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Columbia Business Monthly

2019 SC 25 Fastest Growing Companies: No. 19 Swampfox Technologies

LEADERSHIP Bob Cooper | CEO & President

INDUSTRY Telecommunication software for businesses with large call centers

LOCATION Columbia

FOUNDED 2009

If someone were to make a movie about your company, what would be the story you'd want to tell?

The story would be about five engineers willing to leave very high-paying jobs in order to create a company—a company that had the culture and the values that we could find nowhere else.

What interview questions do you ask or what hiring techniques do you use to hire the right candidate? 

How do you spend your free time? Good candidates are very smart and tend to explore technology.

How do you manage fast growth? What advice would you give to a company in growth mode?

Put a management system into place that allows you to delegate. Founders typically have a mindset that they must do everything, but that is not scalable. The sooner they realize that they cannot be the center of the universe, the better. 

Have you acquired or merged with a company as part of your growth plan? 

No, we have not, but we are considering it. Make sure your cultures match and make sure your systems allow you to grow. Otherwise, simply adding more complexity may be detrimental to your company.

What is the secret to your success?

I don't think I have any secrets per se. My advice is to partner with the smartest, humblest people you can find. Do what's best for your customer. Remember every deal must be a win for both parties, but especially your customer.