I started doing IT Support full time in July 1992. It was a terrifying leap to go from being a broke kid with a full-time salaried job to starting InfoStream. I worked out of a bedroom when not visiting clients. I was so worried about going broke that I worked in the summer with no A/C on and sweating in front of a computer. I was trying to figure out not just additional IT skills I had never tackled before, but also how to market, do the accounting, and wear all the other hats that come with being a startup founder.
In July 1994, I incorporated InfoStream officially. By the Grace of God, I learned fast and got a regular stream of new clients. Unfortunately, 80% of IT people back then were awful. They never showed up as promised, never returned calls, fixed one problem, and then left after creating new problems. I wish I could say I was an IT guru and a business expert but honestly, I just made sure to go above and beyond and — gulp — return phone calls fast. My philosophy was “Concierge Service;” I truly wanted to make stressed-out business owners’ and managers’ lives easier, so they were excited to see me.
The tech was shockingly different. I had as many DOS-based networks as Windows. Many clients had a menu on their page that loaded from an AutoExec.Bat file (don’t ask!) and you chose the letter (A, B, C…) of the app you wanted to run in DOS. I had no cell phone to receive or return calls. I got really fancy when I got a pager clients could contact and eventually, I got a PalmPilot for tracking my appointments and billing.
Now, we are a completely different company. But I am beyond proud because:
- Our clients love our team! We constantly get emails, phone calls, and even handwritten notes from clients saying they and their staff appreciate and love working with our team. A common theme is that they often say that not only are we the best IT people they have ever worked with, but we are also the best vendor across all products and services they have ever dealt with. (I almost didn’t share this as it seems so prideful, but I wanted to share it because it’s probably the single most rewarding thing about running InfoStream.)
- I work with Ninjas. The Navy SEALs of IT. And not just the engineers — have you talked to our admin staff? (I think Toffi has more fans than me). I push for us to be better. Even when we are already great, can we be better at protecting our clients? Can we provide better/faster support? Can we make their lives easier and better?
- We get to be very picky about who we work with. We reject companies and people who aren’t great partners. I do this, as IT work is stressful and difficult, and I truly want our staff to be as happy as possible. Everyone spends a significant amount of their life at work. I want them to feel this is the best job they have ever had and to truly feel as much excitement and passion as possible.
- We also tend to keep clients forever. There are clients I have had for over 30 years — some that were tiny firms and are now huge! Because of this, we work with the BEST firms and people ever! I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoy our clients. I consider them friends, partners, and people I am insanely blessed to have connected with.
Okay — that’s way too much emotional sharing for an “IT nerd,” but I wanted to share the anniversary with you and thank YOU. Our clients, vendors, team mates, and friends. YOU are all part of InfoStream, and I hope you feel a part of that as much as we feel a part of your success. It sounds cliché, but I’m grateful I get to build something with truly amazing people.
Thank you!
Alan
You must be logged in to post a comment.