How to Keep Employees for 10+ Years with Alf Ruppert -
Most CEOs don't run the same business for more than 15 years. But Alf Ruppert isn't the typical tech company founder. "I'm somewhat closer to business owners from the 50s," Ruppert admits -- a time in which he felt that creating an enjoyable work environment was more highly appreciated.
This perspective is why that at the very least, four employees have been part of the firm since it was founded.
In 2006, Alf founded iOSXpert which is now the biggest partner for the mac-based CRM and project management program Daylite. And for the past 17 years Alf has grown the company without any external funding and also maintained a high retention rate of employees.
Our former Director of Content and Community spoke to Alf about running a successful team, growing his business without any external financing as well as the story of how he developed within the Mac environment, and managing an IT consulting business and software.
Stream the full interview below or find it whenever you are listening to podcasts.
Full Interview: Audio-Only
Video of the Full Interview
Transcript
Nathan Collier
Hello y'all. Thanks for joining me today. Hi. Hi. Introduce yourself, and then introduce iOSXpert, so that people have a more about what you do.
Alf Ruppert
Yes, I am Alf Ruppert, I was known as the actor everybody knows for the TV shows from the 90s or what the late 80s. Thanks God I had a name earlier. The name I chose wasn't as cool kid at that time. Sure, we are iOSXpert What are we doing? We're more or less a business consulting firm that specializes in software consultancy like numerous outside companies, however we are specialized in Apple users, helping Apple users. And this was the original idea that we came up with: iOS experts and meanwhile our company is increasingly more of a software-based companies. In the process of making an improvement to an CRM system that we're selling. It's Canadian's CRM tool. It's well-known by Apple users. It's called Daylite and, for the Daylite System, we are making plugins, enhancements, and additional services and marketing them throughout the world. There are more than 120 nations.
Nathan Collier
Are you dialing from where?
Alf Ruppert
We are located in Bendorf We are unaware of the small city close to Koblenz. Koblenz is where it is where the Rhine as well as the Moselle River are meeting. And Koblenz is located between Frankfurt between Frankfurt and Cologne.
Nathan Collier
So, you're currently located in Germany? Yes, yes. Okay, cool. You have been working on this business for quite a long duration. It looks like it was in 2006. Is that right?
Alf Ruppert
In fact, I'm going to look it up in order to provide accurate answers around that time.
Nathan Collier
Yes. Your LinkedIn says April 2006. That's right, however main reason for me to ask to know is because it's uncommon for me to come upon someone engaged in one endeavor for this time. That's why I'm awed as 2006 is this was long far before iOS existed at all. Like the iPhone was released in the year 2008. Let me go back what was the process that led to this project start? In other words, how did start this project.
Alf Ruppert
Therefore, I am always awed to use the Mac. My very first job, real job was in an enterprise back in the 90sat the towards the end in the 90s. They had developed ERP software specifically for Mac users. This was a bit odd, because you had to promote it to everyone living in this day and age, being a Mac could cost 10,000 German marks in that period. While a PC cost around four or 5000. So it was very amazing to make commercial decisions with Mac computers, and not just making use of them to create a more artistic world but even employing them as actual business assets. This is something I love extremely. There was also an enormous ERP going out of business, and it was filmed after the initial E-commerce New Academy scene was shut down in 2000-2001. In fact it was at the time I was working for a business looking to develop an e-commerce solution based on Apple's Apple database. The company had to close down as well, and I was deeply searching to get my knowledge out and make something meaningful from all the information I had was Macs and with business items. That's why I have a hard time describing the time I launched my company at the time, probably in 2004 or five, I started I had a lot of time to spare because I had just lost my job it is big ERP moving word was about to go into decline in Germany. Therefore, I uploaded all the information I had on the web. This was the first site I built for myself. It is a software called rapidweaver which made me access the web in a completely different way for me. This is why I made a website that contained all I could learn about business software using the Mac. Then out of that began the whole process as I searched for new products to market and came across Daylite and got in touch with the Canadian people. I frequently think it's a cool thing I made it from the internet, because it's not like I'm that old and even though before the internet it was the internet was really a change for me, because prior to it, it was unimaginable to do business with an Canadian company that contacts you and establishing communication. this leads to a first meeting. Then, you work on a project.
