass, right?
413
00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:21,200
Sure.
Yeah.
414
00:21:21,500 --> 00:21:23,800
Is that you're up there?
You're online.
415
00:21:24,100 --> 00:21:27,800
You, well, obviously there's a
whole way to direct potential
416
00:21:27,800 --> 00:21:31,900
users potential corporates to
your website, but then once
417
00:21:31,900 --> 00:21:35,300
they're on it's completely
self-service 100%.
418
00:21:35,500 --> 00:21:39,500
And The key thing for us at this
point was, you know, we didn't
419
00:21:39,500 --> 00:21:42,900
really understand that and we
were just making it up as we
420
00:21:42,900 --> 00:21:45,800
went along.
But what I understood was that
421
00:21:45,800 --> 00:21:48,100
if we listen to our customers,
we're going to be successful
422
00:21:48,100 --> 00:21:53,500
here and we didn't anticipate
the reaction that we got from
423
00:21:53,700 --> 00:21:56,700
the I see Grant Thornton or
Brian Murphy and Summer's
424
00:21:56,700 --> 00:22:00,300
murkier and that kind of caught
us by surprise, we kind of
425
00:22:00,400 --> 00:22:04,600
reacted to that very very
quickly and change the business
426
00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:06,300
model.
Little bit added in extra
427
00:22:06,300 --> 00:22:10,400
reports that they had requested
to be prime torrent and we
428
00:22:10,400 --> 00:22:13,300
evolved kind of with them with
the but they became great
429
00:22:13,300 --> 00:22:15,500
refers.
Like this became the new kid on
430
00:22:15,500 --> 00:22:17,500
the Block and everybody could
see the value.
431
00:22:17,500 --> 00:22:21,100
Add and you know when when
people started to use it they
432
00:22:21,100 --> 00:22:23,800
could see wow this is this is
impressive.
433
00:22:24,100 --> 00:22:26,900
And the top just kicked off from
there.
434
00:22:26,900 --> 00:22:29,600
I'm like I would reckon about
half of the clients that we sign
435
00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:31,500
up for referred by somebody
else.
436
00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:34,700
And we're even seeing Trends now
where people have moved between
437
00:22:34,700 --> 00:22:37,400
Farms or move to New farms and
the first thing to do is but
438
00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:38,500
what I mean you don't have
search.
439
00:22:38,500 --> 00:22:41,900
Plus we need to have this.
This is an essential to.
440
00:22:42,100 --> 00:22:46,400
I just grows from there and like
we 19, top top, 20 accounts
441
00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:48,300
firms.
Now we've got, I think five of
442
00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:51,600
the top seven and all firms with
most of the banks at this stage,
443
00:22:51,600 --> 00:22:55,300
we started to move this year
into in Into we've met API
444
00:22:55,400 --> 00:22:58,300
proposition there as well and
that's becoming fairly busy for
445
00:22:58,300 --> 00:23:00,700
us now.
We've couple of firms coming in
446
00:23:00,900 --> 00:23:03,400
from the UK.
Following brexit, couple herbs
447
00:23:03,500 --> 00:23:05,400
Canadian firms.
Now taking a look at us as well
448
00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:08,600
in terms of the apis and had
access today time.
449
00:23:08,600 --> 00:23:12,800
We're very involved in some of
the bigger reg tech companies
450
00:23:12,900 --> 00:23:16,200
and am L companies as well as a
kind of using our data.
451
00:23:16,500 --> 00:23:20,800
So we've evolved you really have
no I mean and you know just
452
00:23:21,200 --> 00:23:23,700
bring it back to that company
information data.
453
00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:28,100
Back to, you know, 2002, like
you said, that problems always
454
00:23:28,100 --> 00:23:32,800
been there that whether it's
law, firms, accountants, Banks,
455
00:23:32,800 --> 00:23:36,000
anybody that needs information
on the companies that they are
456
00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:40,100
bringing in as their customers
or those that are, I won't even
457
00:23:40,100 --> 00:23:42,700
try to understand the legal side
of it right for how much
458
00:23:42,700 --> 00:23:46,100
information you actually need to
get but you know that problems
459
00:23:46,100 --> 00:23:48,300
always been there.
But the technology at your
460
00:23:48,300 --> 00:23:51,200
disposal to use just keeps
getting better and better
461
00:23:51,200 --> 00:23:53,600
through the years to make things
easier.
462
00:23:53,900 --> 00:23:57,500
For customers for corporates,
for businesses to get company
463
00:23:57,500 --> 00:24:00,600
information.
Yeah, absolutely and fire.com or
464
00:24:00,600 --> 00:24:04,200
one company that abused us since
they started their own
465
00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:06,900
proposition.
And, you know, they've been very
466
00:24:06,900 --> 00:24:10,800
in a bit of, they use our data
for account signup.
467
00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:14,100
They use Irish and UK data.
In fact for can sign up, we
468
00:24:14,100 --> 00:24:17,100
haven't seen that replicate
across other Irish Banks.
469
00:24:17,100 --> 00:24:19,500
We're seeing it with the likes
revolution in 26.
470
00:24:19,500 --> 00:24:24,400
Now, they're fairly slick
onboarding systems, but I know
471
00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:27,400
you've had this experience but
when it goes wrong, oh my God,
472
00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:28,600
does it go wrong?
He does.
473
00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:32,700
So enough said about that one,
but we're seeing that a lot of
474
00:24:32,700 --> 00:24:37,100
say, I know is coming at us.
Requesting this data, people are
475
00:24:37,100 --> 00:24:40,500
doing my sector analysis, we're
doing a lot of theta on that
476
00:24:40,500 --> 00:24:44,600
side and because we've enhanced
the zero data, with other bits
477
00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:47,800
of information, like, judgments,
and financial information, we're
478
00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:49,900
providing, and we've been doing
56 years.
479
00:24:49,900 --> 00:24:52,000
Providing a really strong data
set.
480
00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:55,900
We just started a version two.
To build about four weeks ago,
481
00:24:55,900 --> 00:24:57,900
where, you know, in the back of
the zero, digital
482
00:24:57,900 --> 00:25:01,100
transformation, which is
ongoing, we're seeing a lot of
483
00:25:01,100 --> 00:25:04,600
opportunity here to take it to
the next level and to develop
484
00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:06,500
further.
