Building a team, like building a startup, is about communication. Jon Birdsong, the founder of a one-on-one meeting software service that helps managers effectively build and strengthen staff relationships, knows this more than anyone. So, when it came to considering his company’s future, Birdsong and co knew that a name change was in order. This week, Rivalry became WideAngle.
When building a relationship, the word “rivalry” should be the last thing that comes to mind, says Birdsong. “Wide angle” offers a larger view to relationships, which the SaaS platform totes as the cornerstone of their service – a method to help improve communications in the workplace.
“The best way to systematically build a great relationship is through a one-on-one,” says Birdsong. “A one-on-one at WideAngle is set around a set agenda, and is the communication platform that the manager gives to the direct-report. It lets them know that, Hey, as the manager, I care about you. Through WideAngle, we want to make sure that one-on-ones happen, that they are productive and well-documented.”
In three years, WideAngle has secured clients from General Electric, NCR, Namely, PGi, AT&T, SalesLoft, and others. They have also become a staple of the Atlanta Tech Village and a model of a lean startup team.
“Where we differ from other companies is that we have a very product-focused mentality. That’s just because of our team and the importance of staying patient, staying disciplined, and not getting too far out in front of our skis when it comes to fundraising and promising things that aren’t there.”
In this era of instant communication, WideAngle knows that workplace relationships are not as easily achieved as in yesteryear. Through their service, they hope to create levels of understanding. Meetings with each team member can be created to foster accountability, tangible objectives, and ultimately improve performance.
“We want to build something we can hang our hat on and be proud of. We started this three years ago and we want to not only be a solid company but the best product out there, beating out that company on the West Coast that just dumped $15 million into one-on-one software; knowing that it doesn’t even matter because our product is so good and thought out. That’s the game plan.”
Want to follow the growth of the newly named WideAngle? Check them out on LinkedIn.
