Christopher Hytry Derrington has 27 years of management experience including 16 years as CEO. He loves solving the complex problems of how to take a new technology to market; building the team, investing seed capital, arranging the angel funding, and setting up the new entity for rapid growth. As a serial entrepreneur, he has served as CEO or interim CEO in 13 companies over the past 18 years, combining skills in product/service innovation, marketing, total P& L responsibility, strategic vision, and tactical leadership critical to success in today’s rapidly changing environment.
Founded, served as a BoD, or an investor in 13 start-up/turn-arounds, including eight software, hardware, ecommerce companies; Isotruss Structures, Arztec, iLifeSite, Safari Beach Software. He earned his BS in Eng. Management-Aerospace Engineering from Missouri University of Science and Technology.
The common theme of his endeavors has been to create shareholder value, ranging from startups created to address market opportunities, to providing interim leadership to companies on the edge of insolvency seeking to find a way out, to advising well established enterprises in need of fresh perspective.
What are you working on right now?
USA rural outsourcing; exciting early stage business that is booming. We are an outsourcing company that hires our talent from rural America instead of from India or China.
Three Trends that excite you?
(1) Rural broadband plan; millions of rural Americans will be entering the virtual work force or starting new businesses once they get rural broadband.
(2) Next generation of internet: 1GB access speed. Weee, imagine the digital possibilities with virtually unlimited speed! (until next generation of tools and apps catch up with the new bandwidth.)
(3) IPad and mobile apps. Virtually unlimited mobility combined with virtually unlimited apps.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Hear/read about problems people face: in case of onshore sourcing; we were paying too much for USA urban consultants, tried India with dismal results, discovered rural America talent, and now we’re booming in growth. Listen/learn to people, ask them what problems they face, and create solutions that generate revenue.
What is one mistake that you made, and what did you learn from it?
I call it “driving with blinders on.” We offered a service to a large potential airline, they said, “No; now, what we need is this,” and I passed, only to realize that I could have used that service to build a relationship with the customer that would have lead to numerous potential opportunities.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Create a Facebook app about your favorite hobby or passion using free, online tools; and then sell a service using the app.
Why are you so passionate about entrepreneurs helping people or nonprofits?
Because we can use our “can-do” drive and experience to help people. We don’t take no for an answer or stop at a single setback. For example..take Rural OnShoring…I am helping people live in the place of the their choosing while raising their families and earning a good income compared to their neighbors. Everyone wins, our clients are happy, our shareholders are making money, and our talent is happy doing what they want to do. Everyone wins.
What makes you a serial entrepreneur?
The thrill of the hunt: finding the idea; working with a lot of smart people to mold it into a viable value proposition; then fighting the dragons to make it succeed! Fun stuff.
Connect:
email: [email protected]
phone: 888 884 4348
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.