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Conundrum Technologies: Coaching with Business Class
This integrator tackles automated systems with a game plan and plenty of team spirit.
Stepping up to the Starbucks counter, Jason Perez, dressed in a suit and tie, laptop in hand, says matter-of-factly, yet very politely, "I'll have a non-fat, sugar-free, no-whip cinnamon dulce latte, please."
At first glance, it's already apparent this man knows exactly what he wants.
"Have you read 'Pour Your Heart into It'?" he asks, as we wait for our beverages of choice. The book, penned by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, details how the coffee giant built a company, one cup at a time. Somehow, you just know that Perez not only read the book, but could also have written it, word for word. He understands precisely what it means to pour his heart into something.
As the president and CEO of Conundrum Technologies, Perez, along with those that make up his company, plans and implements complete technology solutions for clients. They're clients who might be described as "ultra-high end" -- indeed, much more high end than the typical Starbucks customer.
But Conundrum provides a value proposition much greater than technology alone. And that's because after just one meeting with Jason Perez, it's clear his adrenaline also runs on much more than caffeine alone.
Since incorporating in October of 1999, Perez has never lost sight of his vision for the company. He's driven by a passion to provide homeowners with the power to easily control their own integrated systems. That passion, coupled with well thought out business principles, has simultaneously driven Conundrum's growth.
The company has forged extraordinarily strong relationships and ranks as one of the top five dealers for AMX, Meridian and Lutron. It's also the biggest dealer Vantage Controls boasts in the Southwest.
Conundrum has no need of a showroom. Clients themselves are the ultimate showroom. They didn't happen by accident.
Perez takes a markedly different approach to managing his company than most. He looks to his past achievements and important life lessons learned to anchor the success of his business. His training ground? Strong academic environments and rigorous athletic disciplines.
Growing up in Oakland, Calif., Perez attended Bishop O'Dowd -- a co-ed, Catholic college prep high school -- at a time when it just starting turning its football program around. Perez spent three years on O'Dowd's Varsity team, which won two league championships and the California North Coast finals twice.
Two of his fellow teammates went on to win Super Bowls and Perez estimates another 10 professional athletes have also graduated from O'Dowd. After high school, Perez went on to higher learning at the University of California at Davis. After shattering his ankle and red-shirting his freshman year of football, he started on the rugby team as a sophomore. By senior year, his team ranked number five in the country. Of the 25-man roster All American team, eight were from UC Davis. Perez, who counts his coaches among his greatest teachers in life, was among them.
Perez went on to do a seven-month stint after college as the only American starter on the professional level for the rugby team in Durben, South Africa. Returning to the States, he caught the attention of the Gallo Wine Co. in Southern California and was recruited into its intensive Sales and Leadership Program.
He worked in a sales management capacity before heading to Chicago to lead the sales team at ISR Inc., form its Aspen, Colo. office and implement direction through reorganization to the Palm Beach, Fla. operation. ISR proved yet another training ground for instilling in the entrepreneur the vision with which he leads Conundrum Technologies.
Conundrum, Perez points out, is actually a peak outside of Aspen. By definition, he says, the word means a puzzle or riddle, much like technology itself.
"It's what we solve," he says.
Integral to Conundrum's identity is the Aspen leaf, found on the company's Web site and printed materials. An Aspen leaf constantly evolves and changes colors. "Again, just like technology," Perez notes. "And like our company, we're constantly re-inventing ourselves."
He adds that the business has to be much more than just him. He doesn't want to be a Joe's Hi-Fi. He wants to head a business with its own culture and processes.
Consequently, his business model has three distinct segments. "First, you must define who you are as a company, then, how you do it. If you know who you are you can set up goals and processes to do it and execute on the final product, which is the third segment."
Perez and his business partner Stephanie Beker defined who they would be -- a world class, smart home integration provider that would simplify the lives of their clients. They established their first office in Vail, Colo. knowing, from there, they could hit three additional markets -- Denver, Steamboat and Winter Park. In order to do that successfully, Perez put processes in place.
