David Cummings on Startups

The Joy of Providing Great Experiences to Others

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David Cummings

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Last week I was walking down the hall at the Atlanta Tech Village and an excited entrepreneur I didn’t know came up to me and profusely thanked me for the impact the Village had had on his startup. Not knowing him, I introduced myself and thanked him for his kind words. This interaction got me thinking about my personal enjoyment that comes from providing great experiences to others.

Here are three initiatives I helped with (but only did a small fraction of the work) that resulted in great experiences for others and brought me joy:

  • Atlanta Tech Village – Whether it’s seeing people hanging out at Octane, networking in the conference center, or happily working in their office, it’s awesome to see all the energy and excitement.
  • Corporate Culture – Pardot being named the best place to work in Atlanta was solid external validation, but the real joy was working with so many incredible people that were aligned with the same core values (positive, self-starting, and supportive).
  • Customer Service – While other competitors raised a combined $250 million to our $0 external capital, and had all the resources in the world, we were always had the best customer service. Customers were effusive about the great, timely support they received and it was a true differentiator. Hearing first-hand about these great experiences was an amazing feeling.

Providing great experiences to others, whether it’s in the office on a Tuesday, or using the grill on a Saturday, brings real joy. Even sweeter is when someone is able to experience it for the first time.

What else? What are some other thoughts on the joy of providing great experiences to others?

Comments

3 responses to “The Joy of Providing Great Experiences to Others”

  1. Benjamin Lazar Avatar
    Benjamin Lazar

    You are an asset to the Atlanta tech community and we are thankful for your unselfish nature in helping to build the community.

    Sincerely, Ben 404.310.9869

    Reply
  2. Trey Roth Avatar
    Trey Roth

    Atlanta Tech Village surpassed my already high expectations today. Undeniably tangible enthusiasm. The building is phenomenal, but what topped it off was when the security guard, Jewell, introduced himself making me feel like I was walking into a second home before I even reached my first meeting. Several entrepreneurs gladly offered their advice and opinions regarding my startup exemplifying their “pay-it-forward” and “be nice” core values.

    So thank you (!!!) for the exceptional experience and I hope for many to follow!

    Reply
  3. Neil Singer Avatar
    Neil Singer

    During the dotcom era I was the CTO of a startup whose aim was to change the real estate business in favor of the consumer. While we didn’t survive long enough to change the industry, we did change the equation for thousands of customers saving them an average of $8500 on commissions while outdoing the industry average for days on the market. Customers LOVED the service, as you can imagine, and the pride and satisfaction that employees felt was palpable in the building.

    Everyone wants meaning in their work beyond the paycheck. I believe that the people that comprised our company in those days had achieved a rare thing: self-actualization.

    Reply

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