Embedded Files
October 11, 2021
You’re a Levelsetter.
You are proud of this $500M Milestone!
You are hungry to get to the “Next Play” for our important mission.
You are remarkable in how you deliver Help First, you Wow, and you Create Payment Heroes.
And, you’re going to show Procore what makes you so special.
You’re going to CRUSH IT!
Am I right?
October 4, 2021
It’s the 4th Quarter!
Are you ready to finish the year strong and get the rest of our milestones crossed off the list?
September 27, 2021
Wow - What a week! It was great to celebrate this milestone with everyone…in New Orleans, in Austin, and in Cairo (where I am now!).
You should feel incredibly proud.
I feel overwhelmed with pride and gratitude. While I’ve been working on this and knowing about it, like you, it still races at me suddenly. Certainly I knew that this day could come, but I didn’t exactly expect it now. I’m happy it’s here. I’m happy for the journey that got us here, and I’m happy to be at another beginning with you.
There are mixed feelings, but overwhelmingly, and increasingly, I’m so proud. And so grateful. And so, so excited for what we will continue to do together.
This is a milestone we earned together by constantly pushing on our flywheel, getting through difficult days, and sticking to our values and core purpose.
And now, just like every other milestone before, we can look ahead together, toward our crisp vision and rare opportunity…and we take our next step toward them both.
For years, I’ve explained that what we are trying to do is not impossible, but it is incredibly unlikely. And the same is true today. But, I believe! And I’m right here in lockstep with you.
September 24, 2021
Wow, that was extremely nerve-wracking and fun. Thank you for getting me through it, and for everything along this journey...so far!
Here’s the lead: Congratulations, be extremely proud of what we’ve done together, and get excited because this rocketship just got better.
September 20, 2021
Thank you to everyone for making Levelset amazing for each other, our users, and the promise of delivering our vision into the world.
This week, we’ll cross another important milestone, all on our path to empower this industry to always get what they earn, and create a world where no one loses a night’s sleep about payment.
August 30, 2021
Thank you for everyone’s efforts so far in executing our hurricane plans and taking care of themselves and their teams in preparation for Hurricane Ida.
This storm has left New Orleans with damages that will leave it in recovery mode for quite some time, and many team members and their families will be impacted. The next few days, weeks, and months will carry difficulties, but I know the Levelset community will rally to support one another. Here are some of my thoughts this Monday morning…
August 9, 2021
Scott's Top 5. Payment Hero story from Barry. Josh's HOT TAKES.
August 2, 2021
We have a lot of great progress from last week and good moments, but we also have some hard misses in July that we need to stare right in the face.
July 26, 2021
In Q3, we're going to SHOW THEM THE MONEY. Here's a story from last week on Levelset creating a Payment Hero, an update on our 3 Quarterly Objectives, and my Top 5!
June 19, 2021
“Show Them The Money” is our 2021 Theme. We’ve been hitting on it all year. Today, we move into high gear on this theme. In Q3, we’re going to focus on hitting our stride here, and execute on all the places to show them the money.
This week, we zero in on the 3 objectives for Q3, and how we're going to SHOW THEM THE MONEY!
July 6, 2021
The SYNC THIS THURSDAY IS MOVED UNTIL MONDAY. @peopleops will have more on the rescheduling of that, which is because of some quarterly planning work spilling over into this week.
Happy 4th weekend to the US-based team. I hope everyone had a nice holiday weekend.
Congratulations to @aassem on his 5-year anniversary, and @noureldin on his 3-year anniversary. What a week!!
Great job (and thank you!) to @Marissa Minter @Terah and @KT who did an incredible job representing Levelset and B.L.A.C. at the Black Tech NOLA virtual conference. Check out the videos in MMT to see more!
And more...!
June 28, 2021
Congratulations to Jason Rumfola for making 6 years at Levelset last week! We’re so incredibly lucky to have Jason’s experienced hands at the wheel in our finance group as Controller. In this role, Jason is critical to so many moving parts, from the day-to-day processes of getting money in the door to the work that goes into getting new financing vehicles in place. Jason has always gone above and beyond, he’s a great leader and mentor to everyone on his team, and he makes us all look very good to auditors, investors, board members, and more. He continues to move the business forward as he grows his team and keeps the finance flywheel spinning behind the scenes. Thank you, Rumfola!
Also this week. --Fintech breaks $1M of Payments!
June 7, 2021
MMTs this week highights some mega anniversaries, shares the "HOT TAKES" on our Fintech strategic goals, and digs into a bad revenue week last week that is "keeping us up at night."
June 3, 2021
This MMT reviews our performance in May against targets. Q2 is the "Most Important Quarter in Levelset History," because we’re in a full-throttle mode right now scaling the business.
Execution in this quarter will Make or Break our 2021 goals and has the potential to catapult us into a position for a mega-raise and valuation. Here is how we’re doing on these 3 company-level objectives.
May 24, 2021
Last week we closed 41 new customers and $224,000 of bookings. This includes a $100k splash from our Data Team who are making significant progress on their 2021 objective to “Pave the way to new revenue.”
