Thought Leaders in Cloud Computing: Lou Guercia, CEO of Scribe Software (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: If you were to synthesize in this case study, what specifically is your value addition to this use case? Can you summarize and align?

Lou Guercia: Microsoft would say they have the technology assets to solve the challenges that the state is experiencing. Tribridge has worked with other states’ Department of Corrections and brings in industry expertise, having understood the workflow, the disparate types of data sources that are required to develop a world class system for incarceration supervision and rehabilitation. We at Scribe are experts at making sure that the correct data according to the workflow models is of the proper quality – that it’s delivered to the right systems, that error checking and the integrity of that data is absolutely correct. We, essentially, are the data integration piping that runs throughout the state of Illinois system. >>>

Trying to Turn Carriers and Retailers Into Google: Azzimov CEO Benoît l’Archevêque (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: What year was this?

Benoît l’Archevêque: It was in 1990. One Thursday morning, I lost my job. That noon, I said, “Nobody else will fire me again in my life.” So I started my own advertising agency that’s still running. People were coming to me with their problems thinking that only advertising could solve them. I was not just changing the advertising model; I was just changing the business model. If you’re not shouting the right message, you’re not going to get any more result just because you’re doing more advertising. It’s important to have the right business model.

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Thought Leaders in Cloud Computing: Lou Guercia, CEO of Scribe Software (Part 1)

There is much going on in the small niches of the cloud. Here’s a discussion that highlights some examples.

Sramana Mitra: Lou, let’s introduce our audience to yourself as well as to Scribe Software.

Lou Guercia: Scribe is a software company. We’re a global provider of solutions focused on allowing enterprises to easily bring customer data anywhere it’s needed regardless of the infrastructure – it can be in the cloud or on-premise. >>>

Trying to Turn Carriers and Retailers Into Google: Azzimov CEO Benoît l’Archevêque (Part 1)

If you haven’t already, please study our Bootstrapping Course and Investor Introductions page. 

We normally only feature companies that have proven concepts in the Entrepreneur Journeys series. This concept, however, is not entirely proven. It is interesting and bold.

Sramana Mitra: Benoit, where are you from? Where were you born and raised? Give us some back story of the Azzimov journey.

Benoît l’Archevêque: It’s a rather peculiar story because I’m a French Canadian. I come from a very low class family from Montreal, Canada. I was actually raised by a plumber and my mother was a Customs Officer – very creative people but not really much into businesses. I was surrounded by people that never really did anything to create a company. They’re not entrepreneurs. I come from a weird place where I didn’t know, at a young age, what an entrepreneur was. The only thing I wanted to do in life was cartoons. I studied Art. >>>

Baidu and Alibaba Delivering on China’s Mobile Explosion

According to a Pew Research Center report, nearly 79% of China’s 590.6 million Internet users accessed the Internet through a mobile device. A year ago, China had 564 million Internet users of which 74% were using a mobile to access the Web. During the same period, the research firm estimates that desktop usage slipped from 70.5% to 69.5%. Chinese online players are ensuring they tap early into this growing mobile trend.

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Building an American E-commerce Company that Now Sells into China: Peter Mann, CEO of Oransi (Part 7)

Sramana Mitra: How much business are you doing in China? What percentage of your revenue comes from China right now?

Peter Mann: This year, we’re planning to do $10 million. I would say 40% would be in China this year. >>>

Building an American E-commerce Company that Now Sells into China: Peter Mann, CEO of Oransi (Part 6)

Sramana Mitra: Where is your contract manufacturer in the US?

Peter Mann: They’re in Connecticut.

Sramana Mitra: Are you selling the new product in the US only?

Peter Mann: We sell in the US, Canada, and China.

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Building an American E-commerce Company that Now Sells into China: Peter Mann, CEO of Oransi (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: It’s mostly paid search-based customer acquisition – PPC?

Peter Mann: That’s how we started. We have a brand that no one has ever heard before. It’s hard to get started and so PPC is the quick way to get up and going. It’s expensive, though. We’re trying to have PR and some other marketing in place as well. Google PPC is still probably two-thirds of our advertisement spend though. It’s down from close to 100%.

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