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Spotting a Mistake Set Art Papas on the Path to Success

Art Papas was only 23 years old when he realized the company for which he worked did not have any sort of real future. Not only was it suffering financially, but the software he had been hired to help engineer and develop did not actually seem to serve any real purpose.

Concerned that the potential customers who the business had lined up would come to the same conclusion, he approached his employers with his worries. Confident of his assessment of the product and of his own abilities, Papas even advocated for various strategies that would produce a more applicable end product. Not only were his concerns ignored, but he can still recall one executive deriding him for his opinion. Ignoring his better instincts, he returned to work on the project to complete the job for which he had been hired.

Unfortunately, Papas was correct. After production wrapped up, he hit the road alongside the CEO and began to showcase the product to all of the big-name customers who had been eagerly awaiting its release. The excitement that those customers had initially expressed quickly waned into disinterest. Most people did not show any kind of reaction at all when listening to the sales pitch.

Recognizing potential blunders in a service or product and further understanding how to correct them is an important aspect of running any business. After wrapping up the road trip showcase, Papas separated from this job and, instead, partnered with someone who appreciated the skills that he offered as both a software engineer and an inspired business leader. Only two short weeks later, he and his partner founded Bullhorn, which continues to thrive today.