Why I joined Encircle

One of the most common questions that I received over the past two months since announcing that I was leaving Velocity was why Encircle? Of all the companies that I have seen go through Velocity why was Encircle the choice for me? And what advice would I give to you as you consider making a change?

The simple answer — it all starts with the people. For me, I had the opportunity to work with Paul Donald during my time at BlackBerry when I watched him deliver amazing results across numerous roles and teams. Perhaps more importantly, I saw how Paul went about achieving those results — with diligence, honesty and a commitment to a well crafted vision and strategy. I also worked closely with Ronuk and Christophe during their time living in the Velocity Residence. I have an immense amount of respect for their skills and their humility. You might not have the luxury of having first hand experience working with the team you will join, but seek out people who have and look at the results of what they’ve done in the past.

The other key reason why I am excited to join Encircle and why you might consider making the leap to a start up? The product. Everything in building a company is easier when your customers love your product. Day after day, I am humbled by the amazing emails we get from customers whose lives are truly changed by what we can do for them. Having a product you can be proud of, one that delivers powerful results and has a real impact — should be a critical consideration for you.

With people and product in place, you have the recipe for growth. And as anyone who has experienced the stagnation or loss of a business knows, everything just works when you are poised for growth. Find yourself in the midst of a middling organization that is stagnating or losing business and things get political and challenging.

I bought my ticket and have placed my bet on the people and the product at Encircle. As you think about your next step, I encourage you to do the same.