Interview with developer Whitney Blodgett
Whitney Blodgett is one of the leading Software as a Service developers in the world after spending the first days of her career following her graduation from the University of Georgia looking to develop the links between technology and business in the most positive way possible. Now the leader of her own team of developers, Blodgett has seen her company move through a period of consistent growth which has led to them becoming a well-known and respected three-tier organization providing services tailored directly to the needs and goals of clients.
During her time at the University of Georgia, Whitney Blodgett became interested in the SaaS platform and quickly saw her interests move towards developing a series of software choices dedicated to developing a retail and marketing subscription service. As with the majority of entrepreneurs, the front and back-end developer set out to gain a traditional role within a software development company before setting out on her own career as a SaaS developer.
Currently located in Atlanta, Georgia, Whitney Blodgett heads a company which has grown to include more than 15 employees. Determined to continue to grow in an ever-evolving market, the entrepreneur believes is always at the heart of more than simply the technology sector.
Why did you choose to work in the SaaS business?
When I graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Computer Science I remember feeling the connection between the Internet and retailing was yet to be fully explored. My tutors at college were discussing all the different ways the Online domain could be used for the future and I sensed the opportunities expressed in social media and entertainment were going to be difficult to break into. In my view, the use of Software as a Service was only ever going to grow over the course of the next few years and I felt Online retailing was the area I was most interested in. My first job with a startup focused on live video delivery for social media platforms so I gained a good understanding of how competitive this area was.
Which delivery model is your company providing?
We use a three-tier delivery model which is quite traditional in a business sector which is known for its evolution and success but I feel this works well for both ourselves and our customers.
What kind of challenges in the incorporating of SaaS into the business strategy is the most exciting for you?
As a SaaS provider, I do feel the delivery of this system into the retail sector is particularly challenging as you are always looking for the different ways a piece of SaaS software can be incorporated into the real world. Initially, I found convincing clients of the importance of data gathering and analytics difficult but now most contacts within the project management framework understand this area of importance we now struggle to rein in many of the ideas of our clients to meet the needs of their budget.
What do you foresee will the next goal for Internet of Things? How do you plan to move forward with IoT?
The "Internet of Things" is already playing a role in our everyday lives whether we ask Alexa to stream a song or set our home alarm from our mobile we are using the Internet in a way I believe it was intended to be used. In a business sense, Online and brick and mortar retailers are all looking to develop a greater sense of the "Internet of Things" in terms of their ability to integrate mobile devices and apps into the research and ordering of items from multiple platforms. I do believe the development of image-based search options for retailers will remain a hot topic for many years to come and the first developer to make a successful image-focused search engine able to fit into a stand-alone app will have achieved something great.
"Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication", how much do you agree?
Making something seem simple is always an impressive feat with many of the leading technological breakthroughs of recent years made to look simple when they have usually been developed over a long period of time with great complexity. In my opinion, the appearance of simplicity would be the ultimate sophistication.
Which is your favorite personal quote in life/work?
I recently stumbled across a quote from the great soccer coach, Bill Shankly. "A lot of football success is in the mind. You must believe you are the best, and then make sure that you are." My team is working in a way that reflects this quote as we believe we are setting out on a path which will bring success to both ourselves and our customers as a matter of course.
