A lot of people would say that it's our product that defines our company and that that is the key to our success. For me this is too simplified and I think that it can change. When we first started Leads360 I think it was our product that really jumpstarted the business. I was so deeply focused on building the best software application we could. I was laser focused on this and we developed a highly competitive solution. Over time, as the company grew, other factors set us apart. I noticed that my leadership shifted from product to team building. I spent a good part of 2007 focusing on culture and I believe that has been a major factor in our longevity and current success.

We have an amazing culture and the people at Leads360 have an even more incredible work ethic and commitment to excellence. It's harder to measure this. Even people inside the organization still see the product as the real differentiator. But I think over the years, the core competitive advantage has become the people we have.

The trick is to balance the drivers of success so you don't trade one for the other and swing the pendulum to far that what once was the key driver gets lost. I'd say that hasn't happened to us from the perspective of the product, but I do see less focus or appreciation for fine tuning our software. We need to continually keep it top of mind and try to innovate at the same time. Additionally, being opportunistic about new drivers of success can be an asset. The pendulum keeps swinging and I think people may not be the most important driver for the coming phase. I haven't fully decided, but I believe that strategy may be the key right now.