Suggestions
Pete Evenson
Cofounder @ Swoop | ex Microsoft
Pete Evenson is a guest lecturer at the University of Southern California's Marshall School, focusing on start-up growth, fundraising, and go-to-market strategies since May 2021.1 He is also the founder of Swoop, Inc., a VC-backed transportation tech company based in Los Angeles, which he started in January 2019.1
Evenson has a background in business development and go-to-market strategies, having previously worked at Microsoft for over 5 years in various global roles.1 He led business development projects and go-to-market initiatives for Microsoft Store's $1B online division across Americas, APAC, EMEA, and China.1
Swoop, Inc., Evenson's current venture, aims to disrupt the $74B fragmented private transportation economy by building an all-in-one SaaS platform called Moovs for small and medium-sized businesses in the transportation industry.1 The company also operates a managed marketplace, Swoopapp.com, for booking transportation services.1
Evenson holds a degree in Business Administration and Management from Chapman University.1
Highlights
I call it 'professional persistence,' and when done right, it can lead to huge opportunities…
It's incredibly challenging to determine when someone is looking to purchase without knowledge of their intent.
Intent = the company has a need for your services and generally finds you through an inbound lead or they’ve issued an RFP for similar services
Without clear intent, it's all about 1) finding the company/stakeholder at the right time (challenging) and 2) influencing them to see the need for your service (also challenging).
I've learned that by systematizing this approach and applying 'professional persistence,' it can lead to significant opportunities—like this one with Walmart.
System:
➡️ Identify companies that may need your service at some point—maybe now, but definitely in the future.
➡️ Target them with a multi-channel approach: a combination of emails with value messaging, LinkedIn, and a relevant case study, etc.
➡️ Build a system with regular check-ins (every 2-4 weeks) to ensure you land at the right time and place.
This approach worked for us when targeting Walmart. We identified a need (commuter shuttling for their warehouse workers), found various stakeholders we deemed potential champions, and built a system with regular check-ins.
The best part?
At first, Morgan, our Walmart contact, had no idea that there was a need for our type of service and hadn’t heard updates otherwise. After some 'professional persistence,' another Walmart stakeholder sent us a proposal, landing us a $600K contract. Morgan, who is pictured, made the introduction because we were top of mind, landing us at the right time and place.
