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Simon Rohrbach
Simon Rohrbach is a Swiss individual known for his work as the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Resolve. With a background in design and technology, he has held prominent roles at various organizations such as Index Ventures, Deliveroo, Made By Cinema, Serious International, and Prigenius. Simon's journey in the tech industry started early, with apprenticeships at Swisscom and internships focusing on interaction and graphic design.
Simon's educational background includes studying at Technisches Büro in Biel, Switzerland, where he attended Technische Fachschule. His career progression led him to leadership positions such as Director of Content, Research, and Design, Head of Design, and Head of Product Design, showcasing his multifaceted skills and expertise in the design and technology sectors.
Having a track record of being involved in startups and established companies alike, Simon Rohrbach's experience as a Mentor in Residence at Index Ventures highlights his commitment to sharing knowledge and supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs. Through his work at Resolve, he continues to drive innovation and lead a team towards success in the ever-evolving tech landscape.
Highlights
So awesome meeting the one and only @steventey today 🔥 (a Plain customer, of course!) https://t.co/wIs5Amkf8O
As of this week, it’s been 4 years since @mattvagni and I started @plainsupport. This is a screenshot from the depths of Covid lockdowns, when Matt and I virtually fist-bumped on starting a company together.
There are lots of obvious lessons I could reflect on here – always talk to customers, build something you’re proud of, etc – but those have been written about plenty elsewhere by others.
Instead I want to share a few less obvious things.
1️⃣ If you’re not winning, just don’t lose. The first ~3 years of Plain felt like wandering in the desert, building and iterating on our foundations without much traction. And then, something caught on. If you were to chart our revenue growth for those first 3 years, we’d be an abject failure. If you were to chart our revenue growth over the last year, we’re a success story in the making. Sometimes it takes a while for that moment to arrive – keeping at it, recognising when it arrives and seizing it is what matters.
2️⃣ Get good at getting (somewhat) good at things. You don’t have to be the very best manager, sales person, engineer, or designer your company has (you’ve done a poor job hiring a great team if so). But early on, you have to always be working on the company’s biggest problem and wanting to do a good job at it. One day, that will be closing an important customer, and the next day, it will be hiring. You need to enjoy the process of learning, and the journey of going from incompetent to a little less incompetent every day.
3️⃣ Develop clear swim lanes with your co-founder(s). There comes a point where it's no longer feasible to have opinions on the "how" because there will be no right answer, and you won't have time to debate each point. Instead, learn to hold each other accountable on the outcomes you both achieve. Work with a good coach (we did!)
4️⃣ Find an outlet outside of work, something that helps you process and decompress. For me, that's become long distance running. I get to run during the week after a long day, and am always excited about my long run during the weekend, because I know I'll come back from it with my energy refreshed and my mind unfurled. It's completely changed my relationship with work, made me healthier, happier, and excited for every single day at Plain.
And finally, take photos of big moments (or screenshots, in this case!)
I'm thrilled for everything we’ve been able to accomplish with our team, investors and our customers – and so excited for what's ahead. Here’s to the next 4 years and beyond. 🎉