Again, our team is in position to accomplish our goals for the month of May. And we’re in perfect position to accomplish our goals in this quarter, the Most Important Quarter in Levelset History.
Winning teams hit their targets and stack their wins.
This is the last week in May. Go full-tilt and let’s notch another win.
May 17, 2021
Get sneak peak at our Construction Cash & Payment Survey
Catch up on Standout Players from last week
May 10, 2021
Exciting stuff happening all across the company...including the Phase 1 of our Return to the Office!
May 3, 2021
The Monday Morning Thoughts routinely provides updates on each strategic unit, but today, let’s take a look at the Q2 targets and objectives.
April 26, 2021
Here is this week's Monday Morning Thoughts. In the past few weeks we zero'd in on each strategic category. Today, we'll return to the normal format.
April 19, 2021
This week we focus on the exciting work being done by the Financial Product teams. This is a really exciting area of our strategy, and most importantly, on how we’ll empower people to always get what they earn.
Contractors and suppliers come to Levelset every day connected to their cash and payment stress around billions in contract value. We help them request and get paid immediately, and to resolve cash pains with materials financing.
But let’s start with a congratulation...
Congratulations to Andrew Dunn, who has joined the Executive Team as the Vice President of Financial Products.
April 12, 2021
I want to focus this week’s Monday Morning Thoughts on the exciting work being done by the Data team.
The Data Team, led by Josh Nguyen, VP of Data Products, has been building a world-class data operation for the past 2 years. Data fuels our entire Payment Help is Here strategy. And in 2021, it’s on a quest to mature our data offerings to “power the product brand and help fuel revenue growth.”
I’m super excited about what’s in store this quarter. The “Oracle.” The Construction Risk Reports. The Job Radar tools helping Escape Velocity capture more and more registered accounts. Learn all about the progress below.
April 5, 2021
I want to focus this week’s Monday Morning Thoughts on the exciting work being done by the Escape Velocity teams.
The Escape Velocity Team wrapped up a strong month and a great quarter. We’ve made a lot of progress building brand mass and reaching our customers with help-first content from all angles.
This work is super exciting, going very well, and full of potential. It’s the fountainhead for our company’s overall Payment Help is Here strategy.
March 29, 2021
I want to focus this week’s Monday Morning Thoughts on the exciting work being done by the Revenue Rocket and Flagship Product.
Q2 is racing to a close. There are just 3 days left.
We should all be super excited and proud about the progress made by these units between today and the start of the year. The month has 3 days left, and they are super important. We’re in position to hit Q1 targets. Let’s finish with a bang!
March 22, 2021
It's the last week of March, and it's the last week of Quarter 2. Lots of exciting things happening. Catch up on everything in this week's Monday Morning Thoughts.
March 15, 2021
It’s been 1 year now. A full year since COVID suffocated the world’s attention, and we shifted from a vibrant (and loud) open-office environment to a pretty strict work-from-home reality.
Hopefully, the nadir of the pandemic is well behind us and the months ahead will break positively for us all.
It’s been a year. I’ll be forever grateful to you for your commitment, effort, and support. I look forward to all of the great moments and milestones ahead, but also, to all of the challenges and gut-punches around the next bend.
As IDEA Fonder Ingvar Kamprad says (quoted in our Field Guide): Happiness is not reaching your goal. Happiness is being on the way. It is our wonderful fate to be just at the beginning.
March 8, 2021
Big congratulations to Brent Harbour for hitting the $500k milestone last week after closing SouthernCarlson! And so much more exciting progress in this week's MMTs.
March 1, 2021
It’s Grant Day! We're granting 54,950 stock options to 21 Levelsetters. 16 people are getting their first grant, and 5 are getting adjustment or refresh grants.
In this MMT, we also:
Review February performance
Celebrate new Reviews Record
Celebrate many team & individual milestones last week
Zero in on Revenue Rocket updates
February 22, 2021
There's a lot going on in this week's Monday Morning Thoughts...Including how you can make $100 over and over and over and over again. ..
February 15, 2020
This week’s Monday Morning Thoughts is slightly different. Instead of going through all strategic elements, let’s zero in on the Revenue Rocket.
The “Revenue Rocket” is a key focus area for us in Q1. And we’re now at Q1’s midpoint. You can take a look at our 1-Page Strategic Plan to see the 3 outcomes we’re working together to deliver in Q1.
The halftime report?
We’re making progress and our activities are beginning to better align toward the outcomes, but the end of the quarter is closing in and we need to close in on the finish.
February 8, 2021
Congrats to Nate on his 4-year anniversary, to Olivia on he Instead of going through all strategic elements, let’s zero in on the Revenue Rocket.
The “Revenue Rocket” is a key focus area for us in Q1. And we’re now at Q1’s midpoint. You can take a look at our 1-Page Strategic Plan to see the 3 outcomes we’re working together to deliver in Q1.
The halftime report? r promotion to Director of Growth, and to Paige for joining the $100k Club. Also, Data Group celebrated the Best Week Ever for insights, Escape Velocity hit one of their major Q1 targets for site speed, and Fintech rolled our e-Payment adoption for SaaS users.
