Interview with Gabriel Buck, CEO ClickPoint Software

Ok, first question: Why am I doing an interview of myself on my own blog?

I think our customers should know the CEO of ClickPoint Software and understand what makes him tick.

Will you ask good questions or let yourself off the hook?
I think I will ask some challenging questions.

Where do you get your hair cut? Just kidding!

Why did you create ClickPoint Software?

I was working as a marketing consultant with mortgage companies in Irvine, CA. I saw a lot of people in marketing departments struggling to keep up with lead sources. I thought there had to be a better way. I asked myself why there wasn’t software that helped a marketing director manage all of their leads and lead sources. I started development of LeadExec in 2005. I was able to raise $250,000 from an investment firm in Los Angeles. It wasn’t easy the first 3 years. We weren’t profitable and were under constant stress of being able to make payroll. I was fortunate to have a supportive wife, a great programmer, and investors that believed in us. In 2008 we started to turn the corner and built up a stable of customers that believed in us and our mission.

What is your mission?

First, it’s to create software that is easy to use and creates value for the people that use it. Second, it’s to have a work environment where people are as passionate about what we are doing as I am. Third, it’s to create something that I can be proud of. Creating software is a journey and you are almost always reaching for more that makes the product better. Sometimes you stop and look around and realize what has been accomplished in a year and it’s amazing, but often you are so into the moment that those realizations are few and far between.

What would you do differently if you had the chance?

I would have taken more classes in college that I didn’t really care for, like accounting. I hated it and just got by even knowing that one day I would need it. I think I would have listened and applied myself a little better. I would have traveled more before taking on the life of entrepreneur. I haven’t been to too many places. The sacrifice is pretty large and has been since 2002 for me.

How did you get your entrepreneurial start?

Ok, don’t laugh. I used to have my own comic book business as a kid. I used to go to shows and setup a booth next to the adult’s booths. My dad was very supportive and helped me. I used to go these shows and look at the old guys behind the booths and think that for a kid that wasn’t much fun. I recruited friends and setup a booth with video games and talked to the other kids like a friend not a salesperson. I learned a lot and had a great time, but the adults were happy when I called it quits.

Why did you call it quits?

I think I was getting interested in sports. I was only 13 and although having a comic book business sounds almost cool now, it wasn’t if you were getting ready to go into high school. I had to move on to lawn care and shoveling snow.

So you started at an early age?

It runs in the family. My grandmother was CEO of the first women’s bank. Her name was Sally Buck and she was a pioneer for businesswomen. Her spirit was passed down to a lot of my family. My dad had several of his own businesses and now he owns and runs a marina on Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.

What role does leadership play in your company and where did you learn about leadership?

My first lessons about leadership were in sports and from my dad. In sports I never wanted to quit. I was lucky enough to be on some really bad baseball teams that just couldn’t find ways to win. I was the one that wanted to keep practicing and trying to figure out a way to win. I think this helped me. I was able to lose but I didn’t take it lightly. I learned to work hard for what I wanted and that success doesn’t always come easy. Some are born with natural talent. I was 6’5” so I was one of those that had to work really hard to catch up on coordination. I think this also helped me. My dad and cousin were also a big influence. My dad was in the Navy and integrity was very important to him. I use a lot of the lessons he taught me and he is the first one I call to ask questions when the going gets tough. My cousin taught me to stand in the pocket no matter how bad it gets and my dad taught me to accept responsibility. I also coached little league as a teenager, was a lifeguard, and in student government. I learned some good lessons early on about being a team player and getting a team to rally.

What would you change if you could about the start up business model?

This is tough. I believe there should be more resources for entrepreneurs that have at least shown they can run a company or manage people. I pitched several VC companies and angel groups before finding funding. It’s tough. I mean really tough. Imagine the most uncomfortable you have ever been and multiply that times 3. Pitching is tough especially to angel groups. Imagine you and maybe one more person in a room with 8 guys that are all millionaire businessmen picking you apart for an hour. I would make more classes in high school and college that prepare you for this. I joke with my wife that my kids will one day get allowance only after submitting their business plans to me. Seriously, there is nothing that prepares young people for the VC pitch or angel pitch. It’s brutal and takes serious courage, especially for younger people. If you don’t have a lot of experience this can be a major turn off for young people and I think this aspect of getting seed money needs to change. America needs innovation and young people can deliver. A lot of the time VC is only looking for billion dollar ideas and I think that is a bad way of looking for value. There is something to be said for the guy that knows how to manage people and a company that has an idea that takes something and makes it better. His idea might not be a billion dollar idea but he will be successful and I think America needs more of that.

What advice would you give young people trying to start their own company?

