Robert Cheetham & Dan Pilone: Building Businesses that Last, Bootstrapping & Acquisitions - MBM#48

Robert Cheetham is the founder of Azavea, founded all the way back in 2000 and Dan Pilone one of the founders of Element84, started in 2010. Recently Element84 acquired Azavea to expand from large scale computing to also analysis. I wanted to talk to Robert & Dan about why they went for an acquisition and why now, if both companies had both been around for so long. Both companies also have not taken outside investment, which made this acquisition all the more interesting

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About Dan & Robert

Shownotes

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Timestamps

(00:00) - Introduction

(03:05) - How would you describe yourself?

(04:26) - What is Element84 today?

(08:13) - History of Element84

(10:43) - From Landscaping & Japanese Studies to Starting a Software Company

(24:57) - What prompted Robert to start a business

(29:00) - From Solo Entrepreneur to Building a Team

(32:56) - From Desktop GIS to Developing Open Source Tools

(42:09) - Building Companies that Last

(53:43) - Why a B-corp?

(01:01:53) - What is a B-corp?

(01:07:39) - Why An Acquisition?

(01:29:42) - What does the future look like for Element 84?

(01:41:16) - Balance Long Term Thinking with the Urgency of Climate Change

(01:49:56) - Beyond Geospatial?

(01:56:39) - Deciding on a Company Strategy

(01:59:57) - What are Robert & Dan Excited about for the Future?

(02:14:28) - Book and podcast Recommendations

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Steve Brumby: Governments Need Better Maps, Impact Observatory, Descartes Labs & National Geographic - MBM#49

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Este Geraghty: The Importance of Mapping Diseases & Health