February 1, 2020
The first week of the year is in the books. Here is a summary of how we're doing, what we're excited about, and also...a Happy 7-year anniversary to Hisham Younis, and 5-years to Jess Harjo (WOW!)
January 25, 2021
Happy 8-year annivesary to Martin Roth, and other updates as we enter the last week of January.
January 18, 2020
We see you Sales Team! Great week last week with 30 customers and >$100k of bookings! Keep it going.
January 11, 2021
2021 is underway, and I’m excited to report that we’re off to a great start.
Keep that flywheel turning…and Show THEM The Money!
December 28, 2020
Message # 100: This is my 100th message to the team!
New Year Coming: This is the last message of 2020!
2020 Yearbook: The Monday Morning Thoughts this morning is a yearbook that looks back at our year, month-by-month.
I recorded this video message: And finally, I recorded this video message to summarize some of my thoughts ending the year.
December 14, 2020
We're closing in on the end of 2020, and I'm excited by the effort and outcome last week. It was our best week in quite some time across our revenue and supporting teams.
Let's keep rolling to finish the year strong.
November 30, 2020
I hope everyone had a nice holiday and Thanksgiving. We have so much to be grateful for, and I have so much to be grateful for. Especially for all of you. Thank you for being part of this journey with me, and for everything you do. I love working with y'all, and I’m extremely excited about the opportunity we share together.
Now, we enter 2020’s final stretch.
This was an unorthodox year with many surprises, but we’re gearing up to close it out with strong growth, saved cash, matured investments, and attractive opportunities. We have lots to be excited about and proud of. We also have many challenges, and too often, we could do better against those challenges.
Today, we turn the last page of 2020. Let’s make the most of it. And, at our all-hands sync on Tuesday, we’ll spend time looking at what we must do to finish this year strong and “deliver the blue envelopes.”
November 23, 2020
It's a Monday Morning Thoughts Special Edition. We have 2 extremely exciting things going on, and I want to put all of the focus there: (1) Happy Grant Day; and (2) Happy 9th Anniversary to Gretchen!
The US team has a short week with the Thanksgiving holiday. I’m grateful for each and everyone on our team, and the wonderful opportunities we have together!
November 16, 2020
This is our last full week before the Thanksgiving holiday.
Make it count!
November 9, 2020
Today, me and the executive team will be conducting our Q4 Board of Directors meeting. I’ll start the meeting bragging about our culture, our engagement, and our commitment to Levelset’s mission. We’re about to conclude a very challenging year, but along the way, our culture has got us through the ups and downs, and we’ve always worked together toward a clear point of view about and passion for the future. Working together like this always works, and it is working for us.
There’s just eight weeks remaining in the calendar year. Let’s keep working together to deliver those blue envelopes!
November 1, 2020
Hey Everyone -- Last week was awesome. Such a great, uplifting way to end the week. I’m so excited by the energy that everyone brings to this company, and to our mission. Our enthusiasm and working together-ness can take us anywhere…let’s keep going and see where it takes us in November & December. We have our challenges and the goals are challenging...but, our 2020 ambitions are all in our reach, and we can deliver our blue envelopes.
October 26, 2020
I’m excited to close out the month strong. Let’s make this a great week and push forward in delivering the blue envelopes.
October 19, 2020
Hi Team -- We’re more than half way through October. The weeks will start to fly-by now, especially as we enter the US holiday season. And -- in the revenue department -- we have much to keep us up at night after a slow, slow start. Are you going to deliver that blue envelope?
October 12, 2020
We have a lot to be excited about, but also, some things keeping us up at night.
October 5, 2020
This week's MMTs kicks off with a video update -- a first in a while. Today is the first Monday of the 4th quarter. This is the last lap for 2020. Our goals are within reach. How will we finish and how will it end? It's in our hands. Let's go Deliver the Blue Envelope!
September 28, 2020
In business, and at Levelset, we plan and evaluation performance monthly, and then quarterly, and then annually. This week, September winds to a close, and this means we’ll close out the month of September and the 3rd Quarter. There are just 3 days left, and we’ll kick off Quarter 4 together during our Thursday morning all-hands sync.
I like the tone that Brent Harbor set for these last few days of the quarter. On Saturday morning, he posted a $39,300 deal for a new customer, Fluent Solar. Let’s let this tee us up for a strong finish to Q3.
September 21, 2020
Let’s finish Q3 strong working together to “hang those skins” on the wall: revenue, traffic, fintech deals.
September 14, 2020
We have a little over 2 weeks left in the quarter.
All touching revenue can now run up the score on our Best Quarter Ever for bookings. All touching escape velocity can lock in and keep throwing weight at our flywheel, as it feels like we’re teetering on some breakthrough traffic growth. And all touching fintech can keep pursuing applications to get this product off the ground and have us learning as rapidly as possible.
September 9, 2020
Hope that the US based folks had a relaxing Labor Day weekend. This week's MMTs starts off with an awesome update that came over the line last week, on Friday in the late afternoon: Our first Levelset Capital deal! Nick Ruvalcaba does hardwood floor refinishing and ran into some payment stress. We had the help he needed, and now, we have our first funded Levelset Capital deal in the books. Creating this week's Payment Hero, Nick Ruvalcaba.