Nathan Collier
It wasn't too long ago that like what is happening right now to me. I'm currently in the US but you're sitting in Germany as this and this could have been an international , long distance phone call at about $3 per minute or something else paid to a telecom firm. It's interesting. So you had you publish all your content on the internet? The year 2014 is classified on the surface, and in did you pick up consulting clients? Perhaps it was straight to software?
Alf Ruppert
The only thing was that I was required to have an understanding of this particular niche in things like business workflows as well as ERP systems, and it was based on an Mac. Thus, I recorded everything in the hopes that, if it ends up that I've got my personal history that is safe for me, I will be able to review of my past. But it turned out that people contacting me and say"Oh, you've got knowledge there, I never knew it existed. The first person who has all this knowledge in one location. And aside from that, I always try to locate a work by being paid for what I do. For this knowledge, and to work on the Mac as well, while I was in my search for a job I came across the CRM software and I had always been a product guy. This is why I'm in need of something that's been unable to get off of and sell it easily. This isn't the guy who's what every one is told by salespeople. you. I've got the ability to sell software, car that's next in the market, or anything else, no, I have to love the thing I'm doing. It was something I came across and this was Daylite due to its attractive method of doing so. Also, I was able to see the benefits for the customers. Then it gradually turned out that it was the very first product I recommended to my customers and to my consulting clients after which it was the same product I suggested to them. Then, it started to grow.
Nathan Collier
Then you began, you started consulting, before you were then recommended this particular product. You then began to build software that could make the product even better. So you've really gone across the entire spectrum of this particular product.
Alf Ruppert
Yes, it started because I know the very first piece of software we did to support Daylite was to make connections to telephone systems, meaning that you can push an icon and call out or if somebody's calling in, you can identify which people are calling. The problem was that I had no experience in software development. This is why I had an idea. It was even a bit difficult to find money to do this. Therefore, I found a developer made a deal with him. He said I will sell it and I will let you participate when you are sure of my. Then we worked together. And it was huge success.
Nathan Collier
I have a memory of when it happened because employed at an organization around 2010, or about that point when the idea of making calls from of your laptop connected to a CRM system was pretty new during it all. Even the time it was already on the market. If you think back to 2007 and 2008, yeah, that wasn't a common thing that was done. Similar to the way we conduct ourselves. We consider it a given.
Alf Ruppert
Yes. This is the normal thing to do however, it's not yet on Mac There are some hurdles today because, with Windows PCs, the TAPI API. It means that your operating system comes with an internet connection for phones, something that the Mac doesn't have. It's funny that the first iPhone didn't have a too. This meant that you could not make use of your iPhone using your Mac.
Nathan Collier
It's true that people can forget like, and it's difficult to recall, it was the very first iPhone that was launched with native applications and no app store like it was for several years. The iPhone that we have now was not even the iPhone of 2008 ; the iPhone in 2008 was very groundbreaking. This is very intriguing. You think that you found this particular product Daylite? What at risk of Daylite not a paid sponsor, right, like it or not. You love the product? Was there something about the product that caught your attention and made you think like, this is fantastic, I'd love to continue working with this.
Unified a couple of things. It's not just that the tourist book, it is the only calendar that is integrated as well as a way to connect items together. The app even catches your email. So that was was an issue. If you look at all the basic tools available on Mac even at a low-level then you can compare it with Outlook and Outlook. We have one application which has your address calendar, books and your email addresses. The problem is that it's not linked at all, although it's just one program when you use an Mac, it's at least three applications. And Daylite is exactly what it says. put all these together. And then at the management of projects and possibilities for creating estimates, and selling stuff, all these are linked together and all you need is one solution that Jaya is now using. It has evolved, I think, as an expert in the field would say. This was my maybe attracted me because it was the idea of the 90s. Then, at the start of the 2000s, you have one solution which covers all the bases, isn't it? In the meantime, the world has changed. And there are many millions of apps as well as small services. So even my concept of has changed in that manner that now, that you require a central app perhaps like the digital hub: how Steve Jobs mentioned the iMac. Then you've attached things around, but you need one main application. And that's the idea of how we manage the issue. The way we are going today is that the way we are. Daylite is at the center that we have our enhancements. Many of the improvements are dependent on the fact that we are connecting different systems. This means that we use an online booking system named Acuity which we have integrated into Daylite as an example of a plugin. It was a good idea. If you are able to create a clever integration of a couple of things, so it seems to the user that it's only one app, however it's actually multiple applications it is possible to change to make it better. Our work is swift. Perhaps in a year there's a better way for offering appointments online, and then we just have to join this system. If you're able to stay in the application that is centrally tailored.