And this again comes back to the
485
00:25:06,500 --> 00:25:10,100
key of our growth and our
success which is listen to our
486
00:25:10,100 --> 00:25:11,800
clients.
And what I think, one of the
487
00:25:11,808 --> 00:25:14,100
most rewarding things and we get
this feedback from clients
488
00:25:14,100 --> 00:25:16,900
Primetime is actually when they
make suggestion, we react to it,
489
00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,700
we weigh it up and if it's a
good suggestion will deploy it
490
00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,100
and we get a lot of positive
feedback because of that.
491
00:25:23,300 --> 00:25:27,500
And And we find that that
particular product search for
492
00:25:27,500 --> 00:25:29,700
that is, you know, it looks
after itself.
493
00:25:29,700 --> 00:25:32,700
It is truly software as a
service and we started.
494
00:25:32,700 --> 00:25:36,400
Now just now to go back to the
smes to say, look, this is data,
495
00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:39,100
you need to be using in your day
to day and, you know, we have a
496
00:25:39,100 --> 00:25:42,800
whole story around.
Ys me should be using this in in
497
00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:46,300
all of their interactions with
customers with creditors with
498
00:25:46,300 --> 00:25:48,500
competitors buried, try to focus
on.
499
00:25:48,500 --> 00:25:51,400
How do we make it easier for
them to engage with the data?
500
00:25:51,700 --> 00:25:55,500
Yeah, there are so many
different Use cases for search
501
00:25:55,500 --> 00:25:58,000
for Less.
You know, in terms of a project
502
00:25:58,000 --> 00:26:00,200
I was working on, like you said,
figure out a sector and what's
503
00:26:00,200 --> 00:26:02,400
going on there.
And I know I introduce you to
504
00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,800
somebody who said, listen to be
great if we could have this API
505
00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,300
feed for this, and it's
wonderful that you're doing that
506
00:26:07,300 --> 00:26:10,900
now, how many markets are you
covering with search for Less?
507
00:26:10,900 --> 00:26:12,600
How many different countries are
you covering out?
508
00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:18,300
We've got, we've got the full
world data set, but we don't
509
00:26:18,300 --> 00:26:20,500
really push that we're very
strong in our in UK.
510
00:26:20,500 --> 00:26:22,800
What we find very often, is it
somebody's looking for a set of
511
00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:24,500
accounts in France.
And you give them a set of
512
00:26:24,508 --> 00:26:26,600
accounts from France during the
French register.
513
00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:30,800
The first thing to say Well
they're not translated well
514
00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,600
that's because they're French
and you know because the Irish
515
00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:36,200
state is so good, we find the
expectation.
516
00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:39,500
Is that all other jurisdictions
will be insane and you know we
517
00:26:39,500 --> 00:26:42,300
try to tease out with people
what they need the data for what
518
00:26:42,300 --> 00:26:44,100
they actually need and very
often all the needed
519
00:26:44,100 --> 00:26:46,700
certificate, good standing,
which we can get by going to the
520
00:26:46,700 --> 00:26:48,600
local register and give them a
bonded.
521
00:26:48,600 --> 00:26:51,400
Search that says, you know,
we've searched this particular
522
00:26:51,400 --> 00:26:55,000
register and such a date and
it's this He exists, it's a good
523
00:26:55,000 --> 00:26:57,900
standing and that tends to
satisfy most use cases.
524
00:26:58,200 --> 00:27:00,900
Because very often, like, you
can absolutely get a set of
525
00:27:00,900 --> 00:27:02,600
French counts translated into
English.
526
00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,100
It's going to cost like 800 kids
and their companies that do
527
00:27:05,100 --> 00:27:06,300
that.
Yeah.
528
00:27:06,800 --> 00:27:08,800
And Google translate will
probably do a great pretty good
529
00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:11,900
job but that's not something
that you'd run into the high
530
00:27:11,900 --> 00:27:14,500
court with single is.
Check this out, you know.
531
00:27:14,500 --> 00:27:18,100
So there's all of these kind of
complications around providing
532
00:27:18,100 --> 00:27:20,500
international data and we use
the big guys as well.
533
00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:22,800
You know, we've access some of
relationships with, like, study
534
00:27:22,800 --> 00:27:25,100
abroad student.
But again, the data is only as
535
00:27:25,100 --> 00:27:28,400
good as what the database has
soaked a very often.
536
00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:31,200
You might spend a hundred and
Dun & Bradstreet report, and
537
00:27:31,300 --> 00:27:34,100
they can only give you what's in
that jurisdiction and it might
538
00:27:34,100 --> 00:27:38,100
not meet expectations.
So there's just we taken a
539
00:27:38,100 --> 00:27:41,100
position on that as a service to
say look, we're expert.
540
00:27:41,100 --> 00:27:43,200
We've agents all over the world
we can get you what you want but
541
00:27:43,200 --> 00:27:45,900
let's have a conversation first
about what you want and why you
542
00:27:45,908 --> 00:27:48,400
want it and see what's the best
way to get it to you without
543
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:51,500
cost in the earth and and that
tends to work really well for
544
00:27:51,500 --> 00:27:53,300
us.
But we've huge plans with UK
545
00:27:53,300 --> 00:27:55,200
data.
A lot of pressure from existing
546
00:27:55,200 --> 00:27:58,400
customers to try and give their
peer firms in the UK, the same
547
00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:01,300
sort of service that we did.
They get here in Ireland, we
548
00:28:01,300 --> 00:28:04,500
shied away from it that before
now because you know there's a
549
00:28:04,500 --> 00:28:06,800
couple of good incumbents there,
there was one company that
550
00:28:06,800 --> 00:28:10,600
started around the same time,
both due to the gone through a
551
00:28:11,100 --> 00:28:14,500
series of funding.
And I always felt, you know
552
00:28:14,500 --> 00:28:16,500
what?
They've got big Deep Pockets
553
00:28:16,500 --> 00:28:18,000
that I want to compete there.
I don't want to.
554
00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:21,900
I don't want to go over with UK
and, you know, Global success.
555
00:28:21,900 --> 00:28:24,200
I've had on a white elephant.
Chase.
556
00:28:24,200 --> 00:28:26,900
So yeah, we I took my time and
went up.
557
00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:30,600
Let's see how we can bring a
different product to the market
558
00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:32,300
and we think we figured that out
finally.
