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58<br />
AN INTERVIEW<br />
WITH RIC BENJAMIN<br />
FROM GOODSYSTEMS<br />
Why did you first<br />
come to TDi?<br />
I came to TDi just as TDi was launching. A friend recommended to me that<br />
I meet with Paul Steele as he believed that we were both, independently,<br />
looking to solve the same problem - how to help the Not For Profit and Social<br />
Enterprise sector manage their back office functions better. <strong>The</strong> TDi/Donkey<br />
Wheel Foundation project was called Streamlined and after meeting with<br />
Paul it was agreed that I would work with the Streamlined project to see what<br />
synergies there were.<br />
Within a short period of time I recommended that Streamline be merged with<br />
my initiative (which became GoodSystems) because it had a more mature<br />
software platform for development - with foundation applications of Finance,<br />
CRM/Fundraising, Project Management and Human Resources. After the<br />
merger, the new TDi became two things to GoodSystems: 1) a small equity<br />
holder with myself and 2 other investors; and 2) the incubator to help develop<br />
and refine the GoodSystems’ business model and strategy.<br />
—<br />
What has the journey<br />
been like so far?<br />
This has been a great experience for myself and GoodSystems. As this is<br />
my first start up, it has been very important to have a safe place to challenge<br />
and be challenged across all elements of the start up journey. Through TDi’s<br />
process we networked with other social enterprises, met thought leaders<br />
and experienced impact investors - all of which helped shape and mature<br />
GoodSystems thinking, our go to market strategy and of course beginning the<br />
process of taking on investment beyond the initial ‘friends & family’.<br />
—<br />
Where were you before,<br />
where are you now and<br />
where would you like to<br />
be in the next few years<br />
– what is the effect of<br />
investment on this plan?<br />
This is my first start up, so the past 18 months has been all about launching<br />
GoodSystems. I’m very pleased to say that as of October 2015, GoodSystems<br />
has its first customer! <strong>The</strong> challenge is of course to get the next and the next.<br />
For GoodSystems to reach viability and then grow will mean an increase in<br />
marketing activities and an investment in the customer support infrastructure,<br />
and this is where a new round of investment will be critical.
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