SinglePlatform: Leaders Let Others Shine

By Thatcher Bell, investor and board member 

In 2010, I was working for DFJ Gotham Ventures and led the firm’s new investment in SinglePlatform, a software platform to help local merchants market themselves online.  The founder, Wiley Cerilli, built an incredible team culture at the company. This culture was based on respect for each member of the team and on celebrating successes. Celebrating success included some measures you might see at other companies, such as a gong and later leaderboard for the sales team and many social events.  

The team spirit worked. The company achieved strong sales growth, we agreed to lead a follow-on financing round, and the team continued to grow. The company came to be recognized in the startup community as an up-and-comer.  

In June of 2011, the company was recognized by Business Insider as one of the top 25 startups to watch in New York City. The list included a write-up on each company accompanied by a photograph of the founders. When Wiley saw the article, he reached out to Business Insider. At his request, and in keeping with the company’s celebration of its people, his photo in the article was replaced with a picture of the entire SinglePlatform team.  

The image of the whole team made an impression. For many employees, it was the first time they saw themselves in an article. They forwarded the link to family and friends. The picture bolstered team morale even further and aided the company in attracting additional hires in a competitive environment. Less than a year later, the company was acquired by Constant Contact. Once again, the company was the subject of various articles in the technology press. And once again, the picture accompanying the article was one of all the employees at SinglePlatform. 

Many of the members of the team Wiley built stayed for much longer than you might expect after an acquisition, in no small part because of the camaraderie they built from the company's early days.