Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephen Eick.
Stephen, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
We started as a government contractor and gradually become involved in telematics and the Internet of Things. Some of our customers challenged us to create telematics software for Electronic Logs. Truck Drivers use logbooks to record their work and driving time to comply with DOT’s Hours of Service regulations. These regulations ensure that commercial drivers don’t drive when they are fatigued and thus prevent serious accidents. Electronic logging software automates the driver’s log book and will soon be required by DOT.
DOT introduced new regulations that take effect December 18, 2017, that will require commercial drivers to install and use Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs). This requirement has created an interesting business opportunity for VisTracks. We have developed one of the leading ELD products and have white labeled it to many companies within the industry.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Not smooth at all. As every entrepreneur knows, starting a technology business is very challenging and full of ups and downs. Just coming up with a business idea is hard. If your software product is too simple, your potential customers will just write the software themselves. It’s hard to come with a product idea that too complex for the customers to develop themselves and yet there need to be enough customers to make it worthwhile. And your product has to be novel enough that nobody else already has it.
Money — that’s always a problem for entrepreneurs.
Hiring and dealing with Employees — in the Chicago area hiring technical staff is a big challenge. Good people are hard to find and hard to retain. And the bad people you don’t want. It’s definitely a struggle. Dealing with the first few customers is a huge challenge. Initially, there will be product gaps that will be “painful” for the first few customers.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’m proud of several things.
1) We have created the “top of the line” ELD electronic logging device. Our customers perform many evaluations and we get the feedback that our product is the best. Creating an ELD is technically difficult. The Government requirements and specifications are over 500 pages long. It’s challenging to understand and write the software necessary to have a compliant offer
2) We go to market as a white label provider. We have approximately 65 companies that oem and resell our software, usually under their own labels. Several of our selling partners are the marquee companies in the industry. Creating a white label distribution channel is very difficult …
3) As part of starting this company I have created a lot of jobs. Most, but not all, of the staff appreciates that the employment opportunities that I have created for them.
4) Developing young staff. I’ve hired many young staff who have become very good. It gives me pleasure to help develop the next generation of software engineers.
What were you like growing up?
Excellent student – Magna Cum Laude. Just as a sidenote, I remember being surprised when I looked at my daughter’s grades in college and noticed that she didn’t have all A’s because I always had gotten A’s. Of course now she is a 3rd year epidemiology Ph.D. student! Extremely hard working – I got this from my dad. Risk taker. Very aggressive – sometimes too aggressive. I remember getting into a few fist fights that I should have avoided
Contact Info:
- Address: 801 Warrenville Road – Suite 50
Lisle, IL 60532 - Website: www.vistracks.com
- Phone: 630-596-5420
- Email: sales@vistracks.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VisTracks/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/vistracks_inc
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