August 31, 2020
With August coming to a close and 66% of the calendar year expired, the results are mixed, but encouraging.
In August, the revenue production will be under target, but we’re seeing tons of positive signals from new team members coming online, the network contacts team getting its swing, MQL growth exceeding targets, and more. In August, the organic traffic will be under target, but there’s great positive signals from the Payment Profiles squad with great performance in recent weeks, from early indicators to recent SEO work, and more. In August, we’re likely going to miss out on any financial product deals, but the product is in the wild, the team is working on the right things, and application flow is coming through.
But, most importantly, I’m optimistic about the path forward because in each of these 3 strategic areas, now more than ever before, our teams have clear targets, a stable vision, a shared point of view, and the teams are working together to achieve them. And working together always works.
Now, it's just a meager 33% of the year left to go. Keep your eyes on the prize. Keep consuming that next inch. Keep working together. We’ll be on the other side of those targets soon.
August 24, 2020
There were a lot of great activities and outcomes last week from the team. Our next all-hands sync is just around the corner (next week). Let’s finish August strong, so we come together to review a strong month from all teams!
August 17, 2020
As you likely know, we deliver to the Board a report of our business performance each month, and this is shared with the full team. It was great to report the launch of Levelset Capital to the Board this month.
We are in a terrific position here, and the financial product announcement is exciting. We’ll make great progress here. But, what’s so terrific about our position and our opportunity is how it all works together. The SaaS business, the sales engine, the escape velocity, the data graph, etc. - all of it, like the moon to the tides and the tides to the moon -- work together to create the opportunity we have.
So, everyone keep at it with the game plan. The revenue rocket needs to soar. The escape velocity needs to escape. The business needs to deliver on our enveloping mission.
And to all of these ends, here are some things to be excited about...
August 10, 2020
We’re at an exciting point in the 2020 calendar year for the business.
The Revenue Rocket is finding its post-COVID structure and footing, and is in position to exceed targets. The Escape Velocity team is assembled and starting to work together. And, as announced in last week’s sync, we’ve launched a very early version of the financial product.
COVID presents many challenges, especially to our working environment, but we are extremely lucky to have a durable product in this environment, and a market increasingly looking for payment help. As the summer months move along, our goals are within reach. We just have to leverage our data asset, infrastructure, and team, and go knock it out of the park to surpass our revenue targets, to consume search share and watch escape velocity traffic run up the score, and to get off the launchpad with our fintech work and do deals!
Let’s get it done!
August 3, 2020
July is in the books. We’re now fully in the swing of Q3. I’m excited for our all-hands sync on Thursday to review our July performance, and discuss how we’ll work together to speed up the flywheel in August.
July 27, 2020
This is the last week of July -- we’re now fully into the throes of the 3rd quarter. Our vision and point of view about the world is intact and durable, as we seek to empower contractors to always get what they earn; obsessed with creating payment heroes. We have a comprehensive plan to meet our vision, and as we wind up in July, we continue to work together toward our vision and push on the flywheel.
And as we push and push, I recall our "Learn Enough" core value in discussing a book about Michelangelo. Our vision is a long, shared ambition we have. Our individual ambitions are all long chores that we must toil toward through the decades of our life. Both require mastery, and as Michelangelo said, "If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.”
But, in fact, it is wonderful :)
July 20, 2020
It’s hard to believe, but today, we start our 19th week of working from home. Today is day 127. That’s more than 36% of a calendar year. And, as Jami posted last week, there’s more to come on this front as we’ll be out of the office until at least October 1st, which is the next time we’ll reevaluate.
There are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes, there are 18 unrelenting weeks of the unexpected. Today, as you start week 19, give all of the difficulty a hard stare. You’re on a very unique team, with a very unique opportunity. We’re working on something important and durable -- empowering contractors to get what they earn -- and so long as we keep working together, we’re going to have really bright days ahead.
July 13, 2020
There’s so much work to be done, and I’m excited about what we’re building toward this quarter.
At Levelset, we’re obsessed about getting contractors paid faster. This is an obsession that should drive all of our thoughts and actions, as we strive every single hour and day to get better at this. Growing and running a business can be complicated, but if we continue to get better at making contractors paid faster, then this will cause our product to sell and retain better, it will suck in more data and usage, and it will create competitive moats. Obsess about getting cash to contractors faster → Create payment heroes → Everyone wins.
July 6, 2020
Thank you for a solid quarter in challenging circumstances. We’re now in the second half of the year. We have exciting Q3 plans that focus directly on goals that will make 2020 a success for us. I’ve shaken up the Monday Morning Thoughts format as we depart the Foxhole Plan. Now, the "What We’re Excited About” section is divided into: (i) The Why; (ii) The Revenue Rocket; (iii) The Escape Velocity; and (iv) The Financial Product.
