Archives For November 30, 1999

Expensify: Now Free for the Remainder of Your Concur Contract

David Barrett —  September 30, 2014 — 2 Comments
Submit to Concur

Submit to Concur, easy as 1, 2, 3!

You might have read the news that our friends at Concur have just sold to SAP, a global enterprise powerhouse.

This is great for nearly everybody: SAP, Concur shareholders, and especially for us.  As for Concur customers… well the future just got a bit cloudier (and not in a good way).  They probably feel locked into a long-term contract with a company whose focus has suddenly shifted away from their needs, and I’m sure that doesn’t feel great.  Expensify exists to help people feel great about their expense reports, so in light of the news we’re offering a very special deal:  Continue Reading…

In Announcements , , ,
permalink

[CEO Friday] How to Bootstrap a Startup Ecosystem in 3 Easy Steps

David Barrett —  September 26, 2014 — Leave a comment

At lunch with the Tunisian Minister of Technology, M. Tawfik Jelassi, at the International Innovation Summit of 2014, the topic of the day was: how do you bootstrap a startup ecosystem?

Don’t Reinvent What’s Already Been Done

To be clear, the question isn’t “How do you recreate Silicon Valley?” I think Alberto Sillitti (Free University of Bolzano, Italy) has answered that question best: Silicon Valley simply cannot be replicated. It is the unique product of 100 years of risk, return, and reinvestment, starting with vacuum tubes and leading to the present. Silicon Valley is a petri dish of large corporations, startups, and industry/university partnerships, concentrated into a 100 km strip of land, and fueled by a global base of private investors. The conditions that created Silicon Valley exist nowhere else in the world, and probably never will again.  Continue Reading…

In Thought Leadership , , , , , ,
permalink

[CEO Friday] 3 Myths of Mobile App Development

David Barrett —  September 19, 2014 — 3 Comments

A mobile app is a necessity for any company trying to make it in the big league. At Expensify, we’ve built apps for iPhone, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone – and even had a Palm Pre app too, when it mattered.

Compared to mobile web usage, mobile app browsing time has increased by 6% from 2013 to 2014. It’s no wonder that companies are vying for a mobile user’s attention by building a native app. Developing a mobile app isn’t easy, but avoiding these three common misconceptions can drastically increase your reach and adaptability.  Continue Reading…

In Thought Leadership , , , , ,
permalink

[CEO Friday] Should You Ever Turn Down An Investment Offer?

David Barrett —  August 29, 2014 — Leave a comment
At the intersection of yes and no

At the crossroads of yes and no

As a small business owner that caters to small business owners, I can say with extreme confidence: Yes!  Yes, absolutely turn down any investment unless the following three things are true:  Continue Reading…

In Thought Leadership , , , ,
permalink

[CEO Friday] Why We Partnered with Uber

David Barrett —  August 22, 2014 — Leave a comment

Uber partners with Expensify to bring SmartRides to business travelers worldwide

I think it’s safe to say Uber is one of the most significant startups of the decade. Their vision is to make arranged transport so cheap and convenient that you literally don’t need to own a car: it’s so audacious, when Travis told me I straight up laughed. After our last startup together, I started Expensify, and he started Uber, and I wished him the best of luck in an incredulous sort of way. Well the time for luck is over. This is happening folks, and woe be to all who stand in Uber’s way.  Continue Reading…

In Thought Leadership , , , , ,
permalink

Introducing Uber Integration and new feature: SmartRides!

David Barrett —  August 20, 2014 — 13 Comments

Expensify Partners with Uber to Bring SmartRides to Business Travelers Worldwide

Traveling Can Suck. SmartRides Don’t.

Traveling can be brutal. Delayed flights, trying to find a cab, fumbling through your phone for your hotel address — it’s all a huge headache. Those headaches are now a thing of the past because Expensify has teamed up with Uber to trade your boarding pass for hotel key with a single tap.

So What is It?

Continue Reading…

In Announcements, Product Info , , , , , ,
permalink

[CEO Friday] The Future of Cloud Computing: What’s Next?

David Barrett —  August 15, 2014 — 1 Comment
Cloud Computing

With ambient services, companies will be able to predict where you’re headed, before you get there.

This is a pretty popular topic, and since I’ve been asked this question a lot, I wanted to share my thoughts on paper.

The future of cloud computing is what I would call “ambient services.” What this looks like in real life: over time, cloud services will look less like Google Search, and more like Google Now.  Continue Reading…

In Thought Leadership , , , , , , , ,
permalink

[CEO Friday] Fire Your Bosses and Promote Your Leaders

David Barrett —  June 6, 2014 — Leave a comment

This is my guest post written for LinkedIn Pulse, enjoy!

boss-hoggEverybody loves to rave about the bossless workplace, but it’s far more easily said than done. I’ve already written about the perils of the “flat management mutiny” — which comes as you emerge a leadership structure out of flat chaos — but it’s even harder going the other direction: dismantling an over-managed “top-heavy” structure and getting back to its roots. Here are some tips to pull it off in your organization:  Continue Reading…

In Thought Leadership , , , ,
permalink

Realtime Expenses Start with a Simpler, Smaller Price

David Barrett —  June 1, 2014 — 33 Comments

One year ago, Expensify raised prices — the first time, ever — in order to get profitable.  That worked (thanks everyone!), but today is very different.  Today we are changing pricing in order to lay a foundation for a simpler and better product, even though the net effect of this change on our total revenue will be neutral.  This new pricing scheme is in effect today, and will first affect the 7/1 billing cycle.  Continue Reading…

In Announcements, Product Info , , , ,
permalink

CEO Friday: How to survive a “flat management” mutiny

David Barrett —  April 25, 2014 — Leave a comment
What do you mean we can't build it?

What do you mean we won’t support that customer?

Note: This is my guest post, originally published in Pando Daily.

Flat management structures are all the rage, and with good reason: innovation is the lifeblood of a startup, and nothing kills innovation like micromanagement. But scaling a flat management structure is harder than it seems. Plenty has already been written about the risks of accidentally creating the stuff of highschool nightmares, but even if you dodge those bullets you’re in for a little discussed treat: full out mutiny of your team.  Continue Reading…

In Thought Leadership , , , , ,
permalink