A moment with our Founder and CEO - Stephen Maclean!

Can you share the inspiration behind starting Seers Digital? What drove you to create this business?

I wanted to build a local technology company where we would achieve great things, work with large enterprise-style customers, and create a place where employees want to join and come to work. With a background and considerable experience working as a consultant with various large GSIs and boutique companies, I had good exposure to high-profile customers and delivering outcomes. I enjoyed my time with boutique companies because the opportunity to help these companies grow and be recognised was always well-received.

Ultimately, this dream of building Seers was about creating a similar utopia that would foster excellent specialisation in tech, attract people who love the work, care for each other, and want to share in the success.

Can you share a pivotal moment or turning point in the journey of Seers Digital that significantly impacted its trajectory?

Winning large NSW Government projects significantly contributed to Seers' growth in terms of turnover and staff numbers. These projects helped Seers build corporate knowledge and invest in further expansion of IP, practices, and other geographies.

What have been some of the most rewarding moments for you as the founder of Seers Digital?

Being awarded a Top 10 place out of 50 in 2021 for the CRN award for the fastest-growing tech company is a major highlight. I genuinely enjoy watching the team engage on projects and collaborate to deliver outcomes. It's also very rewarding to witness some of our staff grow their careers with Seers, starting as junior/mid-level software developers and advancing to senior positions or completely changing their trajectory by becoming project managers and overall developing their careers.

On the flip side, what were some of the biggest challenges or lows you faced while building Seers Digital, and how did you navigate through them?

One of the bigger challenges in the early days was not having the right dream. It took a few years of hardship to understand what the market needs and adapt our approach. The biggest lows would have to be losing staff—it can feel personal, and I take the time to reflect on what we could have done better.

How has your vision for Seers Digital evolved since its inception, and what do you hope to achieve in the long term?

The vision of building a company with a strong cultural foundation has not changed. It's more important than ever to attract the right people to the company. However, the technology has rapidly evolved in Seers' business, from moving into cloud computing to now rapidly shifting into AI.

What role has innovation played in shaping the growth and success of Seers Digital, and can you share any notable innovations or breakthroughs?

We entered the low-code area back in 2017, which was a part of Seers' growth. We helped transform many legacy workloads into the cloud. The scale and projects were what our teams enjoyed, and this immensely helped our growth.

Can you share any lessons learned or key takeaways from your experiences in building and scaling Seers Digital?

It's important to bring the right people into the business. People bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, which, as an owner, can be overwhelming and make you feel like there aren't enough hours in the day! Also, as you scale, having the right people and ensuring the culture aligns with your goals is crucial; otherwise, sustaining growth can be difficult.

What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs who are facing similar challenges or embarking on a similar journey?

Have the right dream where there is a demand in the market, as this creates opportunities for growth. This means understanding the market and what your customers want, ultimately adapting your idea to meet demand. Business growth creates opportunities for staff retention.

Looking back, if you could give your past self, one piece of advice before starting Seers Digital, what would it be?

Industry trends are constantly evolving, and in our lifetimes, they're moving at an even faster pace. Having the right dream from the early days would have helped Seers with its growth. It wasn't until we made some key decisions on areas to invest in that we saw results and growth. Secondly, keep bringing in the best talent, as these key hires help execute your strategy. People bring knowledge and experience, which ultimately builds your business - people are everything!

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