June 29, 2020
At the start of June we reminded ourselves that -- COVID or no-COVID -- creating something great requires hard work and sacrifice. It’s like jumping into the sea. You need to know what your lift raft is and must cling on for dear life. For you, the lift raft is the impulse behind your ambitions and the reasons why you choose to work at Levelset. For Levelset and our shared aspiration, the lift raft is the impulse behind our company: to empower people to always get what they earn, thus creating payment heroes.
Now, our Foxhole Plan & Q2 is drawing to an end. We’ll turn the page into July & Q3 together this week. I’m excited to discuss the progress & plans later this week (Thursday) at the all hands sync.
June 22, 2020
You’re at the very tail end of June, the very tail end of Q2, almost halfway through a wild 2020, and just days away from closing the chapter of our “Foxhole Plan.”
Many headwinds are behind us, yes, but winds still lie ahead. In times of headwinds and tailwinds, the expectations for Levelset, and for you, are high, but I know we and you can achieve them. To these ends, these last days of June are important. Put your best efforts into the remaining days of June, and surge out of the Foxhole strong.
June 15, 2020
This morning's message starts with a great Payment Hero story, courtesy of Victoria Pipes great work helping one of our users save the day.
It being June 15th, we’re at June's halfway point, and have only 2 weeks left to the Foxhole plan. We have a lot of work to do to complete our race here, as you'll see from the "What keeps us up at night section." Dig deep and make these last 2 weeks of the quarter great
June 8, 2020
Together, we work this month to surge out of the foxhole, and we do so driven by our enduring mission to empower contractors to always get what they earn. We know how important it is for people to get paid - that it’s one of the most basic, emotional, stressful, pride-filled and important things in the world.
We know that behind every payment there is a payment hero bringing their family to get donuts. We’re going to surge out of the foxhole this month, and continue our inch-by-inch progress toward our obsessions to end slow payment, to get contractors paid faster, and to mint new payment heroes.
June 2, 2020
The recent murder of George Floyd, its resulting demonstrations, and the international reactions has once again brought the issues of systemic racism and police brutality to the forefront. These are problems that have existed for centuries. Which is why it’s so sad that today, in 2020, we need signs to say “Black Lives Matter,” and that the mere statement still stirs debate. Today, is as important a time as ever to emphasize that Black Lives Matter, which I’ll do here as a person, and in my role as your leader at Levelset.
June 1, 2020
In April, we entered the Foxhole. In May, we scratched and clawed for every inch. Now, everything is warming up, and so it must be the start of June. We have a lot to be proud of and excited for as we barrel into June. We get together in our all-hands sync this Thursday to talk more about the wins in May, and the targets in June, as we prepare to surge and storm out of the bunker.
May 25, 2020
The days ahead this week are all that remain in May.
We get another notch in our belt when - next weekend - we tear away the calendar sheet for this month. Push yourself to capture all of those remaining inches.
May 18, 2020
You can watch the promo video reel for this MMT here. The April books are closed and revenue is fully reported, and this is the message, "While we were all heads down scratching for inches in April, we put up our first $1M SaaS month in Levelset history!" This is really awesome. There’s a whole lot to be excited about this morning. Check out the Monday Morning Thoughts, thank you for being part of the journey, and make it a great week.
May 11, 2020
During our sync last week, I congratulated you for piecing together a great April performance under difficult circumstances, and reminded you that we’re still squarely in the foxhole together. With 66% of the Foxhole Plan left to go we still face a lot of uncertainty and adversity, and explained how the key to every resiliency story is the inch. Remember that the inches we need are all around us.
May 4, 2020
Thank you and congratulations on wrapping up April with great success. We started April with a lot of challenges and obstacles, but overcame them, and put up a great team performance. We now have a full month of COVID-turbulence under our belts. It’s astonishing to notice how different the world is today from just 8 weeks ago. What's next?
April 27, 2020
4 little days remain in April. Almost all of our teams are in great positions. You are showing that you are strong in the face of adversity. Regardless of whether you measure your work in days, weeks, sprints, or months, accelerate in the next 4 days toward that end-of-April milestone.
April 23, 2020
Deck from all hands update on COVID-19, including information on the easing of salary reductions.
April 20, 2020
In additional to the standards, I link to the monthly board materials (at the end), and this week included a video from this weekend on a trip to the New Orleans office.
Watch the video to take a little walk with me, to say congratulations to @bradford and @julie on their 4-year anniversary, and find out what stopped me from getting to the Taylor Wall.
We have a lot of teams on a roll right now. Keep pushing that flywheel
April 13, 2020
It was one month ago today that we announced our “work from home” transition. All at once, this feels like it was yesterday and 10 years ago. Although the world has changed dramatically since then, the thesis of my video message to you remains intact: “Through our grit, our core values, and our enduring mission, we will meet this challenge together.” Today, we enter Week 2 of our Foxhole Plan, and we're off to a good start.
April 6, 2020
There was a lot of all-hands communication last week, including our April all-hands sync (deck here), whereby we introduced the “Q2 Foxhole Plan." This week, be on the lookout for more context from me about each element of the plan. As we start the week, keep the Q2 theme in mind, which is a focus on the core value, Help First.