559
00:28:32,700 --> 00:28:36,000
And I believe that with the
diversion to that we're doing
560
00:28:36,100 --> 00:28:39,600
for Ireland, we can easily pork
that to the UK and hopefully
561
00:28:39,600 --> 00:28:45,800
would have success there.
This episode of money never
562
00:28:45,800 --> 00:28:49,000
sleeps and sponsored by Pat
fintech demystifying fintech and
563
00:28:49,000 --> 00:28:51,400
digital Finance for financial
services professionals.
564
00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:54,500
Pat fintech enable Financial
Services professionals to
565
00:28:54,500 --> 00:28:57,300
transform their capabilities
into the digital age with
566
00:28:57,300 --> 00:29:00,200
dedicated virtual training
programs, geared towards those
567
00:29:00,200 --> 00:29:04,000
that can develop deliver and
monitor optimally customized
568
00:29:04,000 --> 00:29:07,500
user experiences, balance by
appropriate, governance, control
569
00:29:07,500 --> 00:29:10,100
and oversight to learn more
about Pat fintech.
570
00:29:10,300 --> 00:29:11,100
Go to money.
Never sleeps.
571
00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:20,100
Leaps that IE / p80, fin text.
And how do you balance?
572
00:29:20,500 --> 00:29:25,800
Obviously, this opportunity to
build a great platform, you've
573
00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:29,300
scaled it locally in your home
country, you're looking at the
574
00:29:29,300 --> 00:29:31,400
next country, right?
Or not looking at the next
575
00:29:31,400 --> 00:29:34,400
country but you're getting
strong demand from the, you
576
00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:35,600
know, from your current
customers.
577
00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:38,300
Like you said to be able to open
up this type of experience to
578
00:29:38,300 --> 00:29:41,900
their UK entities.
How do you balance this
579
00:29:41,900 --> 00:29:44,800
opportunity to go?
Well yeah, you know what?
580
00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:48,700
Will expand into the UK?
Perhaps through a deal in buying
581
00:29:48,700 --> 00:29:52,100
a huge amount of data, we could
tackle the US, right?
582
00:29:52,100 --> 00:29:56,300
How do you balance that with
some of the original ideas that
583
00:29:56,300 --> 00:30:00,800
got you to launch search for
Less in the first place which is
584
00:30:00,900 --> 00:30:04,700
being local and being, you know,
being here?
585
00:30:04,700 --> 00:30:07,400
You know, you've got these
Global perhaps a global
586
00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:09,800
ambition, tempered by The
Family, Man.
587
00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,400
Our Guest, the one thing that
has changed is that I've built a
588
00:30:14,408 --> 00:30:18,700
pretty strong team.
And it's not just me and I have
589
00:30:18,700 --> 00:30:23,400
found that I'm sort of surplus
to requirements in most days in
590
00:30:23,400 --> 00:30:24,800
the office.
That's nice.
591
00:30:25,500 --> 00:30:30,400
Yeah, so I kind of I'm trying to
find my new Destiny or my new
592
00:30:30,400 --> 00:30:32,800
journey and you know, I'm the
Overflow guy.
593
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:36,400
So if something is going wrong,
I've developed technical skills
594
00:30:36,400 --> 00:30:40,900
over the last few years as well.
So I released my first software
595
00:30:40,900 --> 00:30:43,700
patch from start to finish their
weeks ago.
596
00:30:43,700 --> 00:30:45,900
Yeah, it s pretty pretty proud
of myself.
597
00:30:45,900 --> 00:30:48,300
Now That the developers, it took
me four hours.
598
00:30:48,300 --> 00:30:50,500
They were they reckon they would
take them 15 minutes.
599
00:30:50,500 --> 00:30:54,700
So maybe I was being a bit too
pedantic with the patch but
600
00:30:54,700 --> 00:30:58,200
anyway it's something I learned.
So where I found myself in the
601
00:30:58,208 --> 00:31:02,100
business now is kind of going
from division to division,
602
00:31:02,300 --> 00:31:06,200
making sure that we're optimal
in everything we're doing and
603
00:31:06,200 --> 00:31:08,700
just letting the team then kind
of get on with it.
604
00:31:08,700 --> 00:31:11,500
And over the last six months,
I'm finding I'm spending more
605
00:31:11,500 --> 00:31:14,700
and more time thinking about new
product ideas which is where I
606
00:31:14,700 --> 00:31:18,200
want to be.
Working out how we're going to
607
00:31:18,300 --> 00:31:20,800
develop those.
So we you know we just started
608
00:31:20,800 --> 00:31:24,600
hiring and developers and
Freelancers and I'm starting to
609
00:31:24,600 --> 00:31:27,200
kind of focus on that side and
then I think I'm on the
610
00:31:27,200 --> 00:31:29,800
distribution side, a couple of
years ago.
611
00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:33,500
I hired Karma Nelson who has
worked with me since the lolling
612
00:31:33,500 --> 00:31:36,100
days in 1996.
So she's kind of worked me in
613
00:31:36,100 --> 00:31:41,100
different businesses and after
her karma came on board, bearing
614
00:31:41,100 --> 00:31:43,500
in mind, we're going seven or
eight years.
615
00:31:43,500 --> 00:31:47,800
Now, the revenue just doubled in
the first Of months of her being
616
00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:49,100
on board with us.
Wow.
617
00:31:49,100 --> 00:31:51,800
So like I realize as opposed to
me kind of running around, you
618
00:31:51,808 --> 00:31:54,400
know, isn't it?
Great brought in a professional
619
00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:59,700
business development person and
the success is there, I don't
620
00:31:59,700 --> 00:32:03,300
know if I would go further
myself, then the UK and we get a
621
00:32:03,300 --> 00:32:05,800
lot of queries for information
from the US.
622
00:32:05,800 --> 00:32:08,700
And the reality about the u.s.
is that most Companies
623
00:32:08,700 --> 00:32:11,700
Incorporated in Delaware.
You know it's very light touch
624
00:32:11,700 --> 00:32:14,500
in terms of the information that
you can gather and go to the
625
00:32:14,500 --> 00:32:16,800
state Department's and all that
kind of stuff but it's just It's
626
00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:20,300
so disparate and Dun &
Bradstreet, and Experian have a
627
00:32:20,300 --> 00:32:24,600
real Stranglehold on the
value-add in that space or the
628
00:32:24,600 --> 00:32:26,600
perceived value.