At the core of his company's success, Perez contends, is the ability to measure it.
That one principle is the foundation for many of the processes Perez has implemented. He refers to the importance of defining "Roles, Responsibilities, Accountability and Authorities" (RRAA) and examining whether they each increase revenue, decrease cost, increase margin and/or support the brand.
Perez breaks it down simply. "There are only three divisions of a business -- the customer, the sales and operations and the finance side. What else is there? Marketing is all part of the sales and operations. So we asked ourselves, 'How do these three entities look at what we do?' Because if we don't understand how they look at it, we'll never be able to measure it. And, if we can't measure it, we'd never be able to manage it better."
Reaching for a pen and piece of paper, Perez continues.
"We have accounting over here, we have operations, and we have the customer," he says, creating a diagram with quick strokes. "The problem is that accounting measures a project from zero to 100 because everything in accounting is tangible on a factor like 100, like a dollar, and percentage and completion which is based on 100.
"Say we get a check for $10 on a project, and we incurred $2.50 and we're at 50 percent completion we're at 6 percent margin and we're half done with the project. The problem is that Operations doesn't see it like that and the customers don't see it like that. So we have three different entities that make up one company, and you need all three to be in existence and none of them are speaking the same language. Accounting is measuring on a 0–100 basis but the customer has no idea how to measure where things are at with a project."
To solve that issue, Perez came up with a 9-step delivery model that would allow the customer to measure the progress of a Conundrum installation.
That nine step delivery model includes lifestyle planning, specification development, wiring, trim, configuration, installation, validation, delivery and evolution and maintenance. Each of the steps breaks down the life cycle of a project while also serving as a common denominator to tie accounting and the customers to the way the Conundrum shop moves, the way its motor runs.
"One of the easiest ways for Conundrum customers to understand the process is through the billing structure, and each line on an invoice ties to a certain step," Perez explains. "This reference point allows clarity and visibility for both Conundrum's accounting staff and its customers."
Perez makes the analogy that 20 years ago no one would understand the Starbucks menu. "But people know how to read it now because Starbucks has defined it. People know the difference between a latte and something else on the menu. It's the same thing with our customers -- we just had to tell them this is how you measure a project. You keep it in their face; you speak the same language and talk the same talk. That's part of our value proposition right there."
"We're successfully communicating our brand, our value proposition," Perez continues with an insatiable enthusiasm. "About 90 percent of my job as CEO is developing and coaching our people so they can grow into their roles and we can all be successful."
Spoken like a true coach, he notes that it's not how you fall that matters, but rather how you get up. "Everyone is going to fall at one point or another. It is how you get up that defines you as a person."
Picking people over technology has been a conscious business decision for Perez and Beker. Most of the staff doesn't even come from the technology side.
"We see values in them. The challenge is not in the technology but in finding people with the tools to get things done," he says. "You have to dig into their strengths and weaknesses and it's just short of counseling sessions sometimes, but when you touch these people and they see in themselves what you potentially see in them, they're proud of themselves and the brand and truly feel they're part of the company."
Opting to open an office in Dallas to serve high-end clients who don't believe any other company can do it like Conundrum, Perez commands performance and is also a team player -- remaining true to what his formative coaches taught him.
"We're lean and have a high output per employee, including myself. If you divide up the numbers (there are 30 people on staff) I am in that number myself. I have to pull my own weight. Everyone is very efficient and all of us are in it for the same goal."
"I was raised pretty conservatively -- not frugally -- but it never hit me how wealthy our clients are. They're all the same in my eyes. Their dollars are all worth the same amount of money and it's not my money. They hire us to make recommendations based upon applications for the best value and if there's no value in things they ask about, we'll tell them."
Taking a final sip of his non-fat, sugar free, no-whip cinnamon dulce latte, Perez definitely looks like he knows how to start his days with purpose. He didn't have to read "Pour Your Heart into It" to find out how. He need only look to the parents who raised him, the coaches who mentored him, the experiences that groomed him and the philosophies that have sustained him to find the inspiration for his tenacity.
