In this post, I present an article with Chris Baker, the entrepreneur of MailCode, a mail sorting company. Chris is also the president of Group 1 Software, a subsidiary of the mailing company Pitney Bowes Inc. Chris specializes in technology and has a number of patents to his name in addition to the businesses he has started. Here is the interview:
-What was your childhood like? Were you always interested in business?
As one of 11 children, there certainly was competition for our family’s’ limited resources. There is no question the size of our family taught me to be more self-sufficient than my friends. It is interesting to look at my siblings. Of the 11 children, 15 years ago, 4 of the 11 were entrepreneurs in some form (two were carpenters, two in technology startups). Today 6 of the 11 are entrepreneurs and everyone else (except one) work for a family member who is an entrepreneur or married to an entrepreneur. I personally was driven to achieve progress in some form from a very early age. I once dug a 3’ x 4’ hole in the backyard and filled it with water to try out my new inflatable boat (the boat exactly fit the hole leaving no room for the boat to move in any direction) because I couldn’t wait for the weekend to go to a river or lake. I don’t have much patience when it comes to achieving things. As I grew up, this led naturally to business.
-What was your greatest business idea and what inspired it?
It’s hard to distinguish between great ideas and great strategy in business. I’m proud of Differential Weighing for which I received one of my patents (#5,001,648) and lots of royalties. But I’m also proud of the way I thought about developing my career, developing a unique combination of skills and experiences to afford me greater and new experiences.
-What jobs have you held before and do you believe they prepared you for your current career?
Before starting my first real company MailCode which was acquired by Pitney Bowes, during high school, I worked at Radio Shack, as the TRS-80s and PCs entered the marketplace. This gave me access to current technology and knowledge of a new and large industry. With this access, I started writing business software as an entrepreneur for local businesses. I continued this during college which lead to having a fairly secure entrepreneurial opportunity upon graduating – something I needed to pay off student loans/etc. Without access to the technology and relationships with local businesses (developed through Radio Shack), I surely would not have had the same experiences I have today.
-How would you describe your personality/habits and how would you say they have contributed to your business success?
Refusing to give up on anything. A good entrepreneur doesn’t give up, he/she just morphs the business/business model or market until something fits.
-Are there any books/movies/experiences that influenced your outlook on life/business and if so, how?
Crossing the Chasm was my introduction to hearing that other people were having/had the same experiences I was having. It (and other business books like it) taught me to think much more strategically while fighting the day to day battles of getting and keeping a business profitable.
-What would you say is the best piece of advice you ever got?
Many mentors have given me great advice. The one I think about most often is that I’m standing on the shoulders of all those that came before me – listen to them, learn from them, as without their knowledge, you aren’t standing on their shoulders – you are going to spend your time re-learning their lessons instead of advancing from it.
-What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working?
I find that balance is crucial to long-term success. For me, that involves, exercise (this is essential for me), spending time with my two boys, friends, cooking, carpentry, etc. I believe balance is the key to happiness and often overlooked.
-What do you want to be remembered for?
It’s a good question, but I’m still trying to decide if thinking about a legacy is a good use of my time.
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