Nathan Lindstrom
Travis Parigi, Founder and CEO, Liquid Frameworks
When Travis Parigi's parents bought him a computer in grade school, he was immediately drawn to coding and quickly developed a passion for building software. Today, as founder and CEO of LiquidFrameworks, Parigi has established a company that provides field operations management software to the energy industry. BIC Magazine recently visited with Parigi to learn more about LiquidFrameworks' startup and its success today.
Q: What led you to start LiquidFrameworks?
A: Having built software as a consultant for some of the world's largest oilfield service providers, I began to see a recurring problem related to field data collection at well sites where connectivity was extremely limited or nonexistent. After about a year of market research, I found several compelling facts. There were no dominant players providing an enterprise- class software solution specifically addressing the unique requirements found in the energy industry, such as electronic offline proof-of-delivery. An underserved niche market with no significant incumbent competitor to displace seemed like a natural opportunity for a startup software company. In 2005, I started LiquidFrameworks with the goal of becoming the de facto standard for field operations management software in the energy industry.
Q: When did you know LiquidFrameworks would make it?
A: I always "believed" the company would make it because I knew we could build a great product that solved a real problem for a market that was not being served effectively by others. However, I didn't "know" the company would make it until I saw one of our early customers in the industrial services industry use FieldFX in its sales cycle to win business away from long-running, well-established competitors.
Q: Why is LiquidFrameworks successful?
A: The No. 1 reason for the success of LiquidFrameworks is our people. The development of our product requires the most talented developers in the market. The sales process is complex and multifaceted, requiring a team of people who understand the enterprise sales cycle and solution engineers capable of effectively delivering crisp, concise product demos in the unique context of each potential customer.
Q: Do you have a favorite quote?
A: "The test of true intelligence is the ability to retain two opposing ideas in the mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." -- F. Scott Fitzgerald
Starting a business involves numerous situations that require creating workable agreements with other parties such as customers, vendors, partners and employees. If I can genuinely and clearly understand the other parties' positions, interests and perspectives, I've found I can more effectively create something that works well for all of us and results in something very beneficial for the company.
Q: How do you maintain a good work/home life balance?
A: In the early years of starting a software company, I'm not sure having a good work/home life balance is the easiest thing to do. I was exceptionally fortunate to have a wife in the investment banking industry (also known for its long hours), and she understood exactly what building a company from scratch would require. In spite of the never-ending work, we made it a point to find time to take quick trips. Disconnecting was difficult, but we would force ourselves to do it.