Don’t waste time on a 200 page business plan. I had my business plan literally thrown across a desk at me and was told to condense it to 2 pages. Keeping it simple is key when first pitching family, friends etc. It’s important to pitch family and friends, although I don’t recommend taking money from them. Pitching family and friends is great for practicing and it also opens doors. My door was opened by pitching a family member. Start cheap and think profit not eyeballs. This whole billion dollar idea is a big part of what I think is wrong with the Tech buyouts you see today. Your business plan should be focused on profit, plain and simple. That doesn’t mean you run your company on a pure profit philosophy. It means you get profitable, and then you can run your company any way you want. If you want flip flop Fridays your investors won’t care if you are profitable. Don’t waste money on anything other than payroll and necessities. If you haven’t learned how to get by on Raman Noodles in college, don’t expect to be eating steak for three years into your start up. Find a mentor as fast as possible and mentor to someone if you can. Youth at Risk and Big Brother Big Sister will help you find a mentee. The lessons you will learn from being mentored to and mentoring are invaluable and will serve you well throughout your life and business. Try to find balance and stay away from energy drinks. Those things are horrible for you. Have fun and make sure you treat your employees well and let them know that you appreciate them. You will make mistakes, everyone does. Own up to them and get over them. Don’t cover your tracks or hide from your failures. One last thing you will need is patience. This is something I really struggled with. There is no immediate satisfaction, you will need resilience and patience to weather many storms. Prepare yourself for the long haul and find that mentor to help keep you motivated. What most people don’t realize that have day jobs is that there is no pat on the back for a job well done until the sales start coming in. This could take a long time, even years.

What do you do to stay organized and on plan?

I don’t like a ton of meetings. I believe in hiring people that believe in the mission and are here to work. I don’t like to micro-manage, but with certain projects, I sometimes need to. I run Monday morning meetings and Friday wrap up sessions. I submit a development plan to our team after our Monday meeting. Our weekly dev plan keeps us on track for the week and we have a 4 month dev plan that helps us see what’s up the road. I keep my e-mail very organized and I delete anything that is not important. I will take a refresher from time to time from a local organization that helps with tips on staying organized. Honestly, I live for Mondays. That’s the thing I love about software. On Mondays we have updates which always keep me excited. I love seeing what our programming team has done and what new tools they have implemented that will help our customers.

How do you handle customers that want to quit or have problems?

I told you I wouldn’t let myself off the hook. This is another tough one for me. As a software business CEO you take a lot of pride in your software. It is very difficult to not get defensive when someone tells you they don’t like a feature or if they point out issues. We have multiple processes in place to minimize errors, downtime, and issues but they are going to happen. It’s the nature of the business. It goes back to owning your mistakes. If you have downtime, communicate immediately with your customers and keep them informed. If a customer is unhappy and even beyond saving, at least find out why. There is always something to learn. In the worst situations when a customer is beyond help I always ask what could have been done differently to keep them on board. This doesn’t happen too much these days but it did when we started out. There have been customers that have come back after leaving purely because of how we treated them when they left.

What does 2010 look like for ClickPoint Software?

I am excited about 2010. It’s a breakout year for us. We have a great programming team on and reliable customers. This is the year we bring some really exciting features to all of our software products. My favorite so far is the 800 IVR call routing. Our flagship software can now deliver offline leads, online leads, and live call transfers. Having so many options for just about every customer is awesome. I am also really looking forward to our new customer loyalty system being used in casinos. Our lead management system is also getting a version update which means all kinds of new user interface updates and functionality. I can’t tell you everything, but I can say that this is the year for ClickPoint Software to really stand out and gain recognition for providing quality software products.

What books have you read that have helped you along the way?

I have read all the standard issue sales books and marketing books. I consider myself to be someone who learns by doing and by listening to those who have gone before me. Business books always have seemed so general to me. I always wanted them to get specific on how to start a tech company. Experience is the best teacher. Start young, mowing lawns, shoveling snow, selling things on E-bay and you will get the basics of what it’s like to manage a little business. Next, go work for any company out of college in sales or marketing, and then try on management. By the time you are done you will know 3 out of 4 main skills you will need to run a company. Oh, and take that accounting class twice if you have to in college. The best way to learn business is to try and try again. You will fail, you will succeed, and then you will have experience.

Last question, what do you in your spare time to gain balance?

I like to get outside as much as possible. I play tennis 1-2 times a week and run. I also like to work in the yard. Something I used to love doing as a kid with my grandfather was working in the back yard. We have a huge backyard so it keeps me busy. I also like to cook and enjoy having friends over and making my famous pork porterhouse. I had this dish on my first date with my wife at a great restaurant in San Diego and it’s been my favorite ever since. I love to stay busy, but it’s important to find balance and be around people that love and support you. Without it you will find the journey all the more difficult. Some people turn their work into their life, and that to me is not healthy. I am very grateful for the people in my life and so for me I like to spend my off time with them.