CEO John Kawola of Harvest Automation discusses the challenges of selling innovation to a traditional marketplace that is generally slow to adopt new technologies. John Kawola talks about the need to invest in building face-to-face relationships with the customer and utilizing ‘old school’ sales techniques such as product education and trials to convert sales. Selling […]

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CEO John Kawola of Harvest Automation discusses the challenges of selling innovation to a traditional marketplace that is generally slow to adopt new technologies. John Kawola talks about the need to invest in building face-to-face relationships with the customer and utilizing ‘old school’ sales techniques such as product education and trials to convert sales. Selling innovation is key to generating long term venture value. * Introduction of Show Topic: How High Growth Ventures Can Bridge the Chasm from Today to The Next Major Milestone Toward Building A Venture of Significant Long Term Value – Highlighting Harvest Automation with John Kawola and Discussing Selling Innovation * Brief Recap of Venture Series * Making Prudent and Informed Decisions Given Time & Resources…Knowing True Costs (hard costs and opportunity costs) * Key Challenges for Ventures: * Gaining Critical Mass of Customers…the Right Customers * Getting Adoption of New Innovation from Notoriously Slow Industries (e.g. Health Care and Agriculture) * Inventory Management…Balance of Investment in Inventory & Operations versus Investment in Sales and Business Development * Brief Review of Previous Shows & Lead into Harvest Automation – CEO John Kawola and Selling Innovation * Introduction of Harvest Automation * Overview of Opportunity…Give market size & growth potential of the pie that Harvest Automation is looking to take a slice * Story of how/why Harvest Automation was founded * Story John Kawola’s role in company * Current Status of Harvest Automation…Give metrics (if willing) to indicate current status such as revenue size, number of consumers, funding history * Next Major Milestone for Harvest Automation * Key Challenge(s) for Growing Harvest Automation * Selling Innovation in an Industry that is Generally Reticent to Innovation * Balancing Product Evolution with Building Long Term Consumers * Early stage customers who are willing to be part of the product evolution process * Mass market customers who aren’t generally tolerant of any tweaks or changes to the product and user experience…Who are these customers for Harvest Automation? * Measuring Success * Metrics…what are they and are they aligned with investor’s expectations? * Timing…what are the expectations? How realistic are these expectations?