For 25 years, Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 has annually ranked the fastest growing technology companies in North America. It is a prestigious honor that recognizes the top 500 organizations driving the most growth and innovation in the competitive and dynamic sectors of technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech.
This year, Washington State-based companies secured 19 placements, up from 16 the year before. It is with respect that we recognize these local companies, the majority of which are software-focused, for achieving growth rates of 206% to 16,069% between 2015-2018.
Further, most of these companies have ranked in prior years as well, demonstrating that the market’s top startups have strong foundations and are growing sustainably. How are they doing it? What is their secret sauce?
At a recent Deloitte event honoring the winners, CEOs representing three of the Washington-based Technology Fast 500 honorees participated in a panel discussion, moderated by Heather Redman (Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Flying Fish Partners,) to share their inspiring journey, strategies for success and words of wisdom.
Listen to the podcast for an insightful look at what drives the success and commitment of these top local entrepreneurs that help make Seattle the global innovation hub that it is:
- Manny Medina, CEO of Outreach.io, the provider of a leading sales engagement platform. The company is ranked #4 overall out of 500 companies in North America and is the fastest growing startup in the State.
- John Lauer, CEO of Zipwhip, a company whose goal is to make texting with businesses as natural as it is with family and friends. The company ranked #188 overall and is the 11th fastest growing startup in the State.
- Samir Bodas, CEO of Icertis, the leading provider of contract lifecycle management in the cloud. The company ranked #192 overall and is the 12th fastest growing startup in the State.
What to expect – Startups and their leaders shape this region, so it is an incredible opportunity to listen in like you were right there, sitting with these thriving pioneers as they share their stories and wealth of insights.
The lively discussion opens with a look at the personal qualities of each leader, reflecting on who these executives are as individuals. The icebreakers reveal their clever, irreverent sense of humor and useful (and not-so-useful) advice they received growing up as well their favorite things to do for fun. Their openness and genuine responses make it easy for the audience to relate to each of them.
From there, the group digs in with a spirited discussion about their entrepreneurial journey, including the challenges each has faced as they scaled their businesses. Panelists frankly address trade-offs they have had to make as their business grew, and shared their proudest and scariest moments (sometimes one and the same).
The panel also features moments of reflection where the CEOs share their thoughts on why they think Washington State is a particularly great place to build a company. The discussion comes full circle as each CEO shares their best practices on how to nurture a diverse, distinguished workplace culture that gives their employees a sense of belonging and drives innovation.
My key takeaways – This year marks a milestone for Deloitte – 25 years of tracking the fastest growing companies in tech. As the leaders and sectors may change over time, there are some fundamental truths that inspire me daily and explain why this is an incredibly dynamic area for startups. In listening to the panelists, it was clear that while each journey is unique and challenging, the goal to grow with purpose is universal and has a powerful way of defining culture, uniting teams and inspiring leadership. Each of these CEOs articulated a strong commitment to the current and future needs of their customers and agreed that their unwavering focus on innovation guides them.
My congratulations again to our Washington State-based Fast 500 winners. I recommend all aspiring entrepreneurs, and Washington citizens, take the opportunity to listen to the podcast – I know that you’ll gain key insights from it. The market keeps transforming in exciting ways. Our heartfelt thanks to Manny, John and Samir for sharing some insightful guideposts.
For additional details on the Technology Fast 500, including the complete list and qualifying criteria, visit www.fast500.com
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