Since I started this business, there has been one absolute that has been our guiding principle: be better today than we were yesterday. I remember the first time I read “Good to Great”. I was thrilled to learn that my business philosophy mirrored that of many standout businesses: avoid being “good enough”, devote time to developing ideas, and hire the best people you can find. It’s the last one that has ruled our success.
I have the best freaking people.
Allen Clarkson just pointed out that our ability to scout good talent is evident with Yahoo! stealing my beloved Manish. Manasi has blossomed into a fantastic PHP programmer, is smart as hell, and funny, too. And talk about growth! Dan came in as a fine artist and now mesmerizes even his own coworkers with his talent. I truly believe he has the stuff to be among the top in his field. Often, the least hailed in any business is the administrator, yet the job is so essential to running the business! And no one can hold a candle to Stacy in her ability to handle the details that keep us moving forward. They are all smart, articulate, and motiviated.
But you know what? We just got better. Jonathan Scott Duff–programmer extraordinaire–just agreed to make the move to Austin and joins us full time in December. As a team, we are incredibly pumped about having Scott on board. The guy is freaking good!
We have had six years of phenomenal success. Each year we have exceeded our goals and doubled sales. The TDS team created software products, streamlined processes, and harnessed a work and team ethic that allows us to choose the work we wish to do. Our clients are the recipients of measurable growth and goal attainment.
We are drawing 2006 to a close, and I cannot say how excited we are for the new year. I will boldly declare that 2007 promises to be an unprecedented winner! And like I said in a recent post, once you declare it, people will wait to see you fail. It’s our collective job to prove “them” wrong. :)