Today we’d like to introduce you to Zach Ahlstedt.
Hi Zach, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
In a nutshell, Outpave is an expense and invoice management product for small to midsize businesses, specifically focused on home service companies and construction firms that have traditionally been underserved.
I loved the experience of building something I truly believed in, so I took the advice of my colleagues, and left for the wild, crazy world of entrepreneurship!
No doubt, building Outpave has been quite a journey already, but I’ve been blessed with a great team.
When we started, I knew I needed co-founders who believed in my vision. So, I reached out to my childhood friend David Cauthron, who has a wealth of technology experience. He became Outpave’s CTO and one of the co-founders.
Our other co-founder has been a mentor and friend for a long time, leading up our sales and operations for Outpave.
Our first employee, Julie Simon, joined us to lead marketing. We have a unique bond, as we trained for Ironman and marathons together, facing challenges side by side for years.
The Outpave team is growing fast, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found talented co-founders, engineers, and designers who share my vision. Their dedication and sweat equity are instrumental to our progress.
Plus, we just secured pre-seed funding, so we’re gaining a lot of momentum and excited for what’s to come!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Of course, we made some critical mistakes in the early stages. For instance, we realized the importance of picking our team wisely and not relying too heavily on contractors who aren’t aligned with the vision (and don’t have skin in the game).
Initially, we hired contractors who could execute exactly what we wanted, or so we thought. However, it was clear that we needed a designer who could bring fresh perspectives and help us identify gaps in our user experience.
Building a startup from scratch has been quite the challenge, and it has made me realize how much we often take for granted in the corporate world. Simple things like established processes, policies, collateral, larger budgets, data, and a sales pipeline can make a big difference.
But despite the difficulties, I wouldn’t change a thing. It has been a valuable learning experience that has shaped our journey and shaping our team.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
While we’ll continue to refine our approach, our vision for Outpave remains the same. Our goal is to be the go-to finance hub for the next generation of home service companies, empowering them to manage and expand their businesses effectively like never before.
Our expense management and payment processing technologies save our customers valuable time, freeing them up to focus on growth instead of drowning in paperwork.
The construction industry tends to be resistant to technology, but it’s a market ready for disruption. Many new and existing companies are actively seeking a solution, and that’s why we’re here.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I highly recommend reading “The Billion Dollar Coach.” It’s a book that shares valuable lessons from Bill Campbell, a famous business coach who worked with some of Silicon Valley’s most successful leaders.
One lesson that stood out was the importance of building strong relationships and fostering a culture of trust and transparency within a team. The book emphasizes open communication and encourages leaders to create an environment where team members feel safe sharing their opinions and challenging ideas. This idea of developing a psychologically safe space for collaboration and innovation really resonated with me.
On another note, my team and I love using Figma.
It’s a collaborative design tool that allows us to create, edit, and share interactive prototypes. We can collaborate in real time on our design work and leave annotations and gather feedback in one platform.
Finally, mentorship from experienced founders has been incredibly valuable throughout our journey. One key piece of advice that stuck with me is the importance of talking to customers early on. And that’s exactly what we’re doing – getting out of the building and engaging with our customers. Their feedback has been invaluable in helping us improve and grow.
You can’t get that feedback from any book, blog, or podcast.
Learn more about Outpave and follow Zach on Linkedin.
Contact Info:
- Website: outpave.com
- Facebook: /outpave
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/outpave/
- Twitter: @outpave
- Youtube: /outpave
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zach-outpave/
