How do you get a Tech Start-up off of the ground? Learn from the pros!

– On this episode of C-level, I talk with Michael Sengbush, CEO and Co-founder of Eletype. So, Mike, thanks for coming out. So I’m really excited because we get to talk about two of my biggest passions, which is start-up companies and tech. And the ecosystem in Atlanta, what does it look like with the future of tech that’s coming here now. And how Georgia’s growing as a whole. So thank you for coming out. – Thanks for having me. I mean, I love this topic. I love what you guys talk about on this program and I think we’ll have a great conversation. – Yeah, absolutely. So give me your background. Give me your story. – Yeah, well, I guess I’m a software developer by trade. I’m not originally from Atlanta. I moved down to Atlanta in 1996 for the Olympics and if anybody was here in ’96, you know in ’96 things were boomin’; it was happening. – I think the Olympics had a lot to do with pulling a lotta people down here. They started experiencing Atlanta. – I mean, it was the catalyst for kinda what’s been driving the city over the last 25 years, right? And so just being here the whole time, seeing it go from the Olympics to where it is now, has been amazing. I moved down, went to Georgia Tech, I got a computer science degree, spent the first half of my career being a software developer. Went from software development into product development and product management. And then got the entrepreneurial bug and started working in technology start-ups here in Atlanta. And in the last year and a half or so, I started my own company. And we are currently based at Ponce City Market. Again, talking about what things booming in Atlanta, if you’ve been to Ponce City Market, it’s the spot to be. – Amazing. Oh yeah. Yeah they’d redesigned the whole place and… – It’s a great spot to be. – Yeah, it’s awesome. So where did you move from? I didn’t catch that. – I moved down from Rochester New York. – Oh, okay, cool. I’m from Jersey, so. – Okay. Well, so are you going back any time soon or? – For a wedding. That’s about it. – I moved down in ’96 because I had an uncle that lived down here. And summer vacation, for me, was always coming down to Atlanta. And as soon as I graduated high school, I was like, packed my bags and I was like, “I’m out.” And stayed ’cause Atlanta’s a great spot to be. It’s not just a great spot to go to school, but it’s a great spot to start a career, start a family, and there’s really not a lot of great reasons to leave. – Right. – It’s just a good spot to be. – You have everything here. That’s what I love about this city is unlike New York, I mean, yeah you have your New York, I love New York. I do, I love New York a lot ’cause I spent a lot of time in New York and then in LA, but what’s cool about Atlanta is you’ve got the city, but then the farther out you go, it starts getting country, which is kinda cool. And then if you go south, I mean, four hours, five hours, you’re at the beach. – You’re at the beach. – So it’s like it’s a cool spot. Not to mention the international airport. I mean, literally, you can just hop on a plane. I mean, we do a lot of stuff filming in New York and LA. I hop on a plane, I can go out to New York. I can go out to LA. It’s not a big deal. – Yeah, I think Atlanta, it’s a really balanced city. And just kind of typical Atlanta, we’re always really good at a lot of things. We’re never the best at anything, whether it’s sports or whether it’s business, or whatever it might be. We’re always just pretty close, but we’re really good in everything. I think that’s why a lotta people stay is because there is balance. And if you’re in LA, or San Francisco, or New York, I mean, there’s not a lotta balance. Things are really outta wack in some cities. And I think Atlanta and the people in general are just really, really balanced and that’s why people stay. People love it. – I think it’s interesting ’cause I had this conversation a couple of times. It’s like Atlanta, we have hodgepodge of a lot of things, but what is it really gonna be known for? What are some of the big industries that are gonna be popping up that, “Oh, that’s Atlanta.” If I say Hollywood, you know, and New York, stuff like that. So it’s interesting to see what’s gonna happen. I feel that Atlanta, just the entrepreneurial spirit in Atlanta, it’s awesome. I mean, and it is ranked the best city to do business. #ChrisDeBlasio #MichaelSengbusch #CLevel