For the last few years I've been wondering what it takes to run a successful and well-known Internet company. And since I've never actually seen one in action, I didn't think long (of course) before I asked one of the executives I've met to stop by company's headquarters. Headquarters of a firm every online business provider knows well - PaySystems.
So I thought why not share my experience from the trip with all the good people here at WHT. Here is how my story goes.
My appointment was set to 1.30 p.m., right after lunch hour (when everyone's happy). Being nearby at the university I attend, it took me about 15 minutes of relaxed walk to get to their office located in the newly renovated building in the heart of Montreal, in which PaySystems occupies most of the top 9th floor. I was 15 minutes early.
The first person to meet behind the huge glass door was Sophie, one of two corporate secretaries. Sitting in a huge entrance hall, behind a huge front desk with a huge PaySystems logo on the wall behind her, she immediately welcomed me to the company, started showing me around the entrance hall, which I found very friendly. As I found out a minute later, there were plenty of things to see - the building had a huge empty space or a gap, whatever you call it, in the middle - so that you can see all the floors and other companies' offices from inside (inside walls and roof in that place was all glass). On the bottom is the artificial park, and under the park - one of the most popular shopping destinations in central Montreal - Eaton center.
In about 5 minutes, James, a very avuncular person I was supposed to meet, came in and offered to go enjoy the action I was there for in the first place.
First of all, let me just tell you that for some reason my association of an Internet company's office is: an extremely busy, small and messy place with people under pressure. Remarkably, perhaps even incredibly, PaySystems office is more like a classy, pleasantly designed, quiet and clean environment loaded with hi-tech equipment. In fact, it was so well organized in this regard that I haven't seen one piece of paper laying somewhere it didn't belong. Would you also believe that there is a business formal dress code at this firm?
No guests are allowed into the IT, underwriting and main operations rooms, but we did stop to glance at them through doors' windows. IT guys are techies who basically code and keep the whole corporate infrastructure running, including PaySystems merchant platform many of us use in business. Honestly, it looked very much like the war room the United States top military officials use to manage war in Iraq.
I did, however, get to see the sales floor. That is where people (us) chat and talk to sales executives. The room was wow-huge. Truly it would seem this company can do no wrong, internally speaking. But it did appear that departments work as separate business units as every room is protected by entrance security systems, everyone is minding their own business and focusing on “their” thing. Maybe it is supposed to be like that within sizeable Internet companies, maybe not – I’m not in a position to say. Either way, it looks like internal communications within departments are being executed in some other non-traditional way.
Talking to James one-on-one really helped me grab some ideas describing corporate culture and competitive strategy. I'm not going to describe them here not to sound like a tv-commercial, but let's just say that PaySystems (from impression I got) is to blame for huge headaches its competitors have as the company shows better than industry averages. You would naturally think that any successful Internet company gets fat and happy once succeeds (that’s what I’ve witnessed with a small company of a friend of mine), but it’s not the case with PaySystems.
What stroke me most is how folks at PaySystems have a belief that anything is possible. And we’ll just wait and see where those beliefs take them.
So, as I you get the feeling, it was great seeing such a big company at work. I got excited for sure, and as I was exiting the building, pleasantly thinking about how there are still people who believe in what they do and do it with all honesty, it was a charming typical November day in Montreal.
Best,
So I thought why not share my experience from the trip with all the good people here at WHT. Here is how my story goes.
My appointment was set to 1.30 p.m., right after lunch hour (when everyone's happy). Being nearby at the university I attend, it took me about 15 minutes of relaxed walk to get to their office located in the newly renovated building in the heart of Montreal, in which PaySystems occupies most of the top 9th floor. I was 15 minutes early.
The first person to meet behind the huge glass door was Sophie, one of two corporate secretaries. Sitting in a huge entrance hall, behind a huge front desk with a huge PaySystems logo on the wall behind her, she immediately welcomed me to the company, started showing me around the entrance hall, which I found very friendly. As I found out a minute later, there were plenty of things to see - the building had a huge empty space or a gap, whatever you call it, in the middle - so that you can see all the floors and other companies' offices from inside (inside walls and roof in that place was all glass). On the bottom is the artificial park, and under the park - one of the most popular shopping destinations in central Montreal - Eaton center.
In about 5 minutes, James, a very avuncular person I was supposed to meet, came in and offered to go enjoy the action I was there for in the first place.
First of all, let me just tell you that for some reason my association of an Internet company's office is: an extremely busy, small and messy place with people under pressure. Remarkably, perhaps even incredibly, PaySystems office is more like a classy, pleasantly designed, quiet and clean environment loaded with hi-tech equipment. In fact, it was so well organized in this regard that I haven't seen one piece of paper laying somewhere it didn't belong. Would you also believe that there is a business formal dress code at this firm?
No guests are allowed into the IT, underwriting and main operations rooms, but we did stop to glance at them through doors' windows. IT guys are techies who basically code and keep the whole corporate infrastructure running, including PaySystems merchant platform many of us use in business. Honestly, it looked very much like the war room the United States top military officials use to manage war in Iraq.
I did, however, get to see the sales floor. That is where people (us) chat and talk to sales executives. The room was wow-huge. Truly it would seem this company can do no wrong, internally speaking. But it did appear that departments work as separate business units as every room is protected by entrance security systems, everyone is minding their own business and focusing on “their” thing. Maybe it is supposed to be like that within sizeable Internet companies, maybe not – I’m not in a position to say. Either way, it looks like internal communications within departments are being executed in some other non-traditional way.
Talking to James one-on-one really helped me grab some ideas describing corporate culture and competitive strategy. I'm not going to describe them here not to sound like a tv-commercial, but let's just say that PaySystems (from impression I got) is to blame for huge headaches its competitors have as the company shows better than industry averages. You would naturally think that any successful Internet company gets fat and happy once succeeds (that’s what I’ve witnessed with a small company of a friend of mine), but it’s not the case with PaySystems.
What stroke me most is how folks at PaySystems have a belief that anything is possible. And we’ll just wait and see where those beliefs take them.
So, as I you get the feeling, it was great seeing such a big company at work. I got excited for sure, and as I was exiting the building, pleasantly thinking about how there are still people who believe in what they do and do it with all honesty, it was a charming typical November day in Montreal.
Best,
