SiliconGrassland.com

Well, we’ve worked hard and have pulled off another one. Today we announced that DataSync has finished our first round of investing with $1.2 million in venture capital. Not bad for a company from ’silicon grassland’. To top off our big day, we also announced that we have entered into a strategic partnership with SugarCRM to offer fully supported solutions to small businesses for an attractive price.

Personally, this journey has grown my faith, my drive, and my belief in hard work. Without a solid grounding in my faith I would have bailed out. Building a company like this is tough, and this journey has cemented my belief that God brings us through challenges to grow our faith and make us more effective people.

I would first like to thank the employees, investors, and customers who made this whole thing possible. It’s been challenging to make it this far. We have encountered roadblocks we didn’t even know existed, let alone how to overcome them. But we have. No one has built a business model like ours before. Delivering cloud based, integrated, small business solutions is new. Plain and simple. Furthermore, we’re out here in the midwest, far away from the built-in connections many comparison companies have in Silicon Valley. It’s taken a long time for anyone to give us the time of day outside of the area. So we’ve had to discover our own path. Fortunately, that isolation has broken. People in the valley know who we are. I’ve had the privileged of holding meetings with some of finest executives and journalists in the industry. We have worked very hard to earn that respect – something I count a blessing. We didn’t raise $10 million in startup capital, start with an experienced executive team, or try a slam-dunk business plan. But we’re innovating, and we are conquering obstacles. It’s a really cool feeling.

This blog has been quiet for the past couple of months, and the reason is above. Sometimes it’s a bit maddening running a privately held company because I can’t talk about all the cool stuff we have cooking. But it’s really awesome to be able to come out and talk about things. We’re very excited about the future of this company and the customers we can help. It is very fulfilling to work on a project that is helping people. We are finishing some compelling case studies about real organizations that have been enabled through using DataSync. We are solving real problems and helping customers win with what we’ve worked to hard to create.

In my travels to far away places for DataSync, I’m often asked why I live in the great plains instead of in Silicon Valley. I live here for many reasons, but I wanted to illustrate a very visual reason for staying in the midwest.

The image at left is the view I see each evening from my back door, facing west. South Dakota has the most expansive sunsets, and our weather this time of year is usually clear, making these beautiful sunsets common.

God’s paintbrush is absolutely stunning and put on display so often here, something I try not to take for granted. I’m so thankful I’ve been placed here for this portion of my journey. I talk to people from around the world, and the more I hear the more I’m reminded of the beauty I’m blessed with right outside my back door.

-Mike

Thank you all for your words of encouragement regarding my recent posts about DataSync. In the mist of the thrill of what’s going on, I feel I need to recognize a couple key truths:

1. This happened because of God’s blessing and hard work by a large group of people. It didn’t happen just because of me, but I’m honored to be a part of it all.
2. This is just the beginning, we have a long, difficult road ahead of us.

I firmly believe that this project is working because God’s hand of blessing is on it. At most times it wasn’t deserved. Success is built on so many ‘chance’ encounters that I choose to believe stuff like this isn’t chance. God chooses to give and take away, and in this season he’s blessed our work.

In addition, we got funded because of a team at DataSync that was relentless. The people behind this project believe in it as strongly as I do. They kept hammering on it through the dark times along with me, and I’m grateful for all of their help. Second, our advisory team was instrumental in getting this project moving. Mari Beth Baumberger (Enterprise Institute), Al Kurtenbach (Daktronics), John Hemmingstad (Small Business Development Center), and my entire seed advisory board contributed greatly.

It’s easy to bask in the glow of winning, but that would be very short sighted. A close adviser told me this today: “You’ve graduated, Congratulations! Enjoy the moment… You now have significantly more at stake… it’s time to get serious and lead your team to the next level. Ready?”. I am ready. The rough road has just begun. It’s going to get more challenging for the company in the coming months and years. After all, we’re growing into a shrinking economy. It’s not going to be easy.

However this company is built on the principles of faithful, diligent, and outright hard work. We’re going to be up against great challenges and difficult decisions. We will prevail.

Thanks for sharing the journey with me!

I’ve been reading a classic book by CS Lewis on my current trip, and it’s fascinating. ‘Screwtape Letters’ is a look at humans from “Uncle Screwtape” to a young demon named “Woodworm”. The theme of this book centers on Screwtape giving Woodworm advice on how to capture the soul of “the patient”, a human whom Woodworm is targeting.

Usually I’m not a fan of classic literature, but this book is really gripping. The most striking theme in this book is the analytical, strategic approach Screwtape uses to target humans. We often think that evil is blind, stupid hatred. Screwtape certainly hates humans (calls them “vermin”), but he is extremely clearheaded about how he goes about deceiving them.

The book itself is really an eye opener on how malicious evil can be. Screwtape and Woodworm have devoted their entire ‘lives’ to sending humans to hell. I don’t think Christians realize how bent evil really is. We are (or should be) very passionate about our pursuit of Christ and truth. Evil has just a spirited pursuit of deception and depravity.

I haven’t finished the book yet, but I get the idea. Christians should be aware of the spiritual warfare we are up against. Like any struggle, it will go on throughout our lives, and we must be prepared to fight the war each day. This book is a good reminder that I must continue to commit my energy to moving forward in my walk and to be aware of the spiritual world around me.

I’m blessed to live in one of most beautiful places in the country. The Dakotas are home to serene prairies, the beautiful black hills, a winding Missouri river, and wide open spaces. We have world class pheasant and big game hunting that draws gaming enthusiasts from around the world.

The world turns slower here – the agriculture lifestyle that the Dakotas are built on stays strong, and farming remains very successful. The bottom line is this: our quality of life is outstanding. I’ve lived here for a dozen or so years, and I’ve grown to love the place.

I also happen to love technology. Many have asked me why I’m not in Silicon Valley. It’s a simple reason: technology thrives where great minds thrive, not just in San Jose. I love Silicon Valley, and I travel there every year. However there is so much untapped potential right here in the Dakotas. DataSync has thrived on amazing people who have either grown up here, or enjoy the lifestyle outside of work that this area offers. We’re a web software company, so working outside the office in beautiful weather is an option for us. Although we’re very driven at DataSync, productivity is enhanced by an active, healthy lifestyle. The uncrowded, open environment of the Dakotas enhances this balanced lifestyle.

The high-tech community here is small, a benefit I’ve grown to appreciate. As I sat at Monk’s with a collection of innovators last week, I again appreciated the small, tight-knit community of people who are passionate about building the future of technology. Competition for great talent is reduced here, so it’s easier to find great people. We live in a small state, so people’s reputation guides hiring decisions. Cost of living is lower, so building a startup is less expensive.

As I look out my window onto the untamed prairie, I’m thankful that I’ve landed in this wild land. Silicon Grassland is a great place to build a company that will change the world in it’s own small way.

Silicon Grassland - Photo taken near Humbolt, SD by Mike Vetter

It’s up! But what is it? Silicon Grassland is a place for cutting edge technology news from the heart of the prairie. I hail from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, not somewhere you first thing of technology. However that’s the irony of it all – we’re living on the leading edge of technology and are located nowhere near Silicon Valley, the traditional place for innovation.

This blog is dedicated to all things relating to technology, business, and open source thinking. I run a tech company called DataSync that builds an open source web platform for deploying business applications. We’re passionate about what we do, and this blog will be heavily influenced by what I’m up to in this venture.

Stay tuned for much about great technology, innovation, and progress.

Regards,

Mike Vetter