Mike Stone, co-founder of The Gnar Company, talks about his journey to becoming a developer, finding clients, correct value/pricing model, productized services, and future plans. He discusses strategies in marketing, freelance programming, and staff augmentation. The podcast also highlights their plans for company growth and technological exploration, including Python programming experiences and automation with Chat GPT.
The Gnar Company started by leveraging personal networks and attending local events, focusing on building relationships and offering solutions to clients' challenges.
Mike Stone shares his unique career trajectory from being a professional lacrosse player to becoming a software developer, sparked by starting a company that introduced him to programming and software development.
Deep dives
Starting a consultancy and leveraging personal networks
Mike Stone, co-founder of The Nar Company, discusses how their consultancy started by leveraging personal networks and attending local events. They focused on meeting people, understanding their challenges, and offering solutions, building relationships along the way.
Transition from professional athlete to software developer
Mike Stone shares his unique career trajectory from being a professional lacrosse player to becoming a software developer. After graduating college and experimenting with different ventures, he started a company that introduced him to the world of software and sparked his interest in programming.
Strategies for acquiring clients
Mike Stone outlines the strategies The Nar Company has employed to acquire clients. In the early stages, they relied on personal networks, attending events, and reaching out to companies hiring in their skillset. As the company grew, they added a sales team and implemented more targeted approaches to engage potential clients.
The challenges of running an agency and future prospects
Mike Stone reflects on the challenges and rewards of running an agency. He discusses the importance of delivering value to clients, the benefits of good client relationships, and the stress of maintaining consistent revenue and managing staff. In terms of future prospects, they are focused on internal company growth and exploring technologies such as artificial intelligence and Python.
In this episode, Mike Stone, co-founder of The Gnar Company and I talk about his journey to becoming a developer and founding a consultancy, finding clients via leveraging personal networks and beyond, marketing as hunting and farming, making sense of freelancing and utilization, using the correct value/pricing model, productized services, and what's next for The Gnar Company.