I was lucky to enter the workforce during the historic mid-90seconomy, driven by the dot-com phenomena and the Y2K push. Working for variousconsulting firms, I was able to learn an extraordinary amount about technologyand its effect on business operations. We executed mission-critical projects ona large scale and at a rapid pace. There was no better training ground for anentrepreneurial career, although I didn’t know it at the time.
And then the dot-com bubble burst shortly after the turn of thenew millennium. People in the technology sector found themselves scrambling forwork. Out of pure necessity, I made a bold decision to contact a former clientthat needed a technology rescue operation. It was this decision thatlaunched SwitchfastTechnologies in early 2000.
The rollercoaster journey that followed was a non-stop thrillride for 14 straight years! Bootstrapping that business from nothing to $10MMin revenue is an accomplishment I am very proud of, and the experience gainedwas priceless. We solved more than two million documented problems, executedthousands of IT projects with an unheard of 99% successrate.
This could not have been accomplished without a world-class teamaround me. Every person who worked at Switchfast was a high performer with unparalleledprofessionalism and customer focus. Our level of precision execution could notbe matched by any rival, and we came to dominate the Chicago technology supportmarket.
Switchfast was eventually sold to a larger, national provider,and with that, my first exit was complete. The first entrepreneurial cycle wasover, and it was a smashing success.
Where to go from there? Stay tuned.
Matt