A decade’s worth of reflections

Shortly after the iPhone was launched in Spain 10 years ago, we set out to turn an as yet undefined dream into reality.

As Interacso turns 10, our wonderfully diverse team of 30 people from nine different nationalities is developing a host of strategic digital products for our internationally recognized clients.

They say a crisis is a good time to start a new business because of the financial discipline and rigor that it instills in you. Well, we got that much right… The other thing that really stands out about 2008 was the way in which it marked the start of a discernible shift in how technology was perceived, and how it, and the Internet in particular, could drive and even shape how we related to one other, how we did business and how we were educated.

In the same way as the arrival of personal computers showed us that innovation doesn’t stop at the doors of large multinational corporations, that time also illustrated that it was possible for just about anybody to start a global business from home.

At the time, we felt that absolutely everything was there to be done, and we really wanted to be the ones to do it. Our overarching motivation was that technology, applied in the right measure, could both solve problems and make the most of opportunities – transforming people, organizations, businesses, and society at large.

That feeling, together with the modest desire to change the world, fueled by the explosion of startups and entrepreneur ecosystems that were springing up everywhere, was what drove us - Yésica, Miguel and the writer – to quit our day jobs and create Interacso.

With this ambition to change the world and the feeling that everything was there to be done, Interacso took its first baby steps, discovering this new environment we’d thrown ourselves into, which I like to call our divergence chapter. In those first few years, we started a number of online business projects while also providing development services to our first clients. We founded a food delivery restaurant portal with Juan and José, called YoNoCocino, (IDon’tCook) and shortly after that, a collaboration/prototyping platform for designers called Concept Inbox.

During this phase, we followed the “Learning the hard way” path, making just about every mistake you can think of, plus a few more that we can claim credit for christening ourselves. But as we like to think, mistakes are cool as long as they don’t become habits and the mistake part is documented as a learning block. For me personally, it seemed that every day brought with it a new challenge, and I loved every minute of it. I had the opportunity to learn and grow as an individual alongside great professionals and friends, to participate in programs like LinktoStart, Imagine, Wayra and Seedcamp, to get to know the Silicon Valley ecosystem firsthand, to travel a lot and to apply new work methodologies back home.

After this learn-as-you-go phase, we turned the page and our convergence chapter began. Alejandro joined the team and made a huge contribution to the development that followed. We’d managed to do quite a lot, but there was still a lot to do if we wanted to do everything. With Alejandro on board, we’d be able to combine serious business experience with tech know-how, and so we began a navel-gazing exercise to answer some fundamental questions:

·     Where should we focus our efforts?

·     What kind of projects should we work on?

·     How should we relate to our clients?

·     How should we communicate?

·     What are our core values?

At the same time, the business was growing year on year, as was the team at Interacso, which meant everyone had to make an effort to improve the methodology and constantly adapt to new changes, all the while continuing to provide a quality service to our clients day after day.

The convergence stage came of age with the definition of sensible solutions and the role that Interacso plays in its relationship with customers, where we act as an integral element within their innovation ecosystems, which is the central pillar supporting Interacso's culture and value proposition.

Knowing how and where we add more value helps us to filter projects and decide on the type of relationship we want to create with our customers. This means that before we propose a solution to a customer, we run it past our internal checklist to make sure it complies with our Triple S (Sensible Solutions Standard):

? Does this solution add value to the client company by solving a real problem and/or taking advantage of an existing opportunity?

? Is it viable and quick to implement?

? Does it leverage existing company assets to the greatest degree possible?

? Does it make efficient use of available resources?

? Does it incorporate the right amount of necessary technology, without going over the top simply to include what’s cool or trending now?

? Is it aligned with the company's DNA?

? Does it present a value proposition to all stakeholders connected to the project? (Users, employees, the organization at large, shareholders, society.)

Making sure that everything we do meets this standard, and putting that in the blender along with our creativity, our ability to execute projects from start to finish, the simplicity we bring to complex challenges and the really, really close relationships we have with our clients, and then pressing the “Juice Me!” button produces a delicious, silky smooth and extremely healthful culture that has seen Interacso work as a valued partner on numerous highly strategic projects with top tier customers in several countries.

And yet, we still have the feeling that everything is there to be done, so we’re staring down at our collective belly button once again to define the next leg of the journey. Stay tuned!

2020 will see a new phase begin at Interacso. A phase of consolidation and growth, but with that same freshly baked feeling that we bring to all our projects. A phase in which we’ll continue to think about how we can contribute more and more value to our partners. A phase where we’ll own and learn from our mistakes, and surround ourselves with even more wonderful people who compensate for our weaknesses.

My reflections and takeaways from this first decade:

? The values of a company aren’t created - they are a reflection of the values of each team member. When you’re hiring (or firing) people, it makes more sense to pay attention to their principles and values than to their abilities.

? Leadership means being at the service of those around you and creating the right conditions for them to maximize their potential.

? It’s not about growing fast, and it’s all about growing sustainably.

? Growth happens in the company, but also within the people who are part of it. Companies that grow sustainably are leader factories that drive the company forward.

? The team is the most important thing, and maximum satisfaction is achieved when customers feel that they are part of the team.

? The best recognition should be the customer and end-user satisfaction. Their success is our success and we like it when they feel proud of the work we do for them.

? It’s equally important to have a specialty and also maintain a generalist perspective that allows you to tackle turnkey projects when circumstances dictate.

? The secret of continuous improvement lies in maintaining a critical vision that is inward (company) and outward (market), and to surround yourself with an ecosystem of people who, under the same criteria, call into question the decisions you make and complement your skills in strategic areas.

? Diversity is essential if you want to come up with creative solutions because it helps you look at a problem from various perspectives. And it’s not just about visible diversity (age, sex, race, etc.). Invisible diversity (lived experiences, interests, background, etc.) is valuable too.

? Somebody recently asked me if I thought my time at Interacso would come to an end. I didn’t know what to say to them then and there, but I guess it’ll be when I stop having the feeling that everything is there to be done.

I’ll leave you with a video of Interacso’s 10th-anniversary celebrations:

A really big thank you to everyone who makes, and has made, Interacso what it is today – it’s been great to have you join us on this adventure!

Oscar del Rio

CEO, Interacso