Nathan Collier
I love that. This is an amazing transition from the last time we talked in a couple of months, you and I talked very short about your thoughts about your business. It seems like you're beginning to see a little of it there. And what do you think are the most important similar philosophies can use to inform your company's choices, since, you've had 16 years or however long however many years, it's been to be working on this idea. The majority of entrepreneurs, you know that they create something and then they sell it , and then go on to the next project. But they always like that that's and there's an overall good thing, and that's great. Like that's a whole it's possible to pursue this for a living. You've decided to type or build something and stay with it for an extended period. What is it that keeps your attention to this kind of issue? What are the kinds of principles that you've used in making business decisions throughout the years.
So I always was fascinated by. So there's one important thing that made me an entrepreneur. I don't like all these policies that one has to face in large corporations. Therefore, I decided to create my own space. It's my favorite thing doing my best to be part of the context of a group. It's my opinion that if you're at peace when you're at ease, you're at work, there's no difference between work and free time. In fact, I prefer to go to work because it's not nothing where I have to go there tomorrow or something like that. Also, it was important for me to make an environment where everybody who worked with me felt identical. Therefore, it was essential for me to take care for my employees. And, and I think I've made it clear in a casual conversation, maybe I'm a tiny bit more at the moment. From a business perspective, as I'm just a bit close to office managers or to to to business owners in the fiftys. And in our days,
Nathan Collier
What does it mean when you've said it several times? What exactly do you mean by this?
Yeah. So I love to give you an example we are located in the former Coca Cola building. And at the 50s, they had very close to my office, which I am in there was a pool facility for employees. They even thought about creating something that that they can benefit from that will add worth to them and make them are happy. Also, we could take them to their kids area to go swimming because there was no swimming pool can no public pool available at the time. This is the reason that I'd like to know if someone, I recently met a person here, he started as a trainee at our school. He was from Kazakhstan He's now old enough to be a trainee once more due to the German regulations and to need a new certificate. So and then he ended with his car crashing, and he's really not enough in money. Therefore, we gave him a vehicle. Everybody who's at the moment should be aware of when he faces problems we can solve somehow, if it's sometimes it could be money, it's sometimes upon when we travel from one flight to another as the entire team is present. This is the kind of atmosphere is the one we've got. This is probably the part I'm most proud of that I created that atmosphere that is present in our entire company with a team I was a part of it.
Nathan Collier
It's a fact that there will be entrepreneurs out there that are thinking this sounds great. How did you do it? Like? What did you like about it? What are the most memorable your decisions? Like? What? That's an awesome model of a vehicle. Yeah, what else has your done in the years that have sort of created that culture.
Alf Ruppert
Therefore, we must calculate, and this is even more so today. It's even more difficult today when we need to pay for our talents. It's especially difficult for smaller companies like ours, we are I think we are with Amoeba. 1670 employees, it's, it's quite hard to be the best to the business that pays the most, because larger companies possess more cash and try to be competitive on the financial aspect. That's a tough thing. But what we have done in the very first time I'm guessing we've been doing the same thing now for about 15 yearslater, is that we go skiing every year for the entire team. a whole weekend, for one example. We also do a few similar things, like in the summer and during the time that we're trying to be something I would like to call them acquaintances, perhaps a little bit different thing that's not the sort of work-family right? the kind that my American North American partners often use the term work family. Since we also have folks who work long hours for us We have, at least four people who are here more or less from the start.