April 1, 2020
This is the deck from our all-hands meeting with the team after announcing layoffs. In the 2nd quarter, we'll be in a foxhole together, and we will have to excel with our very best to make this Levelset's finest hour, and position us all (including our userbase and market audience) for a big comeback.
March 30, 2020
This quarter started in a different world, but concludes in just two days. Thank you for your commitment and hard work so far this year. Especially lately, you’ve embodied the Do The Next Right Thing core value and Q1 theme to adapt under challenging circumstances. Keep this up to close this month with diligence. As you can see below, despite the challenges, we have many things to be excited about.
March 26, 2020
There continues to be anxious uncertainty with the COVID-19 crisis, and it is impacting Levelset. We are bleeding cash because of the drastic economic about-face. This message gives an overview on the State of Levelset. Throughout this period, we will start with love, put help first, and have grit & excellence to make sure that Levelset's finest hour is ahead.
Also, the Deck from All Hands.
March 23, 2020
The COVID-19 situation is presenting us with unprecedented challenges, and it reminds me of another time, fifteen years ago...Hurricane Katrina. I wouldn’t be here, and none of you would be here reading this message, if it wasn’t for the absolutely devastating and challenging event of Hurricane Katrina. Everything is messy and uncertain right now. The next few days, weeks, and months will not be easy. But it’s also a new beginning. By looking for places where we can Help and having the will to just keep Doing The Next Right Thing, the future can be remarkable.
March 20, 2020
An update about COVID and what's ahead. Just like you, and the entire world, I’m watching the global situation change rapidly and dramatically, and there is a lot of scary stuff at hand. I know that there’s a lot of anxiety about the current state of the world, about the health crisis, the economic crisis, and how both of these things hit home for all of us. We have always lead this company with full transparency and openness. I'm reaching out with this message because I want to tell you what it is that leads me and our team in this situation, what our position is as a company, and what we’re doing to limit the damages and losses ahead.
March 16, 2020
Quite a surreal week is behind us, and we have more unprecedented challenges at our doorstep. Unanswered questions are everywhere, but as always, we have a set of things we can control, and a set we cannot. In the weeks and months ahead, as our environment evolves, we will move forward with three principles. It’s Week 1 now. Let’s be great.
March 13, 2020
The safety of you and your families, and our communities, is of utmost importance. This is and will continue to be a challenging time for us as a team, and I know that we will meet the challenge together, as always, guided by our grit, our core values, and our enduring mission.
March 9, 2020
There are just 3 full weeks remaining in this quarter. We want to finish on top of our targets and not underneath them, and this fortune depends exclusively on our focus (do the next right thing) and execution. As mentioned in the sync, we succeed when every function works together on these targets.
March 5, 2020
I’m writing to discuss one of our most important 2020 objectives, and a key part of Levelset’s overall Payment Help Is Here strategy: Hitting escape velocity. I’ll explain more completely here, and underscore why it’s so important to our success.
March 2, 2020
February is in the bag, and now we round the corner with the last month of Q1. We’re in range to achieve our objectives and get 2020 started on the right foot. It’s important that we Do The Next Right Things in front of us to hit our objectives.
February 24, 2020
It’s the last week of February, and so a lot of our teams are locking in to finish up the month strong. We are all juggling individual and team targets, deadlines, quotas, and goals. Beyond these, though, we continue to work together as a company to achieve our objectives and make 2020 a success. We have the makings for a successful 2020 in our control -- like every day, and every week, our success requires us to consume this next week. So let’s all finish February strong. Let’s give this month a little extra.
February 17, 2020
Here is the second installment of Monday Morning Thoughts. Let's get off to a great start today, and make it a great week!
February 14, 2020
Thank you for everything you do. For the work in the easy days and the hard ones. For how you treat one another. For living our core values and delivering on our mission. For believing in me. For striving to always start with love.
February 10, 2020
Good morning everyone -- Today we approach the middle of February, and the middle of Quarter 1.
February 6, 2019
A quick skinny of some things on my mind as we close the books on the first month of the year, and start moving into February. We have a lot of big ambitions in 2020, and we’re almost 10% through the year now. We have a lot of big ambitions in this first quarter, and we’re now 33% through the year now.
January 2, 2020
Today we start on what will be this company’s most formative, challenging, and most value-creating year of its existence. There is a precarious path from where we are today and where we want to be. The path is long, but the allotted time is short. What’s next?
December 20, 2019
7 Lessons in entrepreneurship, leadership, and success learned growing up in a household of entrepreneurs.
December 16, 2019
This is the last full week of the year. Consume the week, complete all in front of us, and let's set ourselves up to come off the blocks strong in 2020.
November 25, 2019
Sharing the November Board update with the team, providing some details about the round, and thinking about where we're going next.
November 1, 2019
Today we start another month and the finish line for 2019 is right in focus. The distance between today and the end of the year is just 38 working days. We are in a great position, and we have a lot of exciting opportunities ahead of us. But before we can get to the thrilling opportunities of tomorrow, we have to finish what is right in front of us. Our 2019 goals we have are all within reach. How will you finish?
