Innovator of the Week
Sumner Vanderhoof
CEO of aadapptation
Please provide your 30-second pitch about your company.
addapptation is a Micro App platform for companies that struggle with their current enterprise software. By providing the tools to quickly build Micro Apps, addapptation creates the flexibility to dramatically increase the productivity of our customer’s existing cloud platforms. These Micro Apps solve specific problems, integrate seamlessly into any cloud platform, and provide all the benefits of change without any of the risks.
Who or what was your best resource for starting your company?
Our team has definitely been the most important resource for us to build our company. It is because of them that our business continues to receive validation, including by winning the 2017 Manchester Young Professional Startup Challenge. The dedicated hard work of the people building addapptaton will always be our biggest asset. In addition to the amazing addapptation team, the state of New Hampshire has been an outstanding support network; we wouldn’t want to build this company anywhere else. The Alpha Loft, the Manchester Young Professional’s Network, Live Free and Start, UNH, and the SBDC are all amazing resources that are free for any entrepreneur to take advantage of. The network of people helping to grow addapptation is humbling. The entrepreneurial network of New Hampshire is a special and unique resource that is making an incredibly positive impact for addapptation and the state.
What was your biggest obstacle in starting your company and how did you overcome it?
Our market is very competitive. Coming up with a unique value proposition that differentiates our business and providing an innovative technology is a hard task to manage. You need both of these things to have a successful business, and they are the hardest two things to get right in the early days of the business. The experimentation, iteration, and mistakes that are made on the journey to a unique solution require perseverance and an acceptance that the idea may change from day to day.
What’s the best advice you have received?
It is OK to be wrong. This advice has allowed addapptation to develop a culture that views each day as a growth opportunity.
What about the NH lifestyle appeals to you?
I cannot think of another place I would rather raise my family than New Hampshire. The seacoast is our home and we think our children will have the best opportunities in life by growing up here. The balance of the outdoor lifestyle, the quality of academics, and the beauty of the seacoast cities create the environment we want to help our children become amazing adults.
What does the future look like for your company?
Our goal is to be the #1 Micro App company in the world. We want to build that business in New Hampshire and be recognized as a technical innovator that is helping change the way the world builds in the cloud. We are in the process of hiring marketers to help promote the brand and developers to help build Micro Apps for our customers.
Connect with aadapptation on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.