Nov. 29, 2017 – Apprio Inc.’s founder and president, Darryl Britt, shared his business-building acumen with students at the Tepper School of Business, Carnegie Mellon University, as part of the W.L. Mellon speaker series.
In revealing the path of his leadership venture, Britt addressed how he jumped right in as an entrepreneur and prioritized the important factors to move Apprio forward, concentrating on the items that mattered the most to make the company successful. There was no time to be comfortable—it was being out of his comfort zone that made Apprio a reality.
Britt shared the attributes needed for entrepreneurs to be successful: flexibility, perseverance, dedication and rigor. He said he relies on these characteristics daily. He emphasized the importance of setting goals and adapting to changing markets. “Business is a journey,” he said. “Sometimes in your life, luck plays into it too.”
Hiring smart people is important, he said, and then giving them guidance, setting up guardrails and letting them go. Apprio’s success is attributed to great people, and with its two decades of experience managing technology on behalf of clients, Apprio has bridged business and technology to create effective solutions and programs for federal organizations.
He stressed that entrepreneurs need to “sell, sell and sell.” He said Apprio’s success came by selling solutions as the firm centers on solving complex business problems and helping customers transform their operations and implement business solutions that make a difference. Britt discussed how Apprio has bridged business and technology to create effective solutions and programs for federal organizations.
Britt discussed government contracting and how to keep alive the entrepreneurial spirit. He entertained questions from the students during a Q&A session, providing insights into his entrepreneurial journey.
