Eissra Eltom is the CEO and co-founder of Verve, an automation tool that streamlines workflows for distributed teams. Verve has built an AI platform that automates team processes – ranging from retrospectives and document reviews to onboarding new joiners – all initiated by a single prompt. As founder, Eissra manages overall operations from sales to marketing, and sets company’s strategic direction. Prior to that, Eissra was a Management Consultant at McKinsey & Company where she advised consumer and technology companies on their strategy. Eissra holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard Business School.
Join us as we delve into Eissra’s entrepreneurial insights, her strategies for building and launching a tech company, and her vision for success in 2024. Get ready to explore the mind of a forward-thinking CEO shaping the future of HR tooling.
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We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Eissra Eltom: Thank you for having me. I’m Eissra, co-founder of Verve, a no-code tool that helps team leaders and people ops folks define team processes and set-up through smart automations that integrate with core team tools.
People are our most valuable assets, but in todays workplace – our approach to managing people is fundamentally flawed. Companies rely on countless tools to enable everything from onboarding and engagement to compensation and promotions. There is a software subscription for any use-case you can imagine… whilst this might sound like a good thing, it’s not.
It’s creating product overload and data fragmentation. More tools, mean multiple logins, data sources, and vendor relationships. At Verve we’re leveraging low-code automations to help companies manage their operations from one place – saving companies time, money and mind space.
In the past year, what is the greatest business achievement?
Eissra Eltom: One of our most significant achievements was launching our new AI automations. Users describe a team workflow and Verve’s AI builds a bespoke automation that fits their team work-style to a T.
For instance, you could simply write – in plain English: when a team member submits a vacation request on BambooHR, send a Slack message once confirmed and automatically schedule a OOO on Google Calendar. And Verve sets it up – it’s magic!
It’s been a great success, within the first-week of launching our feature demo our user waitlist doubled. This will help us stay competitive and meet the growing use-cases as we onboard new users.
What inspired you to start Verve, and how does that initial vision continue to guide the company’s direction?
Eissra Eltom: Leading in the new work order has become increasingly challenging, with the rise of cross-functional teams, remote work, and multigenerational teams. Having been part of multiple teams at start-ups and led countless teams at McKinsey, I intimately understand these challenges. This paradigm shift necessitates better, more adaptable tools that are simple to use. Our vision for Verve was to equip leaders with custom automations and analytics, all in one place, enabling them to save time and cultivate thriving teams, no matter where they are. This initial vision continues to guide Verve’s direction, propelling us to provide innovative solutions for the evolving landscape of modern work.
How do you collect and integrate user feedback to continuously improve and tailor your HR solution?
Eissra Eltom: Drawing from my experience developing tech applications for worker productivity, we’re leveraging user analytics, conducting regular surveys, and fostering direct communication channels with our user base. By closely monitoring user interactions and preferences, we can swiftly identify areas for improvement and tailor our solution to meet the evolving needs of our clients, ensuring a seamless and productivity-focused user experience.
Great, on a different note – what’s a must read for every Founder?
Eissra Eltom: Without a doubt, ‘The Mom Test’ by Rob Fitzpatrick. This guide has been a game-changer, offering practical insights on how to extract genuine feedback from potential users. It taught me the art of asking the right questions to gather genuine, unbiased feedback from potential users. This skill has been instrumental in shaping our product development strategy, ensuring that we build solutions that truly resonate with our target audience.
What is a common mistake founder make?
Eissra Eltom: I guess, one common mistake is getting too caught up in perfecting the product without sufficient customer validation. It’s crucial to strike a balance between building a robust solution and gathering feedback early on. I think this is something non-technical founders like myself fall into. Launching a minimum viable product (MVP) allows us to test assumptions and pivot if necessary based on real user interactions. By focusing on iterative development and customer input, we can ensure that our product aligns closely with market needs.
What’s one piece of advice you would give to aspiring non-technical entrepreneurs, especially those venturing into the SaaS space?
Eissra Eltom: I built the first iteration of Verve without any coding experience, before meeting my co-founder Fran. I discovered Bubble, a no-code platform for building SaaS platforms, marketplaces, and customer relationship management systems (CRMs) without code. The next day I started building.
Here’s my advice for non-technical entrepreneurs:
- Learn the basics: Get comfortable with the platform by creating a simple test app.
- Build the MVP: Create pages, forms, and functionality without code.
- Leverage community support: Join the no-code community for help and tips.
- Test, iterate, and launch: Thoroughly test your MVP, address issues, and iterate before launching.
I launched my business in 10 weeks, generating $60k in four months. Don’t wait for the perfect time or co-founder. Dive into no-code tools, get scrappy, and surprise yourself with what you can build!
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Eissra Eltom: Cool question! – I’d opt for a ‘Time-Bending Strategist’ superpower. The ability to navigate time efficiently would let me allocate resources wisely, plan for the future, and seize opportunities before they arise. It’s the perfect superpower for optimizing our business strategy and ensuring long-term success.
Jerome Knyszewski, VIP Contributor to ValiantCEO and the host of this interview would like to thank Eissra Eltom for taking the time to do this interview and share her knowledge and experience with our readers.
If you would like to get in touch with Eissra Eltom or her company, you can do it through her – Linkedin Page
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