Tyler Robertson
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Summary
Hey everyone. Stay tuned to the end of the interview where I’ll give you some actionable insights that I learned from my guest. These insights are also in the show notes. As always, thanks for listening.
Now on to my guest for today, Tyler Robertson, founder and CEO of Diesel Laptops, a company that provides truck owners with the tools to more efficiently diagnose and repair their own vehicles as an alternative to going to the dealer.
Tyler grew up in the upper middle class, but the summer he finished seventh grade, his father informed him that he would start working at the family business - a concrete manufacturing plant. It was miserable work, but Tyler learned to shift his attitude and learned the value of work. His parents agreed to help him go to college for computer engineering, but Tyler failed out and returned home, where he started working at a company his family had recently acquired: a truck dealership. Tyler quickly learned about the business, staying on even after his family sold it, though finding himself without a job a year later. Tyler took a job in another state and was working his way up the ladder when he saw an opportunity to provide a solution to a problem he saw: helping truck drivers and owners diagnose and repair their trucks. With the move to a higher reliance on computers for this work, many truck drivers had no option but to go to the dealership. Tyler found a way to provide them what they needed. When his company demanded he drop the side business, Tyler, with his wife's support, took the leap into full-time entrepreneurship.
Diesel Laptops has grown exponentially in just seven years; it now employs 200 people and is looking to provide more streamlined solutions to help truck owners more easily and quickly diagnose and repair their trucks, vehicles which can't be easily replaced. You lose the use of a mixer truck, Tyler explains, you are out thousands of dollars until it can get repaired. Tyler's story shows how listening to what customers want and finding a way to provide it can be the key to success.
Now, let’s get better together.
Actionable Insights
- Most of us probably give little thought to diesel trucks, but they are a huge and essential part of our economy. Tyler says he "came late" to his industry but it's one where there's a huge need for what he has to offer. Electric vehicles are another market segment Robertson sees as an opportunity for growth. Tyler’s company is not so much about offering the right widget, but about offering a package of products and services.
- Tyler points out that many people who have built successful businesses simply learned a trade, acquired customers, and grew from there. You don't need a college degree to find a product or service; you just need to find a need and fill it.
- Be ready to change, shift, and let go as you grow. Tyler sees smaller businesses trying to grow by continuing to do the same thing, but some shifts are required for growth. For instance, he now employs 10 people in marketing in order to help identify more customers and grow his market, as he found he'd reached a plateau.