Surely you know the story of the Shoemaker’s Children. The old chap was so busy crafting footwear for his customers that his own progeny went barefoot.
Sometimes, it feels that way around Guidewire Group. Even as we advise startups on their strategy and admonish them to market effectively, we ourselves struggle to keep up appearances. Our own business strategy was a bit too vague and our services too complex to deliver with leverage. The Guidewire Group Web site is, frankly, a little unkempt, and our Twitter stream is more of a drizzle. If farm fences had as few posts as our blog, all cattle would be free range.
In short, we realized we needed to do better. So late last summer, we rolled up our sleeves and got down to work on our own business. We tightened our focus (the No. 1 thing we advise our clients), re-prioritized our resources, cleaned up our product offerings, and developed a strong story that has been resonating with customers.
Over the next 45 days, we’ll be rolling out these changes. We’ll be talking about our new platform that enables startups to assess themselves using the G/SCORE methodology. We’re opening a business acceleration center in the heart of Silicon Valley. The Web site gets a face lift and a content boost. We’ll streamline our online presence and work harder to share with the larger Innovation Ecosystem the insights we gain by working closely with smart startups. We’ll deliver to the market a clear message about who we are, why we do what we do and for whom we do it.
At the heart of all this change is a great team, and I couldn’t be more proud of the work we’ve done to re-start Guidewire Group to better serve the Innovation Ecosystem. Guidewire Group co-founder Mike Sigal takes his seat on the board of directors and will work with me on strategic direction. Filling his role in business development is Michelle Messina, who will oversee the growth of our exciting programs designed to support Economic Development Agencies in the U.S. and around the world. Erica Lee anchors our operations and marketing practice, delivering her special brand of “getting things done.” And as always, Alice Mar is the rudder of the business, making sure we stay the fiscal course and grow our business responsibly.
We could not have found a better or more passionate person to drive our work with worldwide economic development agencies than Michelle. She has deep experience working with international startups and running government-sponsored business acceleration programs. Her credentials in this essential community are long: President of Explora International, the co-founder of the French Business & Innovation Accelerator (FBIA), an advisor to the Mexico-Silicon Valley Business Accelerator TechBA, , a board member for Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship and an Advisor (SAGE) at the Larta Institute. Perhaps most importantly, Michelle shares Guidewire Group’s vision of fostering innovation around the world.
This vision drives the new Guidewire Group, as we endeavor to be a catalyst for entrepreneurship, startup growth and sustainability, and economic development and job creation around the world. If you’ve not heard enough from us in the past, consider this fair warning: we’ve got plenty to say and we’re raising our profile in the year ahead.
