How do you scale a successful technology company?
Conventional wisdom tells us that big-name agencies, analysts and consulting firms are key ingredients in any startup’s journey. Securing the services of these firms is the only way to mature your business, and you’re not legit unless you do — or so the thinking goes.
But guess what? Conventional wisdom isn’t always the answer.
The institutions purpose-built to support startups are failing them. My previous company, Dyn, spent millions of dollars a year on various firms: executive coaching, strategic communication, sales training, industry analysts, etc. In retrospect, that money would’ve been better spent elsewhere.
Especially in a turbulent economic environment, early- and growth-stage companies need to prioritize agility, nimbleness and efficiency. Shelling out millions to outsourced experts every year doesn’t make sense. And while traditional venture capital firms can certainly provide some strategic guidance, most aren’t rolling up their sleeves and helping you get things done.
It’s time for a new model that truly supports the growth of all businesses.
This type of thinking was what inspired my co-founders and me to build York IE. When we invest in companies, we do so actively — and we align our incentives with entrepreneurs.
Plus, our Advisory as a Service practice is designed to provide strategic guidance and tactical support to growing technology companies. We provide our operational support to companies of all shapes and sizes, whether they’re in our portfolio, or not. Our team is here to help across every function of your business: go-to-market, product development and finance.
Here are six things that separate us from your typical agencies, analysts and consulting firms:
1. We provide strategy and execution.
Despite what you’re told, most startups and growth-stage companies don’t need management consulting. Sure, some management consulting firms provide truly helpful advice — and are worth the money.
But ideas and strategy are rarely effective without supporting resources that help you execute that vision. And not many early- or growth-stage companies have the resources to pull it off on their own.
At York IE, we’re committed to providing strategy and execution, together. We can work with you to prioritize your product roadmap and build the features and functionality it spells out. We can help you identify the customers you should be targeting and write a thought leadership article to get in front of them.
Our teams operate both from a 30,000-foot view and on the ground level.
2. Our leaders are proven (and active) operators.
Last year, Last Week Tonight host John Oliver issued a takedown of McKinsey and Company, long seen as one of the de facto old-school management consulting firms.
One of Oliver’s critiques pointed out that when you work with firms like that, you might be getting advice from “some mid-20s Ivy Leaguer who fancies himself a business genius.”
What you really need is perspective from proven entrepreneurs and operators who have been in your shoes.
Our executives and network of advisors have grown successful SaaS businesses (see Dyn, acquired by Oracle in 2016), and their teams have decades of operational experience. Beyond that, we’re all involved in building York IE, so we’re living your journey right now. We’re not just giving you dated advice from 10 years ago; we’re taking the best practices that are working for our firm right now.
We’ve built our services through an operator’s lens because that’s what you need.
3. We are active investors.
David Einhorn, one of the preeminent thought leaders in the investment world, recently said that passive investing has “fundamentally broken” the markets. We tend to agree.
We describe ourselves as a vertically integrated strategic growth and investment firm. Our investment and advisory service teams are closely linked.
You don’t have to be part of our portfolio to access our services. Every advisory client can gain access to a wealth of knowledge and perspectives from our investment team, which is filled with SaaS market experts.
Our team inherently knows the fundraising and growth journey of tech companies. We understand what makes a business valuable, and that growth doesn’t happen overnight. We’ve got a finger on the pulse of the latest trends, entrants to the markets, and so on.
That’s all to say: we bring the perspective and scrutiny of an investor to all of our Advisory as a Service engagements.
4. Our pricing and packaging are built for growing tech companies’ budgets.
Most startups don’t have $3 million to throw around every year. We believe every growing company should be able to afford the resources they need to scale.
York IE doesn’t charge you exorbitant fees to pay for a legacy brand name. We’re delivering services at a price point that demonstrates actual value. Our teams operate on a monthly subscription model, not on billable hours. This gives us the flexibility to apply our time where you need it most.
We believe in true partnerships — not transactional, task-oriented engagements.
5. We work across functions to help you build a well-rounded company.
When I look back at our consulting/agency receipts from Dyn, and dozens of other startups whose boards I was on, one thing is clear: There are a lot of line items. We worked with so many different individuals and firms.
As an operator, you understand that businesses don’t grow in siloes. Your partners shouldn’t be siloed either. The old way of getting growth support leads to inefficiency; different partners might not even know the names of the other firms you’re working with!
Because our expertise spans product, GTM and finance, we can provide holistic support for everything from fundraising to product launches to optimizing your tech stack — all from under the same roof.
6. We can tailor our offerings to the needs of your business.
Our ability to evolve to the changing needs of your business, both functionally and cross-functionally, is a big differentiator.
York IE’s programs are designed to be scaled over time as you grow your business. We’re mature enough to spearhead the complexities of growing companies: integrating new products post-acquisition, driving integrated marketing programs, etc. We’re also equipped to help you from the early stages, with things like developing your product and nailing your messaging. Heck, you may even be launching something new or need a brand refresh.
Our main goal is to ensure that our time is spent on activities that actually drive your business forward. That looks different for every company, so each of our client engagements is unique.
We’re not a big, slow-moving legacy brand with tons of red tape. York IE works at the speed of growing tech companies, meaning we’re nimble enough to run right alongside you. And we want to work together over the long haul.
Genesis-stage startups to pre-IPO companies deserve better. York IE provides a different breed of advisory as a service that helps enable success for every company. Send us a message to learn how we can accelerate your growth journey.