Over the coming weeks we will be posting short interviews with each of the TradeGecko team members. First up in our new 'Meet the Team' series is our very own CEO, Cameron Priest. Here's what he had to say when we put him under the spotlight...
Tell us a little about life before TradeGecko
Life, what life? There was no life before TradeGecko... Carl, one of the other TradeGecko co-founders and I were running a web-design agency based in Auckland developing mobile & web apps for customers, whilst also trying to develop a related product to TradeGecko. Turns out that trying to do a service business whilst bootstrapping a product business at the same time doesn’t work too well.
What does your role as CEO entail?
It’s a pretty demanding but also very rewarding role! Essentially I’m responsible for the smooth running of our business so I’m involved in a little bit of everything. We’re pretty excited that our team here at TradeGecko has just grown; a part of my responsibility is to spot and hire the talent that makes our operation possible. I also manage a range of other tasks like raising funding, engaging in business development activities and last but by no means least, composing and responding to the plethora of daily emails that flood through my inbox.
What do you do to unwind in your spare time?
Spare time can sometimes be a luxury in itself when you are running a startup but I try to exercise regularly, and being a Kiwi I love the outdoors. Here in Singapore we have a some great running routes along East Coast Parks or through the Botanic gardens. I also like switching things up by pitching in and helping the team with other aspects of our business. You can say I’m a bit of a workaholic!
What is in the pipeline for TradeGecko?
We really strive to make sure we can engage with our customers and provide a product and service that will allow any relevant business to flourish and benefit from what we offer. Our mission is simple; to free our customers of the time and running costs of managing their business so they can develop and grow with us.
Whats your Ikigai*?
*the culture of Okinawa, ikigai is thought of as "a reason to get up in the morning"; that is, a reason to enjoy life. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikigai
In short, my short-term Ikigai is to build and develop TradeGecko into a large sustainable business that has the resources to provide the missing piece of the puzzle holding back many business from reaching their full potential. My long term ambition is to grow TradeGecko and many other business to a point when I have the personal resources to go out and tackle the really hard problems faced in business.