Add in that space, so it's a
629
00:32:26,608 --> 00:32:30,700
difficult one to get into.
Now, we cooperate or we are
630
00:32:30,700 --> 00:32:33,700
Co-op editors with Dun &
Bradstreet and Experian here in
631
00:32:33,700 --> 00:32:35,500
the Irish Market in the UK
market.
632
00:32:35,500 --> 00:32:37,500
And the relationship is pretty
good.
633
00:32:37,600 --> 00:32:40,300
But, you know, I think as we
develop our product offering,
634
00:32:40,300 --> 00:32:44,600
we're probably going to have to
figure out where places in that
635
00:32:44,600 --> 00:32:46,400
market like we could go all the
way up to cry.
636
00:32:46,600 --> 00:32:49,400
Some and personal credit but you
might bite the hand that feeds
637
00:32:49,400 --> 00:32:50,700
you in terms of some of the data
feed.
638
00:32:50,700 --> 00:32:53,200
So like we've got we've good
collaboration going on at the
639
00:32:53,208 --> 00:32:56,800
moment and for me the eyes are
certainly on the UK.
640
00:32:56,900 --> 00:32:59,100
Probably not further afield and
that's something.
641
00:32:59,100 --> 00:33:02,000
I think that we would our bit of
experience with.
642
00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:06,000
We would probably try and solve
the distribution problem over
643
00:33:06,000 --> 00:33:08,000
there.
But I would anticipate that
644
00:33:08,000 --> 00:33:12,300
because of the client base that
we have here, that the referrals
645
00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:14,900
would probably slow.
Well, I think we have already
646
00:33:14,900 --> 00:33:16,400
ready-made Market, if you know
what I mean.
647
00:33:16,500 --> 00:33:20,400
We we can probably manage pretty
well and keep the balance going,
648
00:33:20,400 --> 00:33:23,200
you know?
Okay I get it and I kind of just
649
00:33:23,200 --> 00:33:26,000
thinking more deeply about this
knowing you bury in that you
650
00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:30,000
know, one of the phrases that
keep coming to mind a lot over
651
00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,100
the last couple of months, with
a few things I've been working
652
00:33:32,100 --> 00:33:33,800
on, is solving adjacent
problems.
653
00:33:33,800 --> 00:33:37,900
In this was Jason Bates from who
was one of the former founders
654
00:33:37,900 --> 00:33:41,700
of Manzo.
And he spent a bit of time with
655
00:33:41,700 --> 00:33:48,800
him back in 2017, 2018, with 11
FS And it just rubbed off on me
656
00:33:48,900 --> 00:33:52,900
right in that it's taking this
whole, Eric Rice, Lean Startup
657
00:33:52,900 --> 00:33:56,200
model of building a product
getting into your customers
658
00:33:56,200 --> 00:33:58,900
hands as quickly as possible and
getting all that customer
659
00:33:58,900 --> 00:34:01,300
feedback.
And like you said, you get an
660
00:34:01,300 --> 00:34:03,700
idea from a customer.
You think about it, you weigh it
661
00:34:03,700 --> 00:34:06,500
up and you know what?
You deploy it in a few days,
662
00:34:06,700 --> 00:34:08,500
right?
And you get that going.
663
00:34:08,900 --> 00:34:13,100
And then you try to figure out
through, getting closer to those
664
00:34:13,100 --> 00:34:15,900
customers, what are the other
problems, the adjacent problems
665
00:34:15,900 --> 00:34:18,699
that you can solve l've kind of
weighing all this up, knowing
666
00:34:18,699 --> 00:34:20,699
you.
Like I said, I kind of see you
667
00:34:20,699 --> 00:34:23,500
as being far, more interested in
solving adjacent problems for
668
00:34:23,500 --> 00:34:26,900
your customers rather than going
out and building a Global
669
00:34:26,900 --> 00:34:29,400
Behemoth here, right?
Yeah.
670
00:34:29,500 --> 00:34:33,300
So we've got a couple of new
products that that were looking
671
00:34:33,300 --> 00:34:36,600
at and we decided to stay with
the for Less family, so one of
672
00:34:36,600 --> 00:34:38,900
them is start for that.
Switch is the corporation's
673
00:34:38,900 --> 00:34:43,199
platform, which makes it easy
for end users and practitioners
674
00:34:43,199 --> 00:34:46,199
profession petitioners to
incorporate companies.
675
00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,900
Data gatien that which we can
achieve using search for this
676
00:34:49,900 --> 00:34:53,699
data and it just reduces a lot
of steps that you have to follow
677
00:34:53,699 --> 00:34:56,000
by engaging directly with the
cro.
678
00:34:56,000 --> 00:34:59,200
And the most exciting product
that we have, which is about to
679
00:34:59,200 --> 00:35:00,900
launch.
In the next few weeks is, hey
680
00:35:00,900 --> 00:35:06,500
Char em for less and following
following covid consequences of
681
00:35:06,500 --> 00:35:09,900
coal, particular for an SME,
like us, you know, we were all
682
00:35:09,900 --> 00:35:12,700
very good at the first phase.
You know, keeping in touch with
683
00:35:12,700 --> 00:35:14,900
the staff and doing the zoom
calls, but people are so
684
00:35:14,900 --> 00:35:16,500
fatigued with it, that I started
with.
685
00:35:16,600 --> 00:35:19,400
Worried about, you know what?
What do we lost here in all of
686
00:35:19,400 --> 00:35:24,000
us and our, we properly
organized in terms of our
687
00:35:24,000 --> 00:35:28,500
policies and in terms of our
procedures and safety for staff,
688
00:35:28,500 --> 00:35:30,800
and what are the new rules?
And I kind of went, you know
689
00:35:30,800 --> 00:35:33,200
what, I'm normally pretty good
at this stuff, but this stuff is
690
00:35:33,200 --> 00:35:36,400
moving so quickly and changing
so fast that they became bit
691
00:35:36,400 --> 00:35:39,000
concerned with the whole thing.
And I said to the most mean
692
00:35:39,300 --> 00:35:41,400
thousands of businesses out
here, worried about this whole
693
00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:44,200
Space.
So we designed horm for less and
694
00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:46,500
it's straightforward platformer,
again it's fixed.
695
00:35:46,600 --> 00:35:49,400
Service where you pay your
annual sold.
