About - Cogsy

THE TEAM

Build the team; the team builds the business.

Adii Pienaar

Perpetual seeker, learner and founder of new things. Previously co-founded WooCommerce (acquired by Automattic) and Conversio (acquired by Campaign Monitor). Cogsy will be Adii's third rodeo in building solutions for high-growth Ecommerce brands.

Dan Martell

Founder of SaaS Academy and made his first million by the age of 27 selling software as a service. He’s since successfully exited three companies and has been a key advisor to billion-dollar SaaS companies like Intercom, Hootsuite and Udemy.

MANIFESTO

Why do we exist?

Economies of scale is a great, academic idea that few ever achieve in reality.

Prioritising growth at all costs has seen more brands fail, than the handful of success stories to which we can point.

The truth is that the best Ecommerce brands do not grow blindly. They don't over-extend themselves with unfavourable debt, high CAC and sub-par ROAS in the slight hope that long-term LTV eventually fixes their unit economics.

Instead they keep the various metrics in beautiful tension as they balance growth and risk, immediate priorities and long-term financial reward.

The best Ecommerce brands smartly and proactively navigates the market with a combination of data-driven precision and artist-like creative execution.

They prefer economies of better versus the alternative: gambling on their ability to eventually get the kind of scale that creates escape velocity. (This is akin to only give Van Gogh a single roller brush with which you paint a house's exterior and expecting The Starry Night.)

VALUES

Smart

We help people make decisions. Our proactive approach to inventory management stems from our ability to make powerful, accurate predictions. We’re innovative, efficient and ahead of the curve. Our knowledge and experience allows us to envision multiple possibilities, forever closing the gap between insight and action.

Devoted

We believe in the power of empathy and kindness. We’re caring, compassionate and attentive. We attune ourselves to the specific needs of every business — we’re a loyal companion; a faithful confidant. We bring a human touch to everything we do. We’re warm, caring and compassionate. We are reliable.

Empowering

We give people options. Our robust platform offers the security, flexibility and control our customers need to feel confident and satisfied with the choices they’re making. We liberate people from the most monotonous tasks on their to-do lists, giving them the freedom to live their lives how they please. We help them get out more than they put in.

Accessible

We keep things clean and simple; life is complicated enough. Our system is designed to be straightforward and easy to use. We educate users at every level — regardless of their financial acumen — offering absolute clarity at every step. We demystify complex calculations, building trust through transparency and openness.

Progressive

We’re shaking up the status quo. By building on what came before, we’re delivering a new service that's materially different. We hold strong opinions, but only share them once we know the facts. We’re rogue, radical and fun. We see the beauty and richness that comes with diversity. We listen to feedback and always strive to be better.

CULTURE

Building a team

Every business and team I've built have been an evolution from the one's that came before. Learning new things and then applying those learnings to a blank canvas is exhilarating and a big part of the challenge.

Below is a talk I did in mid-2019 where I speak about how we built the team and culture at my previous company, Conversio. Much of the same principles and ideas will manifest again here at Cogsy.