Wil and Wes and the Schedulefly Journey

Under the influence (Wes)

Don't hate the players, hate the game (Wes)

Incremental vs. Exponential growth (Wes)

Wes talks about these and how SF is sort of in between.

Remove the friction (Wil)

Wil talks about creating a competitive advantage by removing the friction and making it easier for customers to do business with us.

Not crossing the line (Wil)

Wil talks about his son's comments about a video game that keeps adding features...

Less reps, more rest (Wes)

Wes discusses a fitness conversation with Wil and how it applies to SF.

Stick with the basics and you'll be just fine (Wil)

Nuff said in the title. Give it a listen.

Talking smack about your competition (Wes)

Wes tells a story of a desperate sounding tactic used by a competitor of Schedulefly.

Drawing a line in the sand (Wes)

Wes talks about drawling a line in the sand and why we choose to do so. The talk mentions a section of a great book called Rework, which can be found here. https://www.amazon.com/ReWork-Change-Way-Work-Forever-ebook/dp/B003ELY7PG

Leaning into our strengths (Wil)

Wil talks about what we do well, what we enjoy and focusing on just those things.

Closing the sale (Wes)

Wes talks about sales people's goals vs the company goals.

No fear (Wil)

Wil talks some more about fear and decision making in our business.

Zero pressure to grow (Wes)

Wes talks about how nice it is to own a business that is under no outside pressure to grow, which consequently is a big reason why we grow.

Authenticity and fear (Wil)

Wil talks about both and how they work for Schedulefly

280K users - 35 support emails and 10 phone calls/day (Wes)

Wes talks about the amount of customer support we have at Schedulefly.

We're it (Wil)

Wil talks about where we fit in an industry with funded competitors. This is awesome.

Why i'll never say yes to this feature (Wes)

Wes talks about a recurring feature request that will never be built at Schedulefly.

Whatever it takes (Wil)

This is a great podcast from WIl on doing whatever it takes (often they are things that don't scale) in the early days of starting a business.

I'm gonna need air cover (Wes)

Wes talks about the phrase guilty by association.

Number 7,000 will be like number 1 (Wil)

Wil talks about our continued excitement for the way we grow and the way we run this business.

One great restaurant at a time (Wes)

Wes talks about how it never gets old signing up one customer at a time. It will never get old and we will never need to speed it up.

It's Ok. I still like you. Remain calm. (Wil)

Wil talks about a free smoothie offer he's cashing in but wonders about the reason for the offer in the first place.

Being like our customer (Wes)

Wes talks about what a good match we are for the customers we serve. In many ways - we operate just like they do.

Uh, how does the customer fit into all of this? (Wil)

Wil ponders the reasoning behind grow fast and exit (a venture backed approach) vs building something really valuable over time that makes life better for the customer.

Start so simple, you're afraid they might laugh (Wes)

Wes tells a story about a buddy and his business and the opportunity he has to helps his customers with really simple, yet PIA, things.

A terrible salesman gets lucky (Wes)

Wes tells the story of showing Schedulefly to our 1st paying customer 10 years ago - a customer who is still with us today.

What's happening in restaurant employee scheduling right now (Wil)

Wil talks about where we fit in our industry in an increasingly crowded market.

Consistency and Repetition (Wes)

Wes talks about the Schedulefly brand.

Hell Yes or No - Cityfly (Wil)

Wil talks about a new tool we've built that took awhile to become a Hell yes.

Thoughts on the future of restaurant employee scheduling (Wil)

Wil talks about our industry and where we fit.

If we took the money...(Wes)

Wes tells a funny story about a conversation with an investor.

The hay is out back, 1st bail is free (Wil)

Wil tells a funny camp fire story about Schedulefly and they way we do business.

Old school (Wes)

Wes talks about being old school and focusing on stuff that does not go out of style.

When an experience turns into a commodity (Wil)

Wil talks about a restaurant he once loved that made some small, seemingly insignificant, changes that actually hurt the customer experience.

Mattering (Wes)

Wes talks about mattering and the life long journey of figuring out what really matters.

Hundreds of new features (Wes)

Wes talks more about competing on features and the race to a big slow mess.

Just because we can, doesn't mean we should - part II (Wil)

Wil talks more about things we could do but don't and why...

Danny Meyer and the little things (Wil)

Wil talks about restaurateur Danny Meyer and his approach to hospitality and a call Wil received from someone on his team.

Fishing with a VC (Wes)

Wes walks through a hypothetical idea from an investor to make Schedulefly successful.

What I learned waiting tables (Wes)

Wes talks about the things being a server taught him about life and business.

Reliving the movie Airplane when ordering stationery (Wil)

Wil talks about a humorous, frustrating experience when re-ordering Schedulefly stationery.

A constant in a world of change (Wil)

Wil talks about how frequent changes in technology and products can be dreaded by customers who are looking for products and services they can rely on. Useful ones that don't keep changing.

A future we never wanted (Wes)

Like Dr. Emmett Brown said best - tiny decisions and interactions made now can have drastic effects on the future. Wes talks about an opportunity that could have erased the future as we know it.

Taking pride in polishing a glass (Wil)

Wil talks about a conversation he had with Van Nolintha - the owner of 2 very successful restaurants.

Never leave fish to find fish (Wes)

Wes talks about a lesson that's been learned over and over again - leaving fish to find bigger fish. It rarely ever works.

Technology doesn't make a restaurant successful (Wil)

Wil talks about what makes a great independent restaurant successful - and it's not technology.

When breaking up is easy to do (Wes)

Wes talks about a customer that we lost due to them needing more from their scheduling software. Rather than add more software to try and grow with them - we congratulate them and send them on their way - so we can stay focused on the right places

We're not for everybody, and that's okay (Wil)

Wil talks about our philosophy on not being here to serve all types of restaurants and why.

The sales person wins, the company loses (Wil)

Wil talks about sales people and their incentive to bring on new business. In some cases, aggressive sales can actually back fire and tarnish the company's brand.

Timing is everything (Wes)

Wes talks about the the teeny tiny chance that mentioning Schedulefly to a restaurant owner would actually coincide with it being an important problem she is looking to solve. So rather than bother people, we let them find us - when the time is right for them.