696
00:35:49,400 --> 00:35:53,800
And at the very minimum, the
very entry level product is a
697
00:35:53,800 --> 00:35:57,100
employee handbook, which will
have all of the appropriate
698
00:35:57,100 --> 00:36:00,800
policies in place for working
from home for health and safety
699
00:36:00,800 --> 00:36:04,500
in the office to make sure that,
you know, you have all of the
700
00:36:04,500 --> 00:36:08,100
appropriate documentation in
place, but it also records
701
00:36:08,100 --> 00:36:11,900
employee interaction.
So, if you issue a new policy,
702
00:36:11,900 --> 00:36:16,800
the system will record whether
the employee has read the See,
703
00:36:16,800 --> 00:36:19,400
whether they've accepted the
policy and then if they haven't,
704
00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:23,000
or if they have Italy guide, the
business owner true, what
705
00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:24,800
actions they need to take to
make sure the policy is
706
00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:28,900
understood by and large.
We have six or seven similar
707
00:36:28,900 --> 00:36:33,200
products that were better in
design that, you know, we're
708
00:36:33,200 --> 00:36:36,100
trying to roll out with this for
last family and we're trying to
709
00:36:36,107 --> 00:36:40,000
decide whether they belong in
the SME environment or whether
710
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:43,000
they belong in the professional
service provider environment,
711
00:36:43,000 --> 00:36:46,000
fashion service provider has
been very good to us, and the
712
00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:47,900
amount of me, Rose, we got from
them.
713
00:36:48,000 --> 00:36:50,000
We're reading trying to solve
problems for them.
714
00:36:50,000 --> 00:36:51,900
Particularly can't side
Cossacks.
715
00:36:51,900 --> 00:36:55,700
I'd help them with their
workflows and try and improves
716
00:36:55,700 --> 00:36:57,500
their efficiencies through
technology.
717
00:36:57,500 --> 00:37:00,100
And that's, that's where we
learn to suck for less.
718
00:37:00,100 --> 00:37:01,700
And there's a couple of more
like that coming down the
719
00:37:01,707 --> 00:37:02,600
tracks.
All right.
720
00:37:02,600 --> 00:37:04,800
Interesting.
You know, it think about this
721
00:37:04,800 --> 00:37:08,700
whole journey bury, one of the
things you said to me in 2016,
722
00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:12,100
when I was launching my business
was Pete.
723
00:37:12,100 --> 00:37:16,200
It's going to take you twice as
long to hit the targets, you
724
00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:18,100
think?
Going to hit and it's going to
725
00:37:18,100 --> 00:37:20,200
cost you twice as much to get
there.
726
00:37:20,700 --> 00:37:24,900
You kind of dance through those
nine years, right between
727
00:37:24,900 --> 00:37:30,000
launching search for less and
now, and, you know, obviously
728
00:37:30,100 --> 00:37:33,800
you've built a successful
business to this stage, but it
729
00:37:33,800 --> 00:37:36,100
wasn't an easy Road.
No, no.
730
00:37:36,100 --> 00:37:40,000
So, we bootstrapped and when I
say we, I mean, my wife's think
731
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:43,000
she suffered the most, it was a
very difficult, the first three
732
00:37:43,000 --> 00:37:46,000
years of very difficult, it was
to occasions where I didn't have
733
00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:48,400
enough money.
You to pay staff and I had to
734
00:37:48,400 --> 00:37:52,700
ask your staff to wait a day or
two until some checks came in
735
00:37:52,700 --> 00:37:57,900
and they were difficult times
and I always checked myself at
736
00:37:57,900 --> 00:38:00,300
those times too.
You know, you're going to just
737
00:38:00,300 --> 00:38:02,600
remember this when you're
successful you must remember
738
00:38:02,600 --> 00:38:05,600
this human nature is to forget
pain but they were difficult
739
00:38:05,600 --> 00:38:08,100
times.
We got true them certainly
740
00:38:08,100 --> 00:38:09,600
didn't happen.
As quickly as I thought, I
741
00:38:09,607 --> 00:38:11,500
thought within a year and have
5,000 SM.
742
00:38:11,500 --> 00:38:15,000
He's signed up to search for
less and I'd be kicking back
743
00:38:15,000 --> 00:38:18,000
watching my kids grow.
Grow up on the sideline shouting
744
00:38:18,000 --> 00:38:20,800
and roaring at them and didn't
happen like that.
745
00:38:20,900 --> 00:38:24,700
Nonetheless, we're in a phase
now in the business where we're
746
00:38:24,700 --> 00:38:27,400
trying to figure out the next
growth phase and one of the
747
00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:31,200
things I've identified, as I'm
very, very strong agile
748
00:38:31,200 --> 00:38:35,400
Starship, you know, leading by
example, we're at a point now,
749
00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:38,800
where I got to step back and let
the culture evolved and that
750
00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:42,200
that the next generation of
managers come in and put their
751
00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:45,400
footprint on the business.
And and in that I've been very
752
00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:47,900
lucky with people that I The
bench Carmen or you're on.
753
00:38:47,900 --> 00:38:51,100
Nick has been with me again,
since Roger Beatty days.
754
00:38:51,100 --> 00:38:54,800
Tina, joined us as a wedding
when we set up the company seven
755
00:38:54,800 --> 00:38:57,700
or eight years ago, and she's
grown from college, graduate
756
00:38:57,700 --> 00:39:01,800
into operations director and,
you know, it's becoming their
757
00:39:01,800 --> 00:39:04,300
business every day as we grow.
I'm not involved in the
758
00:39:04,300 --> 00:39:06,300
day-to-day as much as I used to
be anymore.
759
00:39:06,600 --> 00:39:10,200
As I say, I'm the utilitarian
guy that they go to if there is
760
00:39:10,200 --> 00:39:13,900
something done that surface to
everybody else on the day, the
761
00:39:13,900 --> 00:39:15,300
team we've been very lucky with
the team.
762
00:39:15,300 --> 00:39:18,300
We've had a high rate Tension
rate with staff.
763
00:39:18,300 --> 00:39:23,000
And you know, I remember in the
early days, I remember I cast
764
00:39:23,000 --> 00:39:25,700
one Carson an evening at around.
4:00 wound.
765
00:39:25,700 --> 00:39:28,900
Agent was expecting me back at
the office and the following
766
00:39:28,900 --> 00:39:30,100
day.
