Robert Cheetham & Dan Pilone: Building Businesses that Last, Bootstrapping & Acquisitions - MBM#48

Minds Behind Maps

Robert Cheetham is the founder of Azavea, founded all the way back in 2000 and Dan Pilone one of the founders of Element84, started in 2010. Recently Element84 acquired Azavea to expand from large scale computing to also analysis. I wanted to talk to Robert & Dan about why they went for an acquisition and why now, if both companies had both been around for so long. Both companies also have not taken outside investment, which made this acquisition all the more interesting

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About Dan & Robert

• Dan's LinkedIn
• Robert's LinkedIn

Shownotes

Note: Links to books are Amazon Affiliate links. I earn a small commission if you buy any of these books.

• Element84
• Azavea
• Dan's Previous Appearance on Minds Behind Maps
• B-Corporation Certification
• Book & Podcast Recommendations
  • Thinking In Bets by Annie Duke (Affiliate Link)
  • Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir (Affiliate Link)
  • Mike Duncan: History Of Rome
  • Mike Duncan: Revolutions
  • Enlightenment Now by Steven Pinker (Affiliate Link)
  • The better Angles of Our Nature (Affiliate Link)

Timestamps

(00:00) - Introduction

(03:05) - How would you describe yourself?

(04:26) - What is Element84 today?

(08:13) - History of Element84

(10:43) - From Landscaping & Japanese Studies to Starting a Software Company

(24:57) - What prompted Robert to start a business

(29:00) - From Solo Entrepreneur to Building a Team

(32:56) - From Desktop GIS to Developing Open Source Tools

(42:09) - Building Companies that Last

(53:43) - Why a B-corp?

(01:01:53) - What is a B-corp?

(01:07:39) - Why An Acquisition?

(01:29:42) - What does the future look like for Element 84?

(01:41:16) - Balance Long Term Thinking with the Urgency of Climate Change

(01:49:56) - Beyond Geospatial?

(01:56:39) - Deciding on a Company Strategy

(01:59:57) - What are Robert & Dan Excited about for the Future?

(02:14:28) - Book and podcast Recommendations

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- Edited by Peter Xiong. Find more of his work