Keynote Speaker, Bootstrapped Entrepreneur,
Tech Investor & Corporate Innovator
“Honestly, he kept me engaged in the lecture the entire time and wouldn’t change a thing.”
“[James has] a vast knowledge. His presentations are thought and conversation provoking!”
“He does a great job of bringing in historic perspectives, providing an honest assessment of the industry! He brings exciting examples of innovations, and is generally inspiring to listen to!”
“James ranks in the top 3 greatest presenters I have ever witnessed! For a very successful person, he is very relatable and engaging. I appreciate the metrics he presented to provide a progressive outlook on how the construction industry is behind the curve when it comes to technology – the data is the proof!”
Bootstrapped Entrepreneur
From starting JBKnowledge in his Texas A&M University dorm room to a landmark sale of his SmartBid product, James Benham has bootstrapped his company over 20 years to develop and launch 10 of their own software products and countless more on behalf of clients in the insurance and construction industries.
Keynote Speaker
With over 400 presentations across the globe under his belt, James is a sought-after, repeat keynote presenter for international conferences, industry trade shows, user conferences, and more. Some of James’ most requested speaking topics include entrepreneurship, insurance technology, corporate innovation, and the bootstrapping mindset. His engaging, no-notes-needed presentation style leaves audiences inspired, educated, and entertained.
Podcast Host & Guest
In 2016, James launched the first technology podcast in the Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) industry. Since then he’s launched the first dedicated technology podcast in the Insurance industry and interviewed hundreds of entrepreneurs, technologists, corporate innovators, and Fortune 500 executives to understand how they lead the future of technology at their company. James’ podcasts have been nominated and awarded as industry-leading media brands.
Corporate Innovator
While bootstrapping a successful SaaS startup, James’ company JBKnoweldge also provides outsourced IT strategy and software development to innovation teams at some of the largest insurance & construction companies in the world. James is passionate about identifying, empowering, and partnering with innovation teams at enterprise companies for R&D efforts, rapid development, and prototyping.
Lessons from my upcoming book on bootstrapping a business
Cash is king.
Nothing beats cash on hand, especially in an economic disruption. To build a sustainable business, seek opportunities to generate recurring cash with low overhead.
Get out of and stay out of debt.
Use debt as little as possible and pay it off as fast as possible. When revenue declines, debt has no sympathy and can’t be cut as quickly as expenses.
Build what you have to so you can build what you want to.
It will take time to build your dream business if you want to maintain ownership. Figure out what you have to build that will earn revenue and cover expenses now, so that you can generate profit to build your vision later.
The number one rule of business is to survive.
Above all else you must stay in business long enough for good things to happen. This means making tough decisions that drive long-term viability of the business.
Choose your partners as carefully as you choose your spouse.
Anyone who has an equity stake in your business should be chosen slowly and wisely. It’s more important to align your values and vision than any dollar amounts or business plans.
Get out and sell.
If you want to build your vision, you have to be the Chief Spokesperson. No one else is going to have the drive to build your dream for you.
Be willing to rewrite your rules, but not your values.
Values must be known by all, followed by all and used in every corner of the business; they should not be subject to ready change. Company rules, conversely, must be flexible enough to adapt to changing cultures, operations and innovation.
Make innovation a habit and a process.
People, processes and tools – you need all three to create a culture of innovation, but the most often neglected is process. Every other function of a sustainable business operates on systems and best practices learned from generations of professionals – innovation should be no different.
You always get paid last.
As a bootstrapped founder, your compensation should always be second to the financials of the business. Pay yourself last, even if that means not getting paid at all or until you exit.
Establish & communicate your personal minimums.
After a big success or failure, you start to see the path traveled more clearly. You can especially see where communicating your vision, expectations, and deal breakers would have helped everyone navigate the path better. Document and start sharing those in every effort moving forward.
Lessons They Don’t Teach in Business School
A free guide from my 20 years of bootstrapping a tech company.