Nathan Collier
What would you say to the to the aspiring businessperson for a few minutes. If you know people think they are a fan of your way of thinking and contemplating things, build, build something keep it up, create a workplace where employees enjoy working, do you suggest to them? What are the best suggestions you have for people who'd prefer to establish a company which has that type of company culture?
Alf Ruppert
Yes, there are a couple of things that could be the first one is a simple one, try to be just a nice guy and fair. So not everyone is working for me , and I'm able to buy my second Porsche. This is why the first one . It was a mere picture. It was at the very starting point, when you can feel comfortable with people who would be willing to make offers and push in order to build an effective company. But don't forget them if, should you encounter the initial hurdles, then let them take part. So we have, we are able to offer the two people at the beginning I handed them shares. Then they also gave them shares when the business starts to be worth it. They're more interested in this because now it's part of them is even their company. Also, share your success, in the event that you can say one sentence what else Yes, then trying to create that's maybe a tough thing since we are unable to provide no guidance on how to achieve that, but trying to to make a comfortable and a comfortable atmosphere for everyone that that you are different from other organizations. In today's society, while so many people are in remote locations, their corporate culture can be dispersed. If you've got people which don't care how what kind of flag they have in their house and they're trying to find the same same environment, every working for company A, or perhaps in the same company as Company B. If they reduce everything down in the name of money. Try to stay clear of it and make a decision based an investment in the company culture, it's maybe that the next thing to do. that we have I don't read too many books , because I've seen that there are a lot of people studying books, attending conferences and just thinking what is what they should accomplish. It's my belief that the one of the things I've learned from the book is to write down your values for your company. So we really created with as a group what should define us and then we came across a couple of principles that we use to declare these as the values of our business, that we will be respectful, together and respectful treating, will treat customers with respect and we can even want the same from the customer. Our time be valued. Some things, but I haven't written the details down, and then put them on the on the whiteboard. We did it together. What is our identity as a business? What's our scene where we want to be measured? Yeah,
Nathan Collier
It was quite beneficial. Yes, values. I noticed that typically an reflection of your personality that is distinct from the goals you have, and that is the place you'd like to be. You are what you wish to be. That's very interesting to know that you kind of met and then just talked about who you were, like what you are already was then incorporated into the your culture.
Alf Ruppert
And I use it every whenever I am in a job interview, I put it on the tableand they look it up, and consider whether you will fit in there. If you know where you stand with these core values, it's a fair likelihood that you'll make it into the organization.
Nathan Collier
Right? What are you going to kind of get innovative ideas or fresh inspiration? Are you looking at publications, conferences, or books? Like, what? How does it look?
Alf Ruppert
The majority of my inspiration comes from conversations is derived from my conversations with my customers. It's still me, even though my job changed. This is because at the beginning I was the only one doing all the things. So it was the consultant guy, the support person as well, the sales guy. I mean, meanwhile, I have quite many times declare that I'm the only one that is the best at a specific topic here within the organization. I just have a good idea from every department. Yet, I strive to remain the conversation going with my customers. So I still do consulting sessions even though it's not nearly as much since my coworkers as well as me. I also continue to do sales staff that I I'm still in the conversation with clients of all sizes. So so I get to know their requirements. Then I reflect on that and consider there's a problem that we couldn't solve until the how we can simplify and more productive in his work. From that, we get ideas. And, and I don't like to rummage around in to see all the trends. I have a funny story. A business acquaintance. He was a big friend and attendee at the SaaStr conference. So so he told me, you have to take a trip and check out the events there and there was one in Europe and I thought, Okay, we will travel there. And we went there together with three other persons. It was my first time attending the conference. It was a shock because I was seeking I'm running to a time tunnel back to 2000. The original tunnel was as the bullshit. When the first internet economy was born. They were telling them I think I'm in the wrong side of the group. If that's the case, I can stand there and tell people that I've already witnessed the things these youngsters have been talking about. And I'm not sitting there and back again. the disabled ship was never to be lost. It was all about how do be made to appear more substantial and how to sell it off and get the next venture money? There was no one who had earned one one euro revenue that. However, everyone did say"Oh, that's great!. He also got another 20 million venture firm. What is the likelihood of success when you receive venture capital? There are no successes when you create an item, sell it and earn profit from it?
