Celigo redefines integration for the modern business by simplifying organisations’ tech stacks. It offers a dedicated Integration-Platform-as-a-Service, which is designed to meet the needs of businesses looking to streamline their operations, improve efficiency and enhance their overall digital capabilities. Jan Arendtsz, Founder and CEO at Celigo, speaks about his own career journey which led to the launch of Celigo.
Tell us a bit more about your business and how it started.
After attaining my undergraduate degree in computer science, I worked as a software engineer for about 2.5 years but soon realised it wasn’t my true passion. However, I stayed in the role to build my technical foundation, and then transitioned to a consulting firm, which gave me invaluable insights into running a software company and how technology can be used to solve businesses’ problems.
I was working at one of the pioneering SaaS companies in the early 2000s when I had my ‘eureka’ moment: SaaS would be the future of cloud computing and technology in general. This made me think of establishing a cloud-based platform that would bring all these different applications together so they could work in unison rather than being siloed apart. First, I started my own consultancy built upon this concept, but in the space of a few years I gained the confidence I needed to launch Celigo as a dedicated Integration-Platform-as-a-Service (iPaaS) in 2011.
How has the business grown since it started, and how did you ensure growth?
We built Celigo’s platform very meticulously. We went through a few platform iterations in the pursuit of finding product-market fit and increasing our Total Addressable Market (TAM), something my consulting experience gave me a deep understanding of. Knowing who our customers are and how our products can address their industry-specific pain points has been key as Celigo has grown; retailers or manufacturers need to automate different business processes compared to software or services companies, for example.
Now, we’re focused on revamping our go-to-market strategy and ensuring we stay disciplined by only targeting the right types of customers. It’s often a challenge to accept there may be customers whose needs we have grown too large to serve effectively, and reckoning with this is key to ensuring our ability to remain efficient in the long run.
What’s the business’ approach to management?
We prioritise fairness and consistency within our company, not just for our customers but also our employees. We strive to treat our employees equally across roles, as an engaged workforce that feels valued will always be the most productive.
Our philosophy as a management team emphasises open communication, transparency and collaboration, ensuring that every team member feels heard and like they can make a difference. I have an open-door policy where anyone can come in and discuss anything about the business or ask tough questions.
One of our core values that I love is, “Ask how it can be better?” We want to encourage and empower all employees to bring their ideas to the forefront to drive the business forward. You just never know where the next great idea will come from and might miss it if you’re only listening to others in upper management.
What is your company’s vision and goal?
Our goal is to simplify automation by allowing most employees in a company to create integrations and put them in place. Workers should be empowered to function almost as extensions of IT, able to build bridges between applications as they see fit. We want to empower the employees who understand the business processes that need to be automated and who have intimate knowledge of the underlying applications, to build workflows that connect these apps together. They’re going to be the ones with the most intimate knowledge of how applications need to connect and paired with their exposure to the wider business’ goals, it only makes sense to give them that level of empowerment.
We believe that automating business processes to reduce manual processes gives workers the time to do more valuable work and drive better outcomes for their companies. Integration should be uncomplicated and straightforward for all – both technical and business users.
What kind of clients and markets do you serve?
We work with a wide range of customers across North America, EMEA and the APAC regions in different sectors, selling directly and through the channel. Our customers include businesses of all sizes, from start-ups to large enterprises, operating in various sectors including e-commerce, retail, manufacturing, healthcare, technology and finance. This includes the likes of LastPass, Pfizer, Therabody, Glassdoor and Home Chef, among others in different sectors.
Our platform is designed to meet the needs of businesses looking to streamline their operations, improve efficiency and enhance their overall digital capabilities. A significant number of our customers use us to automate complex order-to-cash business processes where they connect their online e-comm platforms with their ERP and warehouse management systems; connect their front office CRM applications with back office ERP and billing systems; sync data across their supply chain; ingest data from their operational business applications into a data warehouse; etc. Celigo provides a flexible integration platform that can ultimately connect anything with anything to meet their specific requirements.
What has your career looked like so far?
I would say that it has followed a trajectory of continuous growth and adaptation. From my brief stint as a software engineer, I realised my passion lay at the intersection of technology and business. I’ve never sat still or allowed myself to get complacent. Working within consulting provided a window into the software industry’s business dynamics and fuelled my entrepreneurial ambitions, but I’d have never realised that potential had I become overly comfortable with the status quo .
How do you equip your staff with the right skills and knowledge?
Employees undergo a robust training programme when onboarding at Celigo. In this ‘bootcamp’, they have a chance to learn about our market, ICPs and our product in great detail. Some of it is led by live instructors and some is online at Celigo University. There are cohorts that go through together so no one feels they are alone in the process.
We also have a monthly all-hands meeting to make sure everyone at the company is aware of any changes in direction or shifts we need to make as a business. Communication is key and we are very transparent with our employees so they can make the best decisions for the business.
How do you work with other executives within the C-suite to make sure your voice is heard?
I believe that everyone has a voice at the table. At the end of the day, the buck stops with me and I get to make the hard decisions, but I value input from my leadership team as well as the people who are on the front lines interacting with customers and making sure the business runs smoothly. Again, those transparent and open lines of communication are key.
How do you ensure different teams in your organisation work together?
We have shared company goals (Objectives and Key Results), so it’s imperative that our teams work together to achieve those goals. If there is a weak link or if teams are at odds, no one achieves what they need to. We also have cross-functional team meetings with groups that support or work across each other to make sure everyone is aware of key priorities and initiatives and can address any roadblocks that may arise. Finally, I meet regularly with my leadership team to make sure they are all communicating and working together. It starts there and finds its way to the rest of the organisation.