2014 LAUNCH Festival Partner Talk - Chris Hawkins, SignNow by Barracuda - Day 1

TL;DR

Chris Hawkins, the CEO and co-founder of Sign Now, shares the story of founding the company, raising funding, and ultimately being acquired by Barracuda Networks.

Transcript

I'm going to give you a really quick overview of my startup sign now and the story from founding through acquisition and Beyond uh so I'm Chris Hawkins I was the CEO and co-founder when we were Standalone company and now I'm a GM over at Barracuda running the product as a standalone business unit so before sign now uh I went to West Point I was in ... Read More

Key Insights

• 🧑‍💻 Chris Hawkins transitioned from the Army to the tech startup world by starting a tech consulting practice before founding Sign Now.
• 😀 Sign Now identified the challenges faced by financial services firms in document management and saw an opportunity to provide a solution.
• 🤩 Design and mobile accessibility were key considerations in building Sign Now's product, contributing to its success in the App Store.
• ❓ The company achieved profitability and was eventually acquired by Barracuda Networks, providing an exit for the founders.
• ❓ Successful acquisitions require significant effort and integration planning to avoid potential failures.
• 👻 Sign Now's acquisition by Barracuda Networks allowed for leveraging resources and a shared vision for simple and effective product solutions.
• 🤨 The decision to be acquired was influenced by the founders' consideration of profitability, raising capital, and executing the next growth stage.

Questions & Answers

Q: How did Chris Hawkins transition from the Army to the tech startup world?

After leaving the Army, Chris Hawkins decided to pursue a career in the tech industry and started a small tech consulting practice in Orange County.

Q: What problem did Sign Now aim to solve?

Sign Now aimed to address the challenges faced by financial services firms in managing document signing, notarization, and document management, which often consumed significant time and effort.

Q: What were the key principles in developing Sign Now's product?

Sign Now focused on two main principles: design and mobile-first mentality. They aimed to create the sexiest-looking signature and prioritize mobile accessibility, which contributed to their success in the App Store.

Q: How did Sign Now approach pricing their product?

Sign Now spent several months refining their pricing strategy to find a balance that catered to their users' needs while optimizing revenue generation. They achieved the right pricing model in November.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Chris Hawkins, a former Army officer, transitioned from the military to the tech startup world by starting a small tech consulting practice in Orange County.

• Recognizing the challenges faced by financial services firms in managing document signing and notarization, Hawkins identified a product opportunity in the market.

• Sign Now was built with a mobile-first mentality, focusing on design and ease of use, and quickly became a top-ranked mobile e-signing platform. After achieving profitability, the company was acquired by Barracuda Networks.