Nathan Collier
Yeah. It's true that we're just director of product in the last, similar to Sastre Europe conference, is it true that there's a danger to go to such a venue, and, you know, some good, some negative, but it's easy to get caught up with that whole business world, in which there are people who talk an awful lot about funding rounds, and other types of issues. However, it seems like you're more and I know this is true however I'd like to have you talk about this. Your focus is on building a company that's, which is profitable. And and you can see the same thing as 2006 up to now still still going. What do you think could be the risk from not focusing too much on these kinds of venture capital concepts.
Alf Ruppert
This is a mistake I made, I already did this mistake because in 1998, I started my first larger firm, but it was not the internet-based stuff. This was just as the before the new economic 2001 all of a sudden, everything went down. Yeah. That's right. And we built it up a software and then we took our final money to bid C which was the most talked about thing at occurred at that time. So for the those who were younger event, it was a huge trade show all about computer and software. It was one of the biggest and most important ever in the world was taking place. The event took place in Hanover and I can remember when he was the one who took our final money to rent the mobile home because we have no cash for having the proper hostel where they'll say, if we don't find someone who will pay us, we will be dead when we find out that an individual who gave us money. Then they make us to have to do this and that and that. And I was quite young at that age, and I followed their directions only to get blown away. At the time, I believe I was between five and 600,000 years that I performed in the scene German mouths. I can't recall that long time. It was certainly a lot of money for our family at the time. And and then they told us if the money is empty, just call us to make another call. Yeah, interesting. The problem is, I called and it was 2001 when they told me that the money all the money is gone. Then, we were forced to shut down the business. And since that I promised that I would not accept any cash the Venture those who tell me how to proceed. I also told Bank that we had didn't need any bank. The entire amount we earned from here, to the moment, close to 1.151 five million euros of revenue was because we financed ourself interesting. Therefore, I do not even have an account.
Nathan Collier
You're truly bootstrapped to the fullest extent of the word, like from the very beginning. What's the one thing you want people to remember after listening to the conversation?
Alf Ruppert
Don't -- especially when you're an entrepreneur. Don't let you ... do not believe the nonsense they're telling you to buy the artist's books or conferences to make quick money. It's much more fun to create something long lasting, which isn't to say that I'm doing anything wrong ... if somebody would come around would say I give you 30 million euros, I'd reconsider my decision to sell it. So that's maybe the other side Don't be if you choose the way that I do, and I think that it's most appealing than trying to fast build something that isn't selling before it makes the first euro or dollar of profit. However, on contrary, you shouldn't overdo it. So if there's a business chance at the end of the day, and it's best to sell than to let take it off the table. It's all about a balance.
Nathan Collier
You can accomplish all doing it while making the profit. Do you think you're saying this?
Alf Ruppert
Yeah, yeah. You're not successful. Of course, our world will tell you you are successful if you sell something at 20 million dollars, but what never made 1 million revenue, and you have to allow it to be in your pocket. Yet, I'll feel more successful, to construct something that works as is and paying out to salary for my employees and earning a life for two families.
Nathan Collier
Yeah. Also, thanks to Alfred. or Thanks, Jeff. It's been it's been great. If you want people to kind of connect with your personality, how could they achieve it?
Alf Ruppert
Contact me via LinkedIn or send me an email directly. All of my contact information at the site. I'm delighted to impart my experience to every entrepreneur. It's true that leading into can take a longer because I've learnt 90% of the time and have prepared for whatever you're going to write me there because 90% are starting to try to sell me something at the start of maze I do not respond.
Nathan Collier
Maybe you can say Hey, I saw your interview, or heard about your podcast, or something as as the opening. Thank you, Alpha. We really appreciate your kindness.
Alf Ruppert
Yeah, you're welcome. Thanks for your kind words.