I sat down with her and I said,
767
00:39:30,100 --> 00:39:33,800
hey, you know, I kind of forward
you to take the test here.
768
00:39:33,900 --> 00:39:36,800
I need you to work, if you don't
want to work, no problem, cause
769
00:39:36,800 --> 00:39:38,700
she's very good.
How to strike a conversation
770
00:39:38,700 --> 00:39:40,100
with her and the next day she
came in.
771
00:39:40,100 --> 00:39:42,000
He said look, I don't want to
take the piss out of you.
772
00:39:42,000 --> 00:39:43,900
I love working here but I'm just
bored with it.
773
00:39:43,900 --> 00:39:46,700
So I'm going to go on and do
something else and I told You
774
00:39:46,700 --> 00:39:47,900
know what?
I learned a lesson.
775
00:39:47,900 --> 00:39:50,600
There she learned lesson there.
The key thing for me was I was
776
00:39:50,600 --> 00:39:53,600
straight with her.
I acted quickly and I'd like to
777
00:39:53,600 --> 00:39:57,500
think that everybody who works
within our organization would
778
00:39:57,500 --> 00:40:01,700
say that about us that were an
honest organization were candid
779
00:40:01,700 --> 00:40:04,200
were transparent.
We put our hands up when we get
780
00:40:04,200 --> 00:40:07,100
it wrong and we lead, by
example, but most importantly,
781
00:40:07,100 --> 00:40:10,600
we back each other and I'm
wearing a good team and I
782
00:40:10,600 --> 00:40:14,100
wouldn't be anywhere today
without got team and that's it,
783
00:40:14,100 --> 00:40:17,000
that's critical thing for me,
you know, there's There's a lot
784
00:40:17,000 --> 00:40:21,300
of luck involved in this story
but at the key thing for me was
785
00:40:21,400 --> 00:40:23,900
getting those people to trust
that I knew what I was doing and
786
00:40:23,900 --> 00:40:27,400
that this was going to come good
and none of those people caramel
787
00:40:27,400 --> 00:40:30,600
make Lena key people today.
None of those people were
788
00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:34,100
overpaid when they joined, you
know, in fact you know, a lot of
789
00:40:34,100 --> 00:40:37,100
them probably took pay cuts to
come and help me with this
790
00:40:37,100 --> 00:40:38,600
journey.
You know, I believe we've
791
00:40:38,600 --> 00:40:42,000
addressed that now and then and
everybody is appropriately
792
00:40:42,000 --> 00:40:44,400
compensated.
At we're on a new phase in the
793
00:40:44,408 --> 00:40:48,300
businesses aside and I quit.
Thing for me is realizing the
794
00:40:48,300 --> 00:40:50,200
startup phase is probably coming
to an end.
795
00:40:50,200 --> 00:40:52,600
So I'm going to go off and do
what I enjoy doing, which is
796
00:40:52,600 --> 00:40:55,800
building new products and
hopefully, the business is
797
00:40:55,800 --> 00:40:59,000
strong enough and I believe it
is because we didn't have
798
00:40:59,100 --> 00:41:01,800
explosive growth.
We certainly have had high
799
00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:05,000
growth in the last two years but
you know, slow and steady for
800
00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:08,600
the first five or six years.
And then you know the last
801
00:41:08,600 --> 00:41:10,700
couple years with our new
product and key.
802
00:41:10,800 --> 00:41:13,500
It kind of took off a bit and
we've got a lot of innovation in
803
00:41:13,500 --> 00:41:17,400
that particular space.
But you know, When I look at my
804
00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:20,800
career firms that the started up
around the same time we started
805
00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:24,400
up, you know, I went to the web
Summit night or Speed network
806
00:41:24,400 --> 00:41:27,400
was meeting an angel, so like I
was very apprehensive, right?
807
00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,400
That's very apprehensive about
talk to anybody about my great
808
00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:32,500
idea.
When you know we was actually
809
00:41:32,500 --> 00:41:37,000
just speed networking.
What year was that in 12 2010?
810
00:41:37,600 --> 00:41:39,800
The other thing is like, you
know, you're queuing up to meet
811
00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:42,800
these angels and so on are
younger than you and you're like
812
00:41:42,800 --> 00:41:45,300
the old geezer, the back of the
queue there at all the kids are
813
00:41:45,300 --> 00:41:47,600
up there.
Get their Chip kind of gone.
814
00:41:47,600 --> 00:41:50,500
No, I look like a grandfather
and this environment.
815
00:41:50,500 --> 00:41:53,600
So, so there's lots of learnings
along the way and I guess the
816
00:41:53,600 --> 00:41:56,400
point of making is that we
didn't try and grow too quickly.
817
00:41:56,500 --> 00:41:59,800
We didn't over promise and under
deliver and I think we're better
818
00:41:59,800 --> 00:42:02,700
for today.
We took it steady and we got to
819
00:42:02,700 --> 00:42:05,700
where we are and like there
isn't a day I wake up and I go,
820
00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:08,300
geez, I hope there's no garage
today, you know, because I'm so
821
00:42:08,300 --> 00:42:11,900
grateful for where we are.
But I know now that this is in
822
00:42:11,900 --> 00:42:14,100
good hands and that doesn't
necessarily mean my hands.
823
00:42:14,100 --> 00:42:16,300
It's in all of our hands and
we're all capable of more all
824
00:42:16,500 --> 00:42:18,100
All the good at what we do
individually.
825
00:42:18,200 --> 00:42:19,700
All right?
And if there's going to be one
826
00:42:19,700 --> 00:42:23,300
thing that could happen over the
next few years that could make
827
00:42:23,300 --> 00:42:26,300
the difference between success
and utter failure.
828
00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:30,500
What do you think it would be?
I'm always worried about -
829
00:42:30,700 --> 00:42:33,900
change and can't.
So we might and and some office
830
00:42:33,900 --> 00:42:36,500
might just go, you know, we
don't need law searching in the
831
00:42:36,508 --> 00:42:40,400
whole conveyancing process.
But like we carry out a planning
832
00:42:40,400 --> 00:42:44,000
search for every conveyance that
takes place that we got on our
833
00:42:44,000 --> 00:42:46,900
on our debt.
This 56 things, we check For a
834
00:42:46,900 --> 00:42:50,000
planning, search for a property.
It's complicated and if we get
835
00:42:50,000 --> 00:42:53,000
one of them wrong, it could be
fatal for the purchase of the
836
00:42:53,008 --> 00:42:56,000
property or down the line.
