Navigating the Transition from Service-based to Product-Based Company with Ollie Smeenk, Co-CEO at SODAQ
In this episode of Over the Air - IoT, Connected Devices, & the Journey, Ryan Prosser, CEO of Very is joined by Ollie Smeenk, Co-CEO at SODAQ. They talk about how SODAQ is transitioning from being a service-based company to becoming successful as a product-based company.
Ollie's IoT Hot TakeIn this episode of Over the Air - IoT, Connected Devices, & the Journey, Ryan Prosser, CEO of Very is joined by Ollie Smeenk, Co-CEO at SODAQ. They talk about how SODAQ is transitioning from being a service-based company to becoming successful as a product-based company. They examine the approaches and challenges involved in shifting to a sustainable IoT company, finding the best use cases that fit its low-power technologies, selecting the best people, and determining the perfect blend of management, sales, and change.
Ollie Smeenk was born in the Netherlands and raised in Tanzania. He has installed a large base of weather monitoring stations across Sub-Saharan Africa and is now Co-CEO of IoT hardware company SODAQ. He drives positive impact through physical products and technical innovation, especially by utilizing solar energy harvesting and low-power technology in underdeveloped nations and concentrating on environmental concerns. He believes that humans can live in harmony with each other and nature.
They cover:
๐ [01:35 - 04:10] The background around the SODAQโs shift from a service-based to product-based company
๐ [05:05 - 06:40] The challenges of transitioning into a product-based mindset
๐ [07:32 - 08:50] Focusing on aligning the different departments towards change
๐ [10:50 - 11:25] The challenge of aligning operations to the transitioning process
๐ [11:30 - 12:25] Hiring the right people
๐ [15:05 - 16:30] Conceptualizing a product-market fit for SODAQโs low-power IoT technologies
๐ []16:35 - 17:20] Advantage of solar-powered asset tracking solutions
๐ [17:45 - 18:40] SODAQโs products and use cases
๐ [21:55 - 22:50] HOT TAKES: The importance of company culture
If youโre interested in how companies can transition from service-based to product-base mindset, tune into this episode of Over the Air โ IoT, Connected Devices, & the Journey podcast.
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