The document outlines six valuable lessons learned by Dave Terry in starting and growing a Drupal-based business, emphasizing the importance of giving back, listening to employees and customers, and creating scalable processes. It highlights the significance of a focused business strategy, maintaining a strong sales pipeline through inbound marketing, and cultivating a strong organizational culture. The insights are based on Terry's extensive experience as a partner at Mediacurrent and his active involvement in the Drupal community.

1. Starting & Growing a Drupal-based
Business
6 Valuable Lessons Learned
By: Dave Terry
Oct 4th, 2014
#DcATL

2. Dave Terry
Partner
Mediacurrent
Background
● Partner/Owner at Mediacurrent for
7+ years (45+ person distributed
team)
● Hired & interviewed hundreds of
people at various skill and
experience levels
● Lover of all things related to sales,
marketing, and culture
● A primary organizer of DcATL, ADUG,
and Drupal Business Summit
● Drupal/OSS evangelist
@Mediacurrent

3. #6

4. The More
You Give
The More You
Will Get Back

5. Do You Know This Person?

6. Complimentary
Service Providers
Wedding List
The Drupal community
hosting
companies

7. Drupal Give

8. #5

9. Listen to Your
Employees &
Customers

10. Job security/
peace of mind
Communication/feedback
is desirable
Iron sharpens Iron
open
strategy/vision
Challenge/variety
is welcomed
Is innovation
fostered?
Is my voice
being heard?
What have
we heard?
Is Innovation fostered?
Can I work on things I like
doing?

11. ● Polled a cross-section of 12 customers (2013)
● Independent feedback is key (unfiltered)
● Perception is reality
● Become more strategic, consultative, and pro-active
● Do not take me for granted - show appreciation
● We value people more than the technology
(Drupal)

12. #4

13. Create Scalable
Processes

14. Employee Handbook

16. #3

17. Positioning and
a Singular Focus
are Critical

18. Drupal Experts
● 300+ Blog Posts
● 60+ Industry Presentations
● 4 Whitepapers, 8 eBooks, and weekly
webinars
● Case studies w/global brands
● 45 Drupal Events Organized
● Maintain hundreds of modules
● Drupalcon Platinum Sponsor
● Average Drupal Experience:
6+ years

19. Drupal Experts
● Primary organizer of the Atlanta
Drupal Business Summit & past
organizer and current supporter
Drupalcamp Atlanta
● Over 600 Drupal enthusiasts from
across the Nation
● Largest Drupal event on East coast

20. ● Serves every kind of destination
● Serves every kind of traveler
● Offers every class of service
● Operates every kind of aircraft
Unprofitable for most of the past decade
and recently emerged from bankruptcy.
● Serves only well-traveled destinations
● Serves one kind of traveler (leisure)
● Offers only one class of service
● Operates only one kind of aircraft
Profitable every year since they started in
business 20 years ago.

21. ● Serves organizations that need Drupal
● Singular focus on one CMS
● Offer world-class customer service
● Operates to constantly improve
processes & contribute back to the open-source
community
Profitable every year since we started
in business 7+ years ago.
● Serves only well-traveled destinations
● Serves one kind of traveler (leisure)
● Offers only one class of service
● Operates only one kind of aircraft
Profitable every year since they started in
business 20 years ago.

22. #2

23. Keep Sales
Ahead
of Delivery

24. Understanding the Value of Inbound Marketing
Outbound
● Cold calling
● Trade-shows
● Traditional advertising (ads, radio, tv,
etc.)
● Direct mail
● Billboards
● Phone book (Yellow Pages)
Inbound
● Blogging
● Organic page ranking (SEO)
● White papers/ebooks
● Video (interview customers, training
tutorials)
● Case Studies
● E-newsletter/marketing campaigns
● Webinars
● Speak or organize industry events
● Referrals
VS

25. Understanding the Value of Inbound Marketing
Inbound
VS Outbound
CMO Sales

26. Accountability

27. #1

28. Culture should
always be #1

29. How Do You Define
Your Culture?
1. Who We Hire
2. Accountability & Trust
3. Professional Growth and Career
Development

30. Examples of Supporting Professional
Development and Personal Growth...
● Industry Conferences
(Dreamforce, SHRM,
Connections,
ConvergeSE, etc)
● Certifications (Acquia,
Agile PM, AWS, etc.)
● Leadership Committees
(AiMA, TAG)
● Development Contrib
Time
● Responsive web design
time / research
● Time for Personal Brand
● Code Sprints
● Sandler Sales Training
● Drupalcon Attendance
● Android App
Development
● Research Time
● Presentations/blogging
● Drupalcamps/Summits
● Weekly knowledge
shares (webinars)
● Company Retreat
(Callaway Gardens)

31. Hiring: Capability
Should Trump
Proximity

32. #1

33. The 4 C's

34. Thank You!
Questions?
Dave.Terry@mediacurrent.com
@Mediacurrent Mediacurrent.com
slideshare.net/mediacurrent