Scott Purcell is the founder Productive Web Apps (http://ping.fm/0iA0m), an interactive directory that lets you search, sort, rate and compare hundreds of the best web applications to help you at work and play. Their customers are mainly common internet consumers/user and many tech start-ups who want to get the word out there about their web apps.
Do you think the education you’ve invested in helped you on the road to success?
I completed a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Sydney in Australia and majored in Finance and International Business. The skills I learned at university have definitely helped me in my analysis and my problem solving. My degree has specifically helped me with the business aspects of the site. When I came up with the idea for the website however, I didn’t envisage it would be so much work but I think, as all start-ups will tell you, the most valuable type of education you can receive when starting a business is ‘on the job’ training.
What was the “break point” or an AHA moment in your career that made you decide to start what you’re currently doing & how did you come up with that Idea?
I knew there were fantastic web apps all around the internet to can help people solve all sorts of problems. But finding them was another matter and then being able to easily get your hands on what you needed was an even more difficult task. After being frustrated with this I decided to build Productive Web Apps. It was meant to be a unique one stop interactive collection of the best web applications available online. My intention was to take the hard work out of finding web apps and make it as easy as possible for people to discover the best web applications that fit their exact needs.
As a young professional, what were some of the mistakes that you made and what did you learn?
I’ve made plenty of mistakes along the way, but I wouldn’t exactly call them mistake, more-so lessons. Initially when I started out, I wanted the site to have hundreds of features, be extremely detailed and I had great ambitions to get every single thing all finished at once within one week. I quickly found that my aspirations weren’t exactly ‘realistic’ and what was more important, was making sure that I took the time needed to make every detail perfect and to limit the number of details. For something to be great, it doesn’t need hundreds of features and bells and whistles. It needs to be simple, easy to use and enjoyable.
What is one accomplishment that you are extremely proud of?
We’ve recently redesigned our site to fix a lot of the issues I’ve mentioned above. I think it makes the content and web apps front and center on the site which is most important.
What advice can you offer to your readers?
For any entrepreneurs, go watch all of these videos at this site: http://ping.fm/TjBm3
It features many fantastic speakers from all walks of life. They are a lot more experienced than myself and their advice is invaluable to any butting or even established start-up.
What do you do for fun & where do you get your Inspiration from?
I love watching all kinds of sport and am heavily into following both rugby and cricket. I like to get outside as it helps me refresh from a hard days work!
What is your favorite gadget(s), software(s), website(s) that makes your life easier and more productive?
The website that probably saves me the most time and is my own personal favorite web app is Google Reader. It enables me to be across many of the sites I follow without having to
Who would you like to see featured here and why?
I’d love to see Wunderlist featured on here.
Ways to Connect with Scott:
Facebook: http://ping.fm/or2iM
Twitter: @PWApps
LinkedIn:http://ping.fm/EQSiE
Google+: http://ping.fm/Eu8wW
SEE ALSO:
Organizing Your Job Search with Founder of StartWire – Chris Forman.
Harnessing the Power of Your Facebook Friends with Founder of 3Degrees – Brian Scordato.
Creating awesome videos with Founder of Grumo Media – Miguel Hernandez.
[Post Tags: productive web apps, productivity apps, best web applications, apps for productivity, interviews with entrepreneurs]
From: http://ping.fm/tn5Ud
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