October 11, 2019
Last night, we executed a term sheet with Horizons Ventures for a $25M-$30M Series C financing round. This is validation of what we stand for, and confidence that we can go on to do big things together. Each of us are now approaching a unique, valuable, and meaningful opportunity to do something special together.
September 16, 2019
Having productive meetings, but I really miss being with the team and spending time internally. Here’s a quick update from my view.
August 30, 2019
What a month we had in August! Here are some notes from the road, and a recap of some stuff we're really excited about. We’re in a position to slaughter September and put a bow on a very promising quarter. Let’s go do it. August was great. But not September is in-sight….and another one!
August 13, 2019
If we raise a round and make a splash that will be nice. That will be a high. But that moment isn’t really that important. It isn’t really that telling about our business. And it isn’t really that telling about you.
June 28, 2019
This message is short & sweet because I want the point to get across without clutter: Nice work and congratulations on a fantastic quarter in many areas.
May 17, 2019
We had a great week. Here's a message and update from me on a few things we have moving forward, and specifically, a *challenge to you.* Tons of great energy and flywheel momentum all around. Let's keep this flywheel turning, and thank you for all of your work, commitment, and love for this place...
May 2, 2019
This is an exciting and challenging time for Levelset. I’m excited about a lot of what our teams are accomplishing, and the opportunities ahead. But, there are challenges in the pile, and we must answer the call, work together, and achieve our goals.
March 29, 2019
Reporting back from an early fundraising trip to San Francisco. The SF meetings went really well and were a reminder of how special our company and opportunity is. And further, in review of this week, and March, and Q1, there’s a lot of great things and WOW happening across the organization.
March 19, 2019
Lots of stuff going on in this update, with the anchor being the routine distribution of our board materials. That is below, along with some WOWzas from the week, and some commentary on what’s going well and the challenges we face together.
March 15, 2019
On this day last year, we had very little figured out about Austin. Today, things look much different. The flywheel spins. And on Monday, as we branded to Levelset and together became Levelset, a major project led by Nick & Harsha, emerges from the shade of the trees we've planted and continue to plant there in Austin.
March 14, 2019
The Cairo team is important to what makes us, us. And on Monday, together, we became Levelset. Thank you for being part of this organization and for everything you've done to make Levelset the exciting brand and opportunity it is today. And congratulations!
March 9, 2019
You each have some challenges in your hands, don’t you? Those challenges can be complicated, can’t they? Well, have you read enough on it?
March 1, 2019
A lot happens week-in and week-out in our organization; it's tough to keep up. I'll work to deliver an email to the team every Friday to review what's on my mind, what's going well, what our challenges are, and how we're all working together to meet them.
January 25, 2018
You know the job. Go ring that bell in Q1, because we have a world-class, impactful opportunity right in the palm of our hands.
January 25, 2018
You know the job. Go ring that bell in Q1, because we have a world-class, impactful opportunity right in the palm of our hands.
November 21, 2018
I'm juiced and inspired by the work that you are doing...that we are doing...and the impact on the world that we're trying to make. This week, I'm thankful that we have the good fortune of these market conditions, which enables us to make that impact.
November 5, 2018
It’s loud and clear to me and the Board that we have a great company. It permeates through the ups and downs that are expected in any endeavor like this. I’m really proud to lead you, and this team. Thank you!
November 2, 2018
Thank you for the time in yesterday morning’s sync and the questions. We didn’t have a pile of time to address them. Below are some of the carry over questions from the previous two Town Halls.
October 22, 2018
With just nine business days remaining in October, we’re primed for a great start to the fourth quarter. It has been inspiring to watch our teams and leaders come together, through difficult and sticky challenges, after a disappointing September.
August 2, 2018
We have the right people on this bus. There is enough talent here at zlien to solve any problem that may arise. I’m challenging you today to be gritty. To get those 30 SQOs every day. To always ship on time. To always hit production targets. To grind, grind, grind. What we’re doing is not impossible, but it is improbable, and it is going to take your best. The expectations are really high. I know you can reach them.
July 13, 2018
What possess a person to wonder about this, and then, further, to eventually spend the time to accomplish the task? And what purpose could it serve? I’ll come back to this.
June 28, 2018
Team, there’s a lot of great things on the horizon. As I mention over and over again, venture backed businesses create dynamic environments that sometimes feel thrilling, and sometimes feel frustrating and challenging. There will be good days and challenging days, moments of elation when we break through barriers, and moments when the barriers won’t budge. Keep your eye on the prize. Let’s take the last 2 days and finish this quarter strong, and we’ll catch up soon on the quarter ahead.
June 4, 2018
Though it may appear that so much has already happened and so much growth has already been claimed, the clear and crazy truth is that we’re all just at the beginning. As the founder of IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad, wrote to his team in 1976, 33 years after its founding, “Happiness is not reaching your goal. Happiness is being on the way. It is our wonderful fate to be just at the beginning.” I'm honored to be on the way with you, and more excited than ever about what lies ahead.
