The company I work for entrusted me to design and launch the website for VoiceNet, their call center software product. I managed the project and designed the site, working closely with internal contributors and stakeholders. Wood St. was the design and development firm that handled the styling and coding of the site.

Simply put, call centers use VoiceNet for enterprise-scale outbound dialing for telesales, appointment setting, etc., and inbound call handling for managing incoming calls either directly by a live agent or by an automated system called an IVR (i.e. “Press or say one to get your account balance.”)

Of course VoiceNet comes with all the features a call center would need to effectively manage the blend of incoming and outgoing calls including recording and monitoring of calls, generating reports, and all kinds of customization and optimization capabilities.

It’s okay to be brief
When people ask me about work/life balance, I just laugh. But I try to be time-efficient by scheduling meetings in appropriate increments –15 minutes or less sometimes. I’ve also tried to build a culture that understands writing brief e-mails is not emotional coldness.

Be willing to change course
Entrepreneurs tend to believe, “I’ve got my idea, I’ll go until I die.” But I advise them to take seriously the questions about whether their [business] plan is irredeemably flawed and whether they need to change what they’re doing. Be diligent about failing fast so that you don’t spend five years doing something that’s just going to fail.

Don’t be a perfectionist
I frequently tell Internet entrepreneurs, “If you’re not somewhat embarrassed by your 1.0 product launch, then you’ve released too late.” There’s value in launching early, getting engaged with customers, and learning from them. That can direct your progress.