Q&A with Grant Stanley, CEO of Bric
Grant, tell us a bit about Bric.
Bric combines project planning and time tracking to help you maximize your team’s time and talents.
What gave you the idea for Bric and how did it start?
Bric started because I was running a consulting company, Contemporary Analysis, that provided predictive analytics to Fortune 500 companies. As we grew I lost track of who was working on what, how long projects were taking, and what our capacity was for new projects. We were building analytics for others, but didn’t have the analytics we needed to run our own business.
Coincidentally, two of my friends were having the same issue. One was running a design agency, Oxide Design, and other was running a software development company. We decided to partner together to build Bric.
As we built Bric we realized other companies were having similar issues. I ended up selling Contemporary Analysis to focus 100% of my time on building Bric. Today, Bric is used by teams in 74 different countries.
What is your favorite thing about your job?
I take a lot of satisfaction in building a product that is used all over the world to build better businesses. Running a company is really hard. I am proud to make it easier.
What are your keys to making yourself productive?
The key to my productivity is my team. Each person is an expert, and we all play roles. We talk and ask each other for advice, but roles and responsibilities are very clear. This allows us to make decisions quickly, identify failures, and keeps everyone focused.
Tell us one long-term goal in your career.
I would like to build something that changes the world enough to earn a billion dollars. The world needs more people building stuff, instead of earning their money through arbitrage. I admire the entrepreneurs that have been able change the world enough to make that type of money. They have built things that have made my life better as well as millions or even billions of other people.
What’s the most valuable lesson you’ve learned through the course of your career?
Learning to sell was the most valuable lesson I have ever learned. As a kid I sold produce on the side of the road, and then I started a landscaping company. I spent the next 10 years selling door-to-door. Those experiences allowed me to start Contemporary Analysis. I signed my first Fortune 500 company at 20, and my first $1M contract at 24. Now at 30 I have built a company that sells itself.
What advice would you give to others aspiring to succeed in your field?
Keep learning. Being a success entrepreneur requires you to do every job at some point, and to understand everything that is going on in your business. I have had to learn to sell, write, program, and design. I use each of these skills everyday.
What are your favorite things to do outside of work?
I enjoy being active and outside. Everyday after work I lift weights, and on the weekends I enjoy hiking, running and skiing. For work I spend a lot of time at my desk and in my head. Being active helps me recharge and exercise a different part of myself.
Name a few influential books you’ve read and/or websites you keep up with that you’d recommend to readers.
I recommend signing up for an Audible. For $15 a month you get one audio book. This is a great way to make sure that you are reading 12 books a year. Also, for most people listening is faster than reading — especially if you can listen at 1.5x or even 2x.