And that's always something
837
00:42:56,000 --> 00:42:58,700
that, you know, I like to tell
people is we try and do a better
838
00:42:58,700 --> 00:43:00,700
than everybody else so we try
and do it more thoroughly than
839
00:43:00,700 --> 00:43:03,600
everybody else.
And that that's not to say that
840
00:43:03,700 --> 00:43:05,300
our competitors don't do it,
thoroughly.
841
00:43:05,300 --> 00:43:08,300
It's to say that we're trying to
push the, we're trying to raise
842
00:43:08,300 --> 00:43:11,800
the bar in this stuff and I get
that, I get that.
843
00:43:11,900 --> 00:43:15,900
And it's like if you see a
process that doesn't work,
844
00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:20,000
Really well or that there's some
gaps in it because either the
845
00:43:20,000 --> 00:43:23,300
Technologies old school or the
approach that people are taking
846
00:43:23,300 --> 00:43:27,700
aren't the best but then if you
can go all the way down through
847
00:43:27,700 --> 00:43:30,900
the entire process and say, how
are we going to wrap technology
848
00:43:30,900 --> 00:43:33,100
around every single step along
the way?
849
00:43:33,100 --> 00:43:36,200
You've kind of deconstructed
that completely and you know,
850
00:43:36,200 --> 00:43:40,800
every single Gap in every single
hole and then by trying to use
851
00:43:40,800 --> 00:43:42,700
technology to solve that
problem.
852
00:43:42,700 --> 00:43:44,500
You know what?
If you have to go offline with
853
00:43:44,500 --> 00:43:47,600
something, the problem hasn't
been Right.
854
00:43:48,300 --> 00:43:52,600
So just by that focus and that
discipline to get down to every
855
00:43:52,600 --> 00:43:56,400
single key part of the process,
you are truly improving it by
856
00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:00,000
wrapping technology around it,
if it is so possible to do it.
857
00:44:01,300 --> 00:44:04,100
That's the key thing you do.
That's what keeps us awake at
858
00:44:04,100 --> 00:44:06,000
night.
That's what you want to achieve.
859
00:44:06,100 --> 00:44:08,900
And the worst thing that can
happen is, somebody might go,
860
00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:11,100
you know, we don't need this
anymore.
861
00:44:11,100 --> 00:44:13,700
This isn't useful and all of a
sudden, you know, the
862
00:44:13,700 --> 00:44:17,500
requirement is gone and probably
won't happen in my lifetime.
863
00:44:17,900 --> 00:44:19,000
There's a lot of road ahead of
us.
864
00:44:19,000 --> 00:44:23,000
In terms of modernizing
conveyancing is definitely scope
865
00:44:23,000 --> 00:44:25,400
for improving that process was
to say.
866
00:44:25,600 --> 00:44:28,800
You know, legislative change is
probably the biggest fear.
867
00:44:28,800 --> 00:44:30,400
I hey, I'm with you.
I'm with you.
868
00:44:30,900 --> 00:44:34,700
And I when you mentioned you
know that 2012 experience of
869
00:44:34,700 --> 00:44:38,800
being at web Summit and you know
never taking outside capital or
870
00:44:38,800 --> 00:44:42,500
never taking VC money right or
never never pursuing VC money
871
00:44:42,600 --> 00:44:47,400
and just realizing that this
year, I think is the first year
872
00:44:47,400 --> 00:44:49,600
that you're on the fintech
Ireland map was searched for
873
00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:51,900
less.
And just the obviously the
874
00:44:51,900 --> 00:44:55,900
fintech Ireland map is a
one-pager with all the logos on
875
00:44:55,900 --> 00:44:58,100
it of all the different fintech
players at Ireland.
876
00:44:58,100 --> 00:45:00,300
All broken down into all the
different categories, one of,
877
00:45:00,300 --> 00:45:03,300
which is Tech with search for
Less right in there.
878
00:45:04,000 --> 00:45:06,000
What was your a wake-up point?
That said, I'm going to do that
879
00:45:06,000 --> 00:45:08,700
or was it, you know, did someone
find out about you?
880
00:45:08,700 --> 00:45:10,300
And said, we got to put search
for Less up there.
881
00:45:10,400 --> 00:45:13,400
Yeah, so I'm old school.
So, you know, I haven't quite
882
00:45:13,400 --> 00:45:15,000
figured out the social media.
Yes.
883
00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:17,500
Yeah.
So yeah, we got a called say
884
00:45:17,500 --> 00:45:18,900
look, why aren't you guys out
this?
885
00:45:18,900 --> 00:45:21,800
We love your products and I
said, sure, I'm happy to go on
886
00:45:21,800 --> 00:45:22,700
ash.
Awesome.
887
00:45:23,300 --> 00:45:24,800
I need to get better at that
stuff.
888
00:45:25,100 --> 00:45:27,100
Probably to hire.
Somebody is good at that stuff.
889
00:45:27,300 --> 00:45:29,200
Yeah yeah I'll let you know if I
know somebody.
890
00:45:30,700 --> 00:45:33,600
That's the limitation.
We just need to get better at
891
00:45:33,600 --> 00:45:34,800
that stuff.
Sub promotion.
892
00:45:34,900 --> 00:45:37,500
Well do it under the radar.
There's something to be said for
893
00:45:37,500 --> 00:45:41,400
building a successful business
without figuring out social
894
00:45:41,400 --> 00:45:43,100
media.
Yeah, yeah.
895
00:45:43,100 --> 00:45:44,800
Right.
Or in sorry, let me see.
896
00:45:46,400 --> 00:45:52,200
So when you've got a product, it
sells itself, you know what the
897
00:45:52,200 --> 00:45:54,000
hell do you need Twitter for?
Right?
898
00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:59,400
Yeah, so true, you know, and
there's a number of
899
00:45:59,400 --> 00:46:02,800
conversations that I've lined up
for this podcast with folks that
900
00:46:02,800 --> 00:46:06,200
have bootstrap businesses that
have built it from scratch and
901
00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:08,600
it's a different approach and
there's a book out there called
902
00:46:08,600 --> 00:46:11,800
small Giants businesses that
just want to be really, really
903
00:46:11,800 --> 00:46:15,100
good at what they do.
But not turn into a global
904
00:46:15,100 --> 00:46:17,400
Behemoth, right?
