A compelling vision, accompanied by the ability to see beyond the challenges of today and sculpt a picture of tomorrow, is what fuels success. Carrying such qualities, Austin Rosenfeld, the Founder and CEO of Macedon Technologies, has set his company on a mission to transform businesses digitally.
Austin started his career as a software developer. He was one of the first team members working on a new software platform at Appian—who provides a low-code development platform that accelerates the creation of high-impact business applications—and realized that very few people understood how to use it. A natural born leader, Austin started Macedon and set out to hire the most suitable and capable staff. He built a consulting company with in-depth knowledge in the Appian platform, solving real-world business problems. This approach paid off quickly. Macedon Technologies has grown considerably over the past decade and has offices in both Reston, VA, and in Austin, TX. Austin, together with his team has established a flourishing business with significant footprints in the financial services, manufacturing, education, energy, and pharmaceutical industries.
Accelerating Digital Transformation
Austin notes that the organization has honed a lot of expertise in the Appian platform and has applied that skillset across a diverse clientele. “We compete in several markets, we can show large enterprises we understand their IT processes,” Austin says. “Using our analytical skills, we can quickly build a demo application, showing the power of the software.” For large, complex applications with multiple complicated integrations—or processes across several divisions—Macedon provides specialized services that focus on resolving these challenges, scaling operations collectively with the client.
For government clients, Macedon has amassed an impressive number of certifications and credentials in the Appian space and has teamed up with organizations that have significant government project experience. For smaller commercial firms, Macedon starts as a consultant, first analyzing their IT landscape finding the best fit for Appian. Small businesses find Macedon’s hybrid roles incredibly valuable.
Keeping an Ample Bench to Support Growth
Balancing the twin pipelines of recruiting and sales is a considerable challenge, particularly for start-ups. Since its inception, Macedon has tried to keep an adequate bench to support its growth and invests a lot in training resources and retaining a healthy and agile bench. Now that the company has turbocharged its recruiting machine, it can hire dozens of people a year and support all of its priorities more efficiently. Macedon currently has over 100 employees and is set to reach 150 by the end of this year.
Striving to Reach New Milestones
“The Appian platform continues to grow in scope and popularity, and it is moving into adjacent areas including Robotic Process Automation and DevOps,” Austin says. “We see clients take on more ambitious digital transformation initiatives allowing us to serve as holistic consultants, contrary to the past when enterprise applications were often built in silos.” As an authorized Appian Reseller, Macedon provides the full platform capabilities to small- and medium-sized businesses as well, equipping them with the same power to advance their technology and harness efficiencies as they grow.
Austin’s focus is on building Macedon’s expertise, rather than getting distracted by competitors. Austin says, “We want to generate great ideas that add value for our customers, not worry about the competition.”
Enlightening Aspiring Entrepreneurs
Austin believes that vision and leadership are vital attributes a CEO must possess. “Leaders should have the ability to tell people ‘here is how we are going to climb that next hill’ and get everyone to come along enthusiastically,” he reflects. “A leader has to energize the team. The reason why I am so actively involved in every hiring decision is my dedication to building the right team to execute the vision.” Austin firmly believes that the CEO has to set the tone for the culture. “At Macedon, I’d like to think we are all nerds. Most of us have computer science degrees, and we tend to have a lot of traits that go with that,” he adds. We have a Harry Potter theme around the office, play pranks on each other, and try to have fun as much as we can!”
Austin’s advice for emerging entrepreneurs: “Try to see your business from all angles at once. A spreadsheet that adds up is great, but you need to see how and when the team needs to grow, what customers expect, and where to find them. Ask yourself which processes need to scale beyond what you can handle in a spreadsheet, so when you are in over your head, you can rely on a good CPA, lawyer, or other specialists.”
