People often assume Shoppeboard was built on a big vision, a disruptive idea, or a sudden spark. The truth is, it began with something far less glamorous – mistakes, introspection, and the desire to build something honest and useful.
How It Really Started
When I started my entrepreneurial journey, I did what many first-time founders do—I tried to build perfect products, spent too much time on things customers didn’t care about, and underestimated how brutally honest the market can be. I believed technology could solve everything if we just built “the right solution.” Reality corrected me in its own firm but generous way.
The Lessons
Over time, I learned that customers teach faster than roadmaps, cash flow is oxygen, and frugality is not an option, it’s a strategy. I realized technology is useful only when it simplifies something meaningful for someone. And that startups rarely fail because of competition; they fail because we build things that don’t solve real problems. These realizations led me to form Nine Software Solutions—a company built on the belief that processes come before software. Under NSS, I created Shoppeboard, our flagship procurement platform designed to fix the operational chaos in non-core procurement through disciplined workflows and lean, transparent systems.
The Turning Point
Instead of building a complex product, I shifted to understanding procurement deeply—how companies buy, why non-core procurement becomes messy, and what actually causes delays, confusion, and cost inefficiencies. I started small, ran pilots, listened closely, iterated fast, and removed every assumption that didn’t stand up to reality.
Building Shoppeboard the Right Way
Shoppeboard wasn’t built in a sprint. It grew slowly, steadily – much like marathon training. I built supply relationships one by one, created transparent processes, set up reliable delivery systems, and developed a frugality-first operating model. Instead of chasing investors or headlines, I focused on solving problems consistently and honestly. Shoppeboard, built within Nine Software Solutions, became our most scaled venture.
The Philosophy Behind It
Every part of My Work reflects my personal beliefs – purpose over profit, frugality over funding, knowledge over code, progress over perfection, and above all, customer obsession. These principles kept the company stable, disciplined, and respected by more than 200 enterprise clients who trust us with their procurement.
What Marathon Running Taught Me About Entrepreneurship
Marathon running shaped how I build companies. It taught me that pace matters more than speed, consistency beats intensity, and progress comes from discipline, not aggression. Entrepreneurship isn’t a race – it’s an endurance sport. You start steady, stay steady, and finish strong. And you keep going even when the course gets tough.
What Shoppeboard Means to Me
Shoppeboard is more than a business. It’s a philosophy in motion—an ongoing experiment in building something simple, transparent, and genuinely useful. It’s a reflection of everything I’ve learned across 29 years of engineering, leadership, and entrepreneurship. It’s a reminder that sustainable businesses don’t need noise – they just need clarity, discipline, and purpose.
A Note to Founders
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that entrepreneurship is always harder than what you prepared for. But it’s also more rewarding than what you imagined. Build with frugality, listen to customers, take care of yourself, and don’t chase validation. If you move with purpose, progress will follow.