The University of Tulsa welcomed Tulsa native and attorney Zack Lindsey as part of its Cyber Fellows guest speaker series. Lindsey is the co-founder of Efflux, a tech company specializing in asset intelligence. He discussed the notion of the “what” – identifying the purpose of a product for society and how to ensure its relevance.
Lindsey taught attending students the “problem-first” approach. This approach ensures the customer’s needs will be at the center of the solution. By focusing on a targeted group, the solution has a greater chance of enhancing human flourishing and raising the likelihood of building a sustainable company.
Lindsey also addressed the “how,” emphasizing that the process of building a company and its solution must be fair and legal. He discussed challenges companies face in avoiding legal pitfalls related to limited liability companies, founder agreements and compliance.
His final pillars included the “fuel,” the “who” and the “exit.” Lindsey emphasized having funding through various sources as part of the “fuel.” The “who” challenges the leader of the company to be able to handle all aspects of business ownership. He also recommended having advisers on board with no financial stake to have an unbiased perspective.
The “exit” is to always be prepared to end a project if necessary. “We need to always think about the next objective,” Lindsey said. “By always having mental clarity about your goals, failures and the lessons learned from those experiences, you can stay proactive in everything you do.”