People of Firmhouse—Meet Bob

Creating a company where people are happy with their jobs

Bob was motivated to start the company because of a previous negative work experience. “I didn't enjoy going to work,” he explains. “There was no focus on me and my goals.” This drove him to want to create a healthy work environment where people are happy with their jobs, can pursue personal development, and genuinely want to stay.

Building something that makes a dent in the universe

In addition to this, Bob wanted to leave a lasting impact. “We're building something that actually makes a dent in the universe. It doesn't matter how small it is.” He wasn’t fixated on immediately going bigger, better, faster, and more complex. “The technology of what you do can be boring but why it exists could be really interesting,” says Bob. “It's easy until you make it complicated.” Instead, he wanted to figure out what kind of customer he needed to help and with what kind of problem. That way, Firmhouse could create a solid foundation of technology and solutions tailored to specific issues.

The Sonos partnership that changed everything for Firmhouse

By laying the groundwork for great service, Firmhouse began attracting new clients through word-of-mouth referrals. In 2019, we helped Sonos, an American audio equipment company, pilot its Hardware-as-a-Service project. “You get the Sonos Flex speakers on a subscription basis,” explains Bob. “Instead of selling the hardware, you’re selling perfect sound in every room.” This means customers have the flexibility to change their setup, cancel, or send back speakers. For Bob, this was a particularly memorable moment, as it was one of the first major product partnerships for our team.

The commerce model that would define our future growth

“We had to do a lot to make things work, which was accepted in a very complex environment,” says Bob. "A couple of things in our business model at the time are now being utilized for our growth." This partnership confirmed to Bob early on that what Firmhouse was doing was working. It summed up his vision for the future of our recurring commerce platform.

Relationships are at the core of everything we do

Many of the people who joined Firmhouse in these early days and contributed to writing the first lines of code are still with the company today. Bob is a relationship builder who values human connection. He fosters strong ties not only between colleagues but also between Firmhouse and its business partners. “I’m into building relationships and maintaining them,” shares Bob. “This core aspect of me is at the core of the company.”

Accomplishing big things with a small team

At Firmhouse, Bob describes the culture as both ambitious and informal. “We know that we're doing big things with a small amount of people and sometimes even a small amount of resources,” he explains. “And we're quite proud of that. We see it as a reward when our small team accomplishes what big brands do, sometimes even better than our larger competitors.”

Putting people first has been key to our market success

This success is attributed to a human-centric approach. “Our culture is very pragmatic and relationship-focused,” he says. “That’s what ties us together and ultimately makes us successful with customers and in the market.”

Securing funding during challenging economic times

While Firmhouse has had many achievements, Bob is particularly proud of how the team pulled together during the pandemic. Despite the economic challenges brought on by COVID-19, Firmhouse successfully secured funding. More recently, he has been ecstatic over how the team has grown, how well everyone clicks, and how this improves the business as a whole. "Sometimes, after a good week, I go home and think, 'If all else fails, this is one of the achievements I'll look back on with pride.'"

A love of people that carries through into photography

When he’s not busy at the helm of Firmhouse, Bob’s love for people carries into his passion for photography. When he travels, he enjoys capturing the essence of those he meets on the streets. He also loves taking portraits of people he knows in his personal and professional life, including Firmhouse headshots.