Ideator CEO Featured on the App Guy Podcast
Image via www.theappguy.coIdeator’s new CEO, Carter Wigell was recently interviewed by Paul Kemp, creator and host of a really cool podcast called The App Guy. If you haven’t tuned into this fascinating series of podcasts, you’re missing out on some great startup stories from a variety of entrepreneurs in the app space.
During his App Guy interview, Carter talked about what he hopes to accomplish with Ideator, and recounted some of the lessons he learned while transitioning from big-time corporate executive to an ardent supporter of entrepreneurs.
Think Twice When Leaving
When Carter decided to trade in the security of the corporate world for the uncertainties of entrepreneurial life, he planned to give his company (Salesforce.com) the traditional two-week’s notice before leaving. A timely piece of advice from a leadership coach changed his thinking.
“She pointed out that despite all I had done over my 10 years with the company, people would mostly remember how I left,” said Carter. “I took her advice to heart, and ended up leaving after six weeks rather than two. As a result, everyone thanked me for all I had done, and the CEO ended up investing in my first company. It taught me a valuable lesson about leaving the right way and treating the relationships I made in the corporate world with respect.”
Staying Focused
With so many exciting ideas coming through the Ideator platform, Kemp asked how Carter manages to stay focused on running the business.
“As CEO, my job isn’t to look at or invest in every idea that comes across our platform,” said Carter. “It’s to grow the community so we can help entrepreneurs and startups. It’s making sure we engage with the entrepreneurs as they use our platform, and we do that in several ways.
“We have an amazing community manager, Jessica, who constantly reaches out to the entrepreneurs and startups on Ideator. We also have an advisory program where entrepreneurs can ask questions of people who are further ahead on the entrepreneurial journey. My job there is to strengthen the community by making sure we’re getting the best possible advisors. So while I do look at some of the ideas that come through Ideator, I focus on building the community so it can help build the ideas.”
Entrepreneurial DNA
Which ideas on the Ideator platform does Carter find most exciting?
“The ones I’m most passionate about tend to focus on education and social issues,” he said. “I love the way people are trying to solve problems locally, such as the water problem in California, but I also get energized by ideas that address global issues such as poverty, cancer, and human trafficking.
“Regardless of the idea or the issue, entrepreneurship is something that’s in your DNA. It’s driven by the desire to start something new. Some entrepreneurs want to start a company that might get to a few million in revenue. Others want to highly disrupt a business model or industry. At Ideator, we aim to make the world a better place by supporting both.”
Click here to listen to the full podcast—we bet it’ll ignite the entrepreneurial fire that will spark a big idea to share on Ideator!
