Innovator of the Week
Sean Hussey
CEO & Co-Founder of Thunderbolt Innovation
Please provide your 30-second pitch about your company.
The construction industry is facing challenges with workforce shortages while
demand for business is increasing. Thunderbolt Innovation helps businesses overcome these issues with a cloud-based responsive web application that provides labor forecasts for scheduled projects as well as analysis around won and lost bids. With better information, owners are able to make smarter decisions and optimize their time with Thunderbolt Pipeline’s easy to use CRM, project tracking and workforce planning functionality.
Thunderbolt Innovation was founded on the premise that technology can make companies more efficient, allowing the owners and their employees to enjoy a better work life balance. The product was developed in conjunction with the construction company that my brother works for in hopes to improve his day at work.
Who or what was your best resource for starting your company?
My support network, including peer entrepreneurs, friends and family, was the best resource for starting my company and helping me keep a positive mindset. Alpha Loft has been another valuable resource. Besides providing a focused work place environment, they have the mentorship and community to allow startups, such as mine, to be successful.
What was your biggest obstacle in starting your company and how did you overcome it?
My biggest obstacles were my knowledge and time. I am a software developer and technical manager by experience. I did not and do not still profess to be a sales or customer service expert, however, this is one of the most important activities during early stage startup. It is important to get in front of customers and talk to them. I am still working to overcome this obstacle by learning every day and just doing. Through this, on top of networking and forcing myself into situations where I must make these connections, I see forward progress every day.
What’s the best advice you have received?
The best advice I ever received was to make sure that you are doing something you are passionate about. In the lows of entrepreneurship it is that passion that will carry you through to the other side. Most company founders don’t stick through the first bumpy road and never realize their dreams. Founding a startup can be a very lonely place and mindset moves to the forefront. Stay positive and passionate every day.
What about the NH lifestyle appeals to you?
I enjoy the variety of landscapes we have available within an hour drive from the Seacoast area where I live. As I said, mindset is everything when it comes to founding a company. Positivity every day, in every moment, allows for you to persevere through the trials that come up during your journey. Hiking in the mountains, relaxing on the beach, or enjoying the sounds and sites of the cities around us are all activities I enjoy when I need to recharge.
What does the future look like for your company?
The future is exciting. As we expand to new customers, we learn more about our product and how it is helping make companies be more efficient. We love to provide value everywhere we can, to help people be more productive with their time and get back to the love for the business they started. Technology and software are allowing us to do everything faster, cheaper and at a higher quality than ever before. Thunderbolt Innovation will keep adding value to the construction industry, from integrating Virtual and Augmented Reality, Drones to the Internet of Things; the possibilities for innovation are endless.
Connect with Thunderbolt Innovation on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook.