Dean Guida creates global technology company based in Cranberry infragistics I started my business about 32 years ago and have experienced many of the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. He has seen his company through a series of turbulent moments as the Internet continues to evolve, including the dot-com tech bubble of the late ’90s, the Internet explosion, the 2008 recession, and the launch of the iPhone.
Infragistics has weathered hurricanes, the COVID-19 pandemic, various economic crises, and always has. The company is based on Guida’s belief that companies should encourage their employees to ask “why,” that data is important, that talent is important, and that no problem in sales is too big to overcome. It is operated on the basis of
Infragistics provides tools and solutions to accelerate application design and development and foster team collaboration. More than 2 million developers worldwide use Infragistics’ enterprise-ready UX and UI toolkits to rapidly prototype and build high-performance applications for cloud, web, mobile, and desktop. I am.Infragistics clients include: 100% of the S&P 500 and global software provider.
Over email, we asked Guida a few questions about his new book and why he wrote it. His answer is:
What is the name of the book and the publisher?
Please tell us about your background.
I have always been fascinated by the technology industry. At just 16 years old, I spent extra time buying him an IBM PC, teaching myself how to write code and the nuances of computer systems between school, work, and sleep. With this knowledge, I continued to pursue my passion for software and coding while pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Miami.
After graduating with my degree, I spent the first two years of my career as a freelance developer for MetLife, IBM, and various Wall Street firms. I started building my first software startup, Infragistics, while working as a programmer on Wall Street.
To date, 32 years later, Infragistics operates in six countries and has a client roster representing 100% of the S&P 500, including Fidelity, Morgan Stanley, Exxon, Intuit, and Bank of America.
How did you come up with the idea for this book?
When I started Infragistics in 1992, I had to go from an early Internet programmer to a business operator overnight, and that transition forced me to learn some of business’s biggest lessons the hard way. died. As I look back on this journey, the insights I gleaned at each key moment, whether it was common growing pains or completely unforeseen challenges, all taken together help other global CEOs and startup founders today. We found that it could serve as a blueprint to help navigate the technology landscape of the world. I wrote this book to share my hard-won philosophy with others so they can lead their people, build a lasting culture, compete in the marketplace, withstand the forces, and have the guts. This is to help you get on the path to scaling far beyond what is possible alone. .
Why were you the perfect person to write this book?
Starting, growing, and maintaining a business is not easy. I know that firsthand. Throughout my career, I’ve had to navigate and endure a series of tumultuous moments as the Internet continues to evolve, including the dot-com tech bubble of the late 90s, the Internet explosion, and the 2008 recession. . Not to mention my own personal wake-up calls. I’ve been on both ends of it, from being on the brink of bankruptcy to winning over Microsoft in his $300,000 deal with Philadelphia Conrail.
Each lesson in this book comes from real challenges and victories I faced, which I now share with the broader business community.
How did you gather the material for this book?
The insights that make up the hard-won philosophy in this book were gathered over the course of my career and over three decades of key learning moments. We have outlined the major milestones throughout Infragistics’ history. We analyzed where and why we were successful. And I highlighted the lessons I learned along the way, both from my perspective and that of my employees.
Who should read the book and why?
Everyone from team managers to global CEOs to startup founders will take away at least one lesson from this book about how to better navigate the current business environment, whether in technology or another field. You can do that.
What are three takeaways from this book for our readers?
- Be data-driven. Important business decisions are often made based on intuition or the opinion of the loudest or most senior person in the room. When starting and building a business, it’s essential to make data the backbone of any strategy. Collect all the data you can and analyze what it means. It guides you through every aspect of your company, from why your product doesn’t work to showing you what changes you need to make to your solution before launch. With data, you can know the facts. Without it, you will be blind.
- don’t stop at what. listen why. Instilling a culture of curiosity is essential to ensuring business growth. Often people stop at the “what” or “how” and never get to the “why.” Why didn’t this product sell? Why do consumers leave once they buy? The right “why” questions can turn simple insights into actionable strategies for success.
- Become a lifelong learner. It is impossible to reach the point where you know everything there is to know. New information is being discovered all the time, and the industry landscape is constantly changing. It is important to develop a mindset that adapts to this change. Embrace the “what ifs”. Always be open and willing to seek out seemingly unconventional solutions. Our constant pursuit of improvement allows us to learn, adapt and improve our performance better, faster and more efficiently.
What two quotes best describe this book?
- “One of the most difficult things in life is to take a leap of faith. Fear prevents us from taking such a leap of faith. In an ever-changing world, it is hard to let go of fears and old ways.” I have no choice but to try something new.”
- “Constantly ask why something is happening. Always seek the truth of the situation. Generate hypotheses and continue to test them. Let’s continue to discuss ways to improve our services.”
Is there anything else you want? NJTech Weekly.com Do readers know about this book?
I believe that the success of a business is deeply tied to the growth of its leaders. That’s why the lessons in this book serve not only as a roadmap to improving your company, but also as a guide to personal growth.
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