Navigating the Microsoft Ecosystem to Build a 12 Million Dollar Company: Brian Knight, CEO of Pragmatic Works (Part 7)

Sramana: How do you find the people to take these courses?

Brian Knight: Last year it was word of mouth. This year a number of news organizations got word of us. Now, for every class of twelve, we have 30 applicants. We do rigorous screening to make sure they have the aptitude and desire to commit to the course. When you are reinventing yourself, you are going to work more than 40 hours a week. They need to spend 80 to 90 hours a week.

Sramana: When you are screening them, what kind of backgrounds are you looking for? How do you check aptitude?

Brian Knight: We show them a skill that they have never seen before. We might show them how to back up a database and then ask them to teach it back to us. We see how good they are at learning and regurgitating knowledge to us in just two minutes. We also give them a long quiz which requires them to go do their own research in order to complete. It takes about three hours to do. The goal is to see if they can find information on their own. Can they find websites with the answers? Can they post in a forum and get those answers?

Sramana: How many people have you trained so far?

Brian Knight: We have trained several hundred of them. We also have partnerships with companies around town who hire them. Even though the job requisition may describe someone who needs to have 3 to 5 years of job experience, they waive those requirements for our candidates. They know how passionate our graduates are. We have entire teams at Fidelity who are filled with our graduates. These are extremely loyal employees who are grateful to the first company that takes a chance on them.

Sramana: Is this all happening in Jacksonville?

Brian Knight: To date, yes. We got a grant from Microsoft this year of 20,000 dollars. We are going to start taking this course to bases around the country. Starting in Q3 we will visit bases around the country and provide training there.

Sramana: I really like what you are doing.

Brian Knight: It is fun. During Spring Break last month we did the same program for kids. What really got my attention on this one was the number of neighbors I have who are from broken families or foster families. So much of your life is what you are born into. I wanted to find a way to expose kids to IT at a very early age. We are teaching robotics and game development using Microsoft platforms and Lego Platforms for kids 8 to 12. We do that over the summertime. Most of the children who attend this program are foster kids and children from underprivileged homes in the inner city.

Sramana: What happens next for your company?

Brian Knight: Every entrepreneur’s dream is to sell the company and get a quick exit a couple of years later. I really have become less and less interested in that. We are building something special. We have two offices in South Africa, and we are opening one in the U.K. We have 90 employees are about to cross 100 next month. I wanted to keep on growing. I don’t have a good answer on the future. I work 90 days at a time, and I have a one-year plan. I don’t have a five-year plan.

Sramana: It sounds like your plan is to grow your company organically, and I think that is a great plan. When you don’t have investors you don’t have the pressure to sell.

Brian Knight: Exactly. That is why I have not brought investors in, although the opportunity certainly has been there.

Sramana: Your story is inspiring. Thank you for sharing your expertise.

This segment is part 7 in the series : Navigating the Microsoft Ecosystem to Build a 12 Million Dollar Company: Brian Knight, CEO of Pragmatic Works
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