An Interview with our new CEO, Jana Eggers

Here is an interview from the Spreadshirt UK Blog with our new CEO, Jana Eggers.
Michel from the German blog took the time to interview Jana our new US CEO. They discuss future goals and aims for the US, Jana’s background and German Shepherds (the dogs).
1) Tell us about your background and/or family/place of birth/education
I was born in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Lived there until I went to college. I attended a small, private liberal arts college in Arkansas, Hendrix College.
2) When did you wear your first t-shirt? what was on it?

Wow, first t-shirt. I have no idea. The first sweatshirt I remember was when I was 5 at Disneyworld in Florida. We went for my birthday in December and it was COLD. I remember the sweatshirt being WARM!
3) Why do you work for Spreadshirt and not any of the competitors? What exactly will be your position?

I wasn’t looking for a new job, so I didn’t look at competitors. I had a terrific job at Intuit, that I loved every single day. I decided to come to Spreadshirt, because I was impressed with what the team had accomplished; I liked the management team; I saw a bigger market than CafePress has achieved; and t-shirts are a great form of self-expression — which everyone needs!

4) What do you think distinguishes Spreadshirt from other apparel on demand companies?

In addition to the team as a distinguishing feature, I believe focusing on how the three “business units” (direct, shop partners, and designers) can work together builds a strong proposition for the market.
5) Where do you see Spreadshirt two years from now (U.S. market)?

Two years from now in the US, I see us in a lead position and distinguished by our relations with designers, who can help both our direct customers and our shop partners deliver even better quality. We’ll accomplish this by making Spreadshirt US a great place to work, so we get the best talent… much like you have done here and Germany and has been started in the US.
6) What strikes you as different so far in terms of corporate culture? What can we learn from America? (example: in Germany, productions managers have scarcely ever worked their way up. there is little first hand experience, as opposed to theoretical knowldege/ and also slight chances of promotion)

I don’t think I know enough yet about the culture to comment on the differences. It seems fairly normal to start-ups in the US in general. Chaotic, fun, full of energy and newness. One thing I do find quite different is the values statements. In the US, it is typically larger companies that explicitly state this for their employees… usually after they’ve gone adrift a bit. I think Spreadshirt has done a great job getting started early in making sure their core values are explicit.

Experience is great, but what is most important is learning from experience, and to learn you don’t have to be the one having the experience. What I typically do when starting something new is ask myself, “Who has done this, or something like this well?” Then I go and try to learn about how they accomplished what they did, either through personal connections or public information. Also, I have several companies that I respect, like Southwest Airlines, Apple, Intuit, GE (for some things), and P&G (for some things). I’ll often ask myself “How would these companies handle this?” You don’t have to have the experience to learn from the history of what others have done. You just need to know to ask.
7) Do you think it is a problem that a German/European company tries to enter a segment of the U.S. market, a segment believed to be specifically American, namely merchandise and apparel? Will that be a problem for the buying public? (For example: French bloggers have reacted adversely to the acqusition of the French site LaFraise by a company from Germany: Spreadshirt)

I think a German company entering the US market will only have a problem if they don’t pay attention to the differences between the countries. This isn’t a German problem, but a people problem. Many US companies have made this mistake when trying to enter the German market. The important thing to show is that you are going to understand the customers and listen to them. Not assume that you know what is best “because it worked in Germany”. I would guess the French bloggers would have reacted just as strongly if an American company had bought LaFraise, or even if a big French company had purchased it. They are afraid of the culture change. If we continue to show that the culture isn’t changing, or *is* changing but for the better, then they will be fine.
Did Leipzig surprise you? Did anything else in Germany strike you as unusual?

I haven’t found any surprises in Leipzig or Germany yet. Since I lived in Berlin for a year, I think my surprises happened then. You can read about that here: http://www.german-way.com/intervw1je.html However, remember it is 8 years old!

9) Did you have to move for your new job in the U.S? Do you miss your old home?

No move involved. I do miss my home though w/ the travel here. I have two dogs (German Shepherds) and they are hard to be away from. My husband can travel, so he is visiting here now with me.
10) How will you counter the stress of frequent flying? How do you best relax?

For the last 5 years, I’ve been flying from the East Coast of the US the West Coast every other week. This flight is a little longer, but not that much. So overall, I’m used to traveling, and it doesn’t bother me.
11) What are your hobbies? What do you currently read?

My hobbies are cooking, triathlons, and reading. Once I get a little more settled in my trips here, I’ll cook a few things in the kitchen for you all to try! And, if anyone wants to run with me anytime, I’ll be happy to have a partner. I’m not very fast though! As for reading, I read both business books and pleasure books. Currently, I’m reading:
The First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

I just finished reading:
One Billion Customers: Lessons from the Front Lines of Doing Business in China

Fried Twinkies, Buckle Bunnies, & Bull Riders: A Year Inside the Professional Bull Riders Tour

My Life in France

Carsten had asked me about favorite “work” books awhile back. Here’s my quick answer to him:
* If you want business books, I’m partial to _Good to Great_ by Jim Collins (_Built to Last_ is also good.) and _Titan_, which is really an autobiography, but it tells you a great deal the focus it takes to build success… especially starting from nothing.
* One of my favs on design is _The Inmates are Running the Asylum_, because it brings out great examples on knowing your customers and how they are using your products.
* I think for our times _The Perfect Store_, written about ebay, is a great book on how they did what they did.
* I enjoyed and learned from _The Tipping Point_, _Wisdom of Crowds_ and _Freakonomics_ for some different perspectives on growth, stats and how to look at them both.

I also regularly read Fast Comany (http://www.fastcompany.com), Fortune (http://www.fortune.com), and Dwell (http://www.dwell.com) magazines.
12) How do you stay informed on the net? homepages currently preferred?

I stay informed on the net mostly vis blogs. I like Tech Crunch, GigaOM, Venture Chronicles, of course now, HipHipUK, as well as all of the Spreadshirt blogs. I do use the Web regularly when researching or looking to learn something new. I have sites that I trust like MarketingProfs.com, when it comes to marketing information, etc. I regularly use delicious too, which I find helpful for finding “things like”.