June 1, 2018
It was the start of May and our flight started experiencing some turbulence. This is the type of environment that puts teams and people to the test. We pointed at the turbulence as a group. And today, I’m writing to say how extremely proud I am of how we responded. So many stepped up to the challenge and helped the company weather what could have been a blood bath month. We have a lot of be proud of in May, and looking around, it’s clear that the cavalry is starting to really fill-in.
April 27, 2018
Things are moving right along with our 2018 plans and there are lot of exciting things to recap for you about the year so far. We've hit on all of our marks so far in '18, but sit right in the crest of an ambitious inflection point. How we deliver right now is crucial. I provide some recaps for you below, as well as a short summary of things that are on my mind.
April 2, 2018
Our path is by accelerating and leveraging our own momentum with the core customer. We need to stack one winning quarter on top of another, and then another, and then another. From this, good things will (continue to) spring, and that flywheel will accelerate to an unstoppable speed.
March 1, 2018
What a great February, and 2018 is off to a nice start. You are all doing such great work and we have a lot to be proud of. Keep pushing on that flywheel. Let's speed around and finish this first quarter strong.
January 22, 2018
In answering this question, I have some good news for you: you already know. Running through our veins is a rejection of the status quo in construction payment that sees companies using unfair leverage against one another and producing unfair, ruthless outcomes. It’s almost obvious, in retrospect, that we have wounded up here, selling people on the bright future that we see.
November 10, 2017
I asked everyone to run me over with your velocity. Velocity isn’t simply throwing a few more hours into your work week. Velocity is speed delivered in a focused direction. It’s output, and specifically orienting yourself toward output as fast as possible and shedding things that get in the way. That’s how the speed of sound gets broken. So, look to your left and look to right. Are you running those people over with your velocity? Are they running you over? And am I blown down?
September 11, 2017
We’ve had a lot of progress and learning moments since our Series A round closed in June 2016, and that has been on full display in the past week as I’ve been out of the office on a zlien road show with potential investors. I remain on the road for most of the remainder of September. Writing to provide everyone with an update on the fundraising effort, what I’m noticing about our company from afar, and what we want to accomplish in the remainder of this quarter.
June 26, 2017
It's clear to me that we have a committed team who are all interested in doing a good job, and in getting a good result for the whole. There are times when we disagree amongst ourselves on how to do that, or when we get lost in the weeds, or when our efforts simply do not work, but our team has not let those normal occurrences corrode its core. This is a precious asset of ours, and I'm thankful for everyone on the team's commitment and efforts.
May 9, 2017
Everyone here depends on you. And, perhaps most importantly, your opportunity depends on you. There will be great days and bad days. Sometimes, we won't be as neat and structured as things would be at an established corporation, and there will be misses. But, we all need to just keep getting closer to Mars, and to stay focused on the prize. The prize will be nudging zlien to the next category of SaaS businesses, and what your career is going to look like then, when you can take that tiny glance back over a relatively short amount of time and see your own movement from X to Y.
April 10, 2017
When I started zlien there was a really simple motivation. It was unfair for everyone when people deserved to get paid and didn't. Stakeholders on a construction project weren't trying to rob each other. They were just shooting themselves in the foot all the time. Solving this problem is impactful and valuable, and I'm more confident than ever before that we are uniquely positioned to solve it.
March 20, 2017
There’s a lot of great activity in our building, and outside of it. I’m coming off the recent trip to California with a lot of excitement. They flywheel is really starting to turn for us, even though it sometimes feels like we’re throwing so much energy at it and not getting any return. There is a breakthrough on our horizon. Getting there will be a great and rewarding group achievement, but it requires all of that energy, and it requires us working on one thing at a time.
February 22, 2017
This is a short message to just remind everyone that time is limited and ticking. We can influence how these last 5 weeks play out, but as time dwindles, it's important to get even more precise about where you spend it, and it's important to get the important items and (for revenue) the important deals done.
February 14, 2017
San Francisco is a hotbed of investment activity, and any trip to the area pulls your head up from day-to-day operations to look on to the horizon. Though the sand of our everyday work can be challenging, zlien's horizon and opportunity is difficult to understate. This was reiterated to me over-and-over again throughout the trip.
January 31, 2017
Our company was founded to fight against the status quo. I founded this company to fight back against an abuse of power and unfairness in the construction industry’s payment landscape, and against a general lack of access to justice and legal remedies. It’s in our veins to know and fight for the right thing, and you have my promise to keep that blood flowing
January 9, 2017
Today, we have the biggest, strongest, and most capable team we've ever had. We have more focus than we've ever had. We have all the resources we need to seize our opportunities. And so today, as you start or continue work, think about how you're going to throw energy into that flywheel. And put on your revenue lens.
July 20, 2016
Here's another report from me. We'll refer to the attached documents in tomorrow's sync, and for the rest of the year.
July 13, 2016
You and all of your co-workers have a very unique and special opportunity. Throughout our short history, we've come together and met every challenge, and exceeded every expectation. I'm excited about this next sprint and the remainder of 2016.
May 21, 2016
Congratulations to everyone for being part of our Series A round, which was led by Altos Ventures, and formally closed this week.
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