I ♥ start-ups

Since starting work at our company I have done many a thing around the office (all perfectly above board I might add) but the latest project I have been working on is partnerships and in doing so I have met some really interesting people who work for some really interesting companies.

My favourites are those from start ups (sorry if I am offending anyone I know from the corporate world but these ‘start up’ guys are just a whole lot of fun and have unbeatable levels of passion, which gets me all fuzzy inside)

For the purpose of this article I am going to concentrate on my top 5 start ups that I have worked with who give me the ‘fuzzy’ feeling (aka – they are so passionate that I feel they’re going to burst) you may wonder what the purpose of this is – it gives me content and it’ll give you an insight to the best companies to work with. With people like these, you just won’t go wrong

In no particular order:

Zoho – these guys are so committed that they work through the night. I have the ’3am e-mail’ situation which I *love* as I know the feeling, there’s nothing as good as the working through the night because you love what you’re doing and can feel yourself moving ahead. Their product is awesome, it incorporates everything from CRM to scheduling and it’s free for smaller users!
Huddle – and I met a couple of years ago, they were looking for what I had (such a nice position to be in) and I admired what they had and where they were heading. Huddle incorporates everything a good start up should; good product, excited staff and grounded but enthusiastic leaders. It’s the company that you’d tell your best friend to work for (and hope you were invited to their parties!)
Yuu Guu – if you want good web conferencing, you go to Yuu Guu (or us as we do partner with them and offer their service) but this isn’t about us it’s about them. They are dynamic and exciting, always on the ball (how many CEO’s do you know will pick up their mobile and talk to you about the best way to blog for 40 mins?) I for one have respect for them!
TalkBizNow – what a challenge this crowd have on their hands, they have the collaboration of Linkedin with a host of added business services . What has impressed me most is their dedication to detail and resistance to stop until things are perfect, that’s what we want from a service – isn’t it?
Dim Dim – a mighty web conferencing product that allows you to video in too – we likey! When I was in Boston last year Prakash (CTO) took the time out to visit me and discuss what they’re doing on his way to board a 10 hour flight, that’s what I call special 🙂

Well, let’s hope this has helped someone out there wondering who they could partner with next. If you get a look in with any of my top five then count yourself very, very lucky!