Meet our founder

What's your vision for Chalkboard?

Our vision/goal is that anyone be able to instantly add a second work number to any phone. That way, they can keep work separate (with ways to manage working hours, etc.), and keep their personal number private. We're also working on a way to share calls and texts with a team, which is going to really take the product to another level, I can't wait for us to launch that.

Can you tell us more about your Chalkboard journey so far. How did you get to where you are today?

I've always loved building software, and I was looking to build a new tech business after selling my last company. I noticed that there's so much software around for enterprise/larger companies, but not a lot of options for the smallest of businesses, especially the kinds of businesses that are away from a laptop and out of the office most of the time. There are a *lot* of users in this category, and so I decided to start a business to focus on building for them.

What advice would you have for an entrepreneur looking to start their own business?

Always keep things simple, because overthinking and complexity will be creeping in from every direction from the minute you get going. Always be on the lookout for it and simplify.

There are many things to worry about when starting. Try and decide what are the 4 or 5 or so most important things to get right and concentrate on them. Don't compromise on them. For example, for Netflix it may be a wide selection of content, unique content, reliable playback, the right price point. We all know Netflix isn't perfect, but they nail those particular aspects and people will forgive other faults.

Stay focused. Don't spread yourself too thin. Don't do more things because one thing isn't working, instead try and adjust into a different direction if you need to, or work on the problems with your current direction.

What's the biggest lesson you've learnt over the years when it comes to starting your own business?

There are many! To be honest the biggest lessons are learnt when I've moved from one business to another. I've had business failures, and I've had big successes. But you learn so much from both scenarios.

Basically, if you know and understand the sort of people that will buy your product, and there's enough of them, and you can make enough money every time you sell to those customers, you'll be successful. I guess the biggest lesson is that it's not that complicated.

Do you have a burning question for John? Don't hesitate to contact us via social media.