#17 - Transitioning from services to software, with Josh Manion, CEO, Ensighten

It happens all the time. You’re working and delivering services and in the course of business you come across a process, a system, a problem that you believe you can solve by building a little custom software. Soon enough, you’ve got it built and it's doing the job it’s supposed to do and you think... what if I sold this to another client? It’s not easy to make the transition from selling services to becoming a full-on product company. Many agencies have tried, but few succeed. So what is it about those that succeeded that sets them apart? How did they manage to not lose focus on the services side of the business as they spun up their software efforts? Join us as we speak to Josh Manion about making the transition from services firm to software startup. Guest – Josh Manion, CEO, Ensighten Josh is CEO of Ensighten, a tag management company he founded in 2009. He leads the company’s technology vision and strategic operations. He established Ensighten’s key accounts, including Sony, Microsoft, American Express, Staples, Home Depot and Capital One, which put the company on the fast track to success. Prior to Ensighten, he served for seven years as the CEO of Stratigent, a web analytics and marketing optimization consultancy. Over his career, Josh has worked with clients such as Motorola, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Mattel and General Mills, and with partners such as Omniture, Google Analytics, Coremetrics and ExactTarget. Josh has played chess professionally and is currently ranked among the top 60 players in the United States. He holds a degree in Management Science with a focus on Information Technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).