When it comes to solving the conundrums of life, Perez is still an athlete who can go the distance. His integration company is just one more byproduct of that.
At first glance, it's already apparent this man knows exactly what he wants.
"Have you read 'Pour Your Heart into It'?" he asks, as we wait for our beverages of choice. The book, penned by Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, details how the coffee giant built a company, one cup at a time. Somehow, you just know that Perez not only read the book, but could also have written it, word for word. He understands precisely what it means to pour his heart into something.
As the president and CEO of Conundrum Technologies, Perez, along with those that make up his company, plans and implements complete technology solutions for clients. They're clients who might be described as "ultra-high end" -- indeed, much more high end than the typical Starbucks customer.
But Conundrum provides a value proposition much greater than technology alone. And that's because after just one meeting with Jason Perez, it's clear his adrenaline also runs on much more than caffeine alone.
Since incorporating in October of 1999, Perez has never lost sight of his vision for the company. He's driven by a passion to provide homeowners with the power to easily control their own integrated systems. That passion, coupled with well thought out business principles, has simultaneously driven Conundrum's growth.
The company has forged extraordinarily strong relationships and ranks as one of the top five dealers for AMX, Meridian and Lutron. It's also the biggest dealer Vantage Controls boasts in the Southwest.
Conundrum has no need of a showroom. Clients themselves are the ultimate showroom. They didn't happen by accident.
Solid Future From A Committed Past
Perez takes a markedly different approach to managing his company than most. He looks to his past achievements and important life lessons learned to anchor the success of his business. His training ground? Strong academic environments and rigorous athletic disciplines.
Growing up in Oakland, Calif., Perez attended Bishop O'Dowd -- a co-ed, Catholic college prep high school -- at a time when it just starting turning its football program around. Perez spent three years on O'Dowd's Varsity team, which won two league championships and the California North Coast finals twice.
Two of his fellow teammates went on to win Super Bowls and Perez estimates another 10 professional athletes have also graduated from O'Dowd. After high school, Perez went on to higher learning at the University of California at Davis. After shattering his ankle and red-shirting his freshman year of football, he started on the rugby team as a sophomore. By senior year, his team ranked number five in the country. Of the 25-man roster All American team, eight were from UC Davis. Perez, who counts his coaches among his greatest teachers in life, was among them.
Perez went on to do a seven-month stint after college as the only American starter on the professional level for the rugby team in Durben, South Africa. Returning to the States, he caught the attention of the Gallo Wine Co. in Southern California and was recruited into its intensive Sales and Leadership Program.
He worked in a sales management capacity before heading to Chicago to lead the sales team at ISR Inc., form its Aspen, Colo. office and implement direction through reorganization to the Palm Beach, Fla. operation. ISR proved yet another training ground for instilling in the entrepreneur the vision with which he leads Conundrum Technologies.
The Conundrum Concept
Conundrum, Perez points out, is actually a peak outside of Aspen. By definition, he says, the word means a puzzle or riddle, much like technology itself.
"It's what we solve," he says.
Integral to Conundrum's identity is the Aspen leaf, found on the company's Web site and printed materials. An Aspen leaf constantly evolves and changes colors. "Again, just like technology," Perez notes. "And like our company, we're constantly re-inventing ourselves."
He adds that the business has to be much more than just him. He doesn't want to be a Joe's Hi-Fi. He wants to head a business with its own culture and processes.
Consequently, his business model has three distinct segments. "First, you must define who you are as a company, then, how you do it. If you know who you are you can set up goals and processes to do it and execute on the final product, which is the third segment."
Perez and his business partner Stephanie Beker defined who they would be -- a world class, smart home integration provider that would simplify the lives of their clients. They established their first office in Vail, Colo. knowing, from there, they could hit three additional markets -- Denver, Steamboat and Winter Park. In order to do that successfully, Perez put processes in place.
At the core of his company's success, Perez contends, is the ability to measure it.
That one principle is the foundation for many of the processes Perez has implemented. He refers to the importance of defining "Roles, Responsibilities, Accountability and Authorities" (RRAA) and examining whether they each increase revenue, decrease cost, increase margin and/or support the brand.
