EDITOR ’ S QUESTION
Dean Sadler , CEO , Tribepad
I HAD MANAGED TO CHANGE THE PASSWORD FOR OVER 450,000 CUSTOMERS IN LESS THAN TWO SECONDS .
Believe it or not , this was a difficult question to get responses to . During my time as editor , and especially when reading the Get to Know answers , I often hear how very successful people emphasise the importance of making mistakes and learning from them . Which is where the idea for this question came from – it wasn ’ t to get leaders to dwell on their mistakes but to hopefully get an insight into how these failures have made them the successful leaders they are today .
And thankfully , four leaders answered my call and have spoken openly about their failures and what they have learnt from them . Dean Sadler , CEO of Tribepad , begins with his answer below :
It was 9:15am on June 16 , 2000 , and I was working at Plusnet , where I began my career . Someone in customer support asked me to do something quickly as I was dropping into the office for 15 minutes . It was my 30th birthday and had plans to go out for the day with my future wife .
Best laid plans , but eight hours later I ’ m still in the office fixing the problems I caused with a missing where clause in an SQL statement . I had managed to change the password for over 450,000 customers in less than two seconds . And of course , within a minute the phone system went nuts as people couldn ’ t connect to the Internet until I restored a previous backup of that table . It caused huge problems for customers who couldn ’ t work or play at home , for businesses who used Plusnet to operate effectively and for Plusnet who prided themselves on great customer service – and were failing to deliver . All because of me .
The following day I started to automate the entire backend platform so that I would never have to write an SQL statement again and that ’ s how Plusnet became one of the most automated ISPs in the UK at the time . It ’ s something that I
insisted on at Tribepad , and we pride ourselves on having efficient and effective technology that delivers against business objectives .
So , what did I learn ? Firstly , to check and check again when creating code or systems that impact other people . Diligence is key in all industries , and especially in any sector that is customer facing and affects real people with real issues . Secondly , to document the process so it ’ s easy to go back and find out where there have been issues . As well as this , it was clear to me the value that comes from automation and writing programs that reduce friction , leave minimal room for error and how this can be so powerful for businesses and the people they serve . Which is what we do at Tribepad and have seen its benefits for staff , customers and their clients .
It might have been my worst birthday ever , but she still married me , and it set me and the business up for success , so there are silver linings all round . I now try not to work on my birthday . It ’ s better for the soul .
WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR BIGGEST FAILURE DURING YOUR CAREER AND HOW HAS IT HELPED YOU GET TO WHERE YOU ARE NOW ?
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