The "Discovery" Process: How R&D and Customer Support Fuel Sustainable Growth | Dan Shute

Meet Dan Shute, a mechanical design expert who, along with his co-founders, transformed a basement startup into Volant Products—a mid to high eight-figure global powerhouse in oil and gas technology. As President and CEO, Dan sits down with Mark Drager to share the raw truth about building a company that's revolutionizing how the energy industry handles casing installation. Dan breaks down the real challenges and victories of scaling Volant from its humble beginnings to serving customers across 50 countries with a team of 150. But this isn't your typical success story—it's a masterclass in sustainable growth and innovation. Here's what you'll learn: -How Dan and his co-founders built Volant Products from a basement startup into a global leader in casing installation technology.

-Why continuous improvement and innovation are key to surviving and thriving in a volatile industry.

-The importance of fostering a customer-centric culture focused on integrity and value delivery.

-How Volant's R&D efforts have led to groundbreaking products like the Top Drive Casing Running Tool.

-Dan's approach to building a resilient company through strong leadership and collaborative culture. 

-How staying debt-free enabled Volant to weather industry downturns and invest in growth.

-Why rushing product development can be more costly than taking time to get it right.

-The importance of being humble, hungry, and "smart" when building your team. -Why doing "the right things for the right reasons" is better than chasing quick profits.

-How to empower employees while maintaining necessary controls.

-Why building systems before you need them is crucial for sustainable growth.

Between developing breakthrough tools like their Top Drive Casing Running Tool and navigating the volatile energy sector, Dan reveals how staying true to their principles of integrity and customer value has paid off time and again.

Whether you're an entrepreneur, leader, or innovator, Dan's insights on building a recession-proof business while prioritizing innovation and customer satisfaction are pure gold. Don't miss this one.

 

Follow Mark:

LinkedIn: https://hi.switchy.io/markdrager

Instagram: https://hi.switchy.io/KcKi

Want more free tools?

Go to our podcast page at https://hi.switchy.io/KcKe