You Can't Manage What's Not Measured
Perez breaks it down simply. "There are only three divisions of a business -- the customer, the sales and operations and the finance side. What else is there? Marketing is all part of the sales and operations. So we asked ourselves, 'How do these three entities look at what we do?' Because if we don't understand how they look at it, we'll never be able to measure it. And, if we can't measure it, we'd never be able to manage it better."
Reaching for a pen and piece of paper, Perez continues.
"We have accounting over here, we have operations, and we have the customer," he says, creating a diagram with quick strokes. "The problem is that accounting measures a project from zero to 100 because everything in accounting is tangible on a factor like 100, like a dollar, and percentage and completion which is based on 100.
"Say we get a check for $10 on a project, and we incurred $2.50 and we're at 50 percent completion we're at 6 percent margin and we're half done with the project. The problem is that Operations doesn't see it like that and the customers don't see it like that. So we have three different entities that make up one company, and you need all three to be in existence and none of them are speaking the same language. Accounting is measuring on a 0–100 basis but the customer has no idea how to measure where things are at with a project."
To solve that issue, Perez came up with a 9-step delivery model that would allow the customer to measure the progress of a Conundrum installation.
A Good Delivery Hits the Mark
That nine step delivery model includes lifestyle planning, specification development, wiring, trim, configuration, installation, validation, delivery and evolution and maintenance. Each of the steps breaks down the life cycle of a project while also serving as a common denominator to tie accounting and the customers to the way the Conundrum shop moves, the way its motor runs.
"One of the easiest ways for Conundrum customers to understand the process is through the billing structure, and each line on an invoice ties to a certain step," Perez explains. "This reference point allows clarity and visibility for both Conundrum's accounting staff and its customers."
Perez makes the analogy that 20 years ago no one would understand the Starbucks menu. "But people know how to read it now because Starbucks has defined it. People know the difference between a latte and something else on the menu. It's the same thing with our customers -- we just had to tell them this is how you measure a project. You keep it in their face; you speak the same language and talk the same talk. That's part of our value proposition right there."
Coaching the Future
"We're successfully communicating our brand, our value proposition," Perez continues with an insatiable enthusiasm. "About 90 percent of my job as CEO is developing and coaching our people so they can grow into their roles and we can all be successful."
Spoken like a true coach, he notes that it's not how you fall that matters, but rather how you get up. "Everyone is going to fall at one point or another. It is how you get up that defines you as a person."
Picking people over technology has been a conscious business decision for Perez and Beker. Most of the staff doesn't even come from the technology side.
"We see values in them. The challenge is not in the technology but in finding people with the tools to get things done," he says. "You have to dig into their strengths and weaknesses and it's just short of counseling sessions sometimes, but when you touch these people and they see in themselves what you potentially see in them, they're proud of themselves and the brand and truly feel they're part of the company."
Opting to open an office in Dallas to serve high-end clients who don't believe any other company can do it like Conundrum, Perez commands performance and is also a team player -- remaining true to what his formative coaches taught him.
"We're lean and have a high output per employee, including myself. If you divide up the numbers (there are 30 people on staff) I am in that number myself. I have to pull my own weight. Everyone is very efficient and all of us are in it for the same goal."
"I was raised pretty conservatively -- not frugally -- but it never hit me how wealthy our clients are. They're all the same in my eyes. Their dollars are all worth the same amount of money and it's not my money. They hire us to make recommendations based upon applications for the best value and if there's no value in things they ask about, we'll tell them."
Taking a final sip of his non-fat, sugar free, no-whip cinnamon dulce latte, Perez definitely looks like he knows how to start his days with purpose. He didn't have to read "Pour Your Heart into It" to find out how. He need only look to the parents who raised him, the coaches who mentored him, the experiences that groomed him and the philosophies that have sustained him to find the inspiration for his tenacity.
When it comes to solving the conundrums of life, Perez is still an athlete who can go the distance. His integration company is just one more byproduct of that.
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