This just not their ambition,
905
00:46:17,400 --> 00:46:19,500
they just want to be really good
at what they do.
906
00:46:20,200 --> 00:46:21,700
Yeah.
And it's Kate it's a key thing
907
00:46:21,700 --> 00:46:24,500
for me as well as you know, we
maintain the culture.
908
00:46:24,900 --> 00:46:27,300
We're very agile.
I go back to that nice for
909
00:46:27,300 --> 00:46:31,000
20,000 pounds in Northern
Ireland, that needed Nine
910
00:46:31,000 --> 00:46:34,300
signatures, you know, if you get
too big, you just can't react to
911
00:46:34,308 --> 00:46:37,200
things like that, and I think
that's our secret sauce, that,
912
00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:40,000
you know, a customer might make
a suggestion to us in the
913
00:46:40,000 --> 00:46:42,700
morning and it could be there by
close of business tomorrow, you
914
00:46:42,700 --> 00:46:46,000
know, and I like that.
And that's what kind of, that's
915
00:46:46,000 --> 00:46:48,600
what gets my juices flowing.
I get you, I get you.
916
00:46:48,600 --> 00:46:51,700
And we'll listen, I definitely
learned something about Barry
917
00:46:51,700 --> 00:46:52,700
Dermody.
This evening.
918
00:46:53,500 --> 00:46:55,800
You know, we've been Pals for
nearly 20 years.
919
00:46:56,300 --> 00:47:00,200
I never really connected the
dots between all the different
920
00:47:00,200 --> 00:47:01,500
stops.
Your career in different
921
00:47:01,500 --> 00:47:04,800
experiences into one story, that
makes a hell of a lot of sense.
922
00:47:04,800 --> 00:47:08,600
So it's not a opening
eye-opening and impressive to as
923
00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:11,800
well, Barry, tell us what's one
thing that people wouldn't
924
00:47:11,800 --> 00:47:14,100
expect to know about you.
I'm gonna probably tell you a
925
00:47:14,100 --> 00:47:16,400
couple of things that I'm sure.
Some, this is who know me.
926
00:47:16,400 --> 00:47:18,800
Probably didn't know what is I
mentioned earlier on, I'm from
927
00:47:18,800 --> 00:47:21,100
Carrie.
Yeah, I was born in Dublin, but
928
00:47:21,100 --> 00:47:26,300
I grew up in kerikeri season
ticket holder, I've got five,
929
00:47:26,300 --> 00:47:28,900
brothers and two sisters and
about 18 months ago.
930
00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:31,900
I've got a business conference.
And I'm up to me, he was the
931
00:47:31,900 --> 00:47:35,500
keynote speaker and came up to
me, he asked me about my arm and
932
00:47:35,500 --> 00:47:38,100
I was born with one arm.
Yeah.
933
00:47:38,100 --> 00:47:41,800
And he proceeded to tell me
another, a lot of people notice
934
00:47:41,800 --> 00:47:44,600
this, so I try to conceal it.
I don't want it to become a
935
00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:47,900
thing in business and so he was
being very, he's very perceptive
936
00:47:47,900 --> 00:47:52,400
and he told me that his daughter
was just born with a similar
937
00:47:52,400 --> 00:47:55,600
defect and just wanted to know
how I got on in life and I
938
00:47:55,600 --> 00:47:58,200
realized that in because I've
never been able to kind of put
939
00:47:58,200 --> 00:48:02,500
my finger on why I think the way
I think I texted my dad, my mom
940
00:48:02,500 --> 00:48:06,600
and I said, hey Noah times for
just letting me be because of my
941
00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:09,600
siblings, they never treated me
any differently because I've
942
00:48:09,600 --> 00:48:11,900
only got one arm.
In fact, if anything they just
943
00:48:11,900 --> 00:48:14,900
said, you know, get on it.
And that was the upbringing I
944
00:48:14,900 --> 00:48:18,000
had.
And that's for me, is the
945
00:48:18,000 --> 00:48:21,300
essence of who I am and how I
think, totally, I totally see
946
00:48:21,300 --> 00:48:24,000
that.
That's it.
947
00:48:24,200 --> 00:48:26,500
That's the one thing that is the
one thing.
948
00:48:26,500 --> 00:48:28,400
No that makes so much sense.
Yeah.
949
00:48:28,400 --> 00:48:33,300
And over the years kind of get
my head around that that it
950
00:48:33,300 --> 00:48:36,700
that's deep.
So awesome.
951
00:48:36,900 --> 00:48:39,900
Well Barry thanks so much.
God's honest truth it's been a
952
00:48:39,900 --> 00:48:43,500
fantastic conversation really
was looking forward to doing
953
00:48:43,500 --> 00:48:46,600
this tonight and you kind of you
hit the ball out of the park
954
00:48:47,600 --> 00:48:51,300
tanks.
He's got a pleasure, thank you.
955
00:48:56,900 --> 00:48:59,600
That does it for this week folks
and thanks to Barry for opening
956
00:48:59,600 --> 00:49:01,000
up.
His mind to help us figure out
957
00:49:01,000 --> 00:49:01,900
why he does.
What he does.
958
00:49:02,500 --> 00:49:04,700
Lakes are on our website at
money, never sleeps that IE.
959
00:49:04,800 --> 00:49:06,700
So check us out online and
subscribe to our money.
960
00:49:06,700 --> 00:49:10,000
Never sleeps newsletter as well.
Also, thanks to Conan Brophy,
961
00:49:10,000 --> 00:49:11,700
from create sound for mixing and
editing.
962
00:49:11,700 --> 00:49:14,900
This episode Conan is an
excellent medium and to get in
963
00:49:14,900 --> 00:49:16,600
touch with when you're thinking
about launching your own
964
00:49:16,600 --> 00:49:19,200
podcast.
As for me I'm a founding partner
965
00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:22,300
at norio ventures Nam an early
stage startup advisor and
966
00:49:22,300 --> 00:49:24,800
investor focused on fintech and
digital assets.
967
00:49:25,200 --> 00:49:26,600
You'd like to talk to me about
your business.
968
00:49:26,700 --> 00:49:30,100
It's drop me a voicemail on my
never sleeps that I finally till
969
00:49:30,100 --> 00:49:31,700
next time.
Thanks for listening.
970
00:49:31,700 --> 00:49:32,300
See you