Leading Audacious Change

Why moral principles beat short-term profits, with Chris McCullough, CEO of Rotageek

June 14, 2020 Marcus Druen Episode 3
Leading Audacious Change
Why moral principles beat short-term profits, with Chris McCullough, CEO of Rotageek
Show Notes Chapter Markers

Micro bio of today's guest:

Chris McCullough is the co-founder and CEO of Rotageek, a SaaS platform for data-driven scheduling of rotas for frontline staff.

Prior to becoming a tech entrepreneur, Chris was formerly an A&E Doctor. – and thus he is in an enviable position to separate facts from fiction as well as government spin with regards to COVID-19.

What you will learn in this episode:

Because of his professional insights, we first talk about the virus itself in some length, his view of how various countries responded to the pandemic and his expectation of a second spike in transmission in the UK. This is a 100% no-nonsense, fact-based, un-biased and non-politicised account of a medical expert  (Chris refers to himself as an amateur - I'll let you decide for yourself!) on COVID-19 - with zero agenda, something that is hard to come by these days.

In the second half we learn how Rotageek is making lives for hospital managers and clinical staff better – and why his company is offering their software as a service for free to the NHS at the moment.

What I admire most in Chris are his strong moral principles, and I bet that at the end of this interview – or therapy session as he refers to it at the end - you will agree with me that Chris is not only one of the most humble and value-driven Tech CEOs, but also a role model for a social capitalist in the 21stcentury – one who marries purpose and principles with making a profit and who embodies that with everything he says and does.

The likes of Chris are part of a global movement of conscious capitalists, whether they see themselves as such or 'just do it'. Below is an interesting article on the subject matter by Gretchen Fox.

Useful links:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/gretchenfox/2019/03/26/the-rise-of-conscious-capitalism/#49466aa7139d

https://www.rotageek.com 

https://www.calculuscapital.com - the lead investor for Rotageek's latest financing round

https://www.mobeus.co.uk - Rotageek's previous investor

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ctmccullough - connect with Chris on LinkedIn


Chris explains what he does as CEO and what Rotageek provides to customers
How "Rotageek" was born when Chris was an A&E Dr. in a hospital
Chris view (as a former medical professional) on COVID-19, R-value, exposure rates, vaccines & treatment options
Chris' sense-making of the way forward, and why the inevitable 2nd spike in the UK will prevent society going back to normal before 2021
What we can learn from COVID-19: the brutal unmasking of economic disparity, and that we need to shift from optimising efficiency to building resilience
How Rotageek makes lives better for shift-based workers and how this is linked to how Chris views the role of businesses and public services
Why rotageek is offering it's software service to the NHS for free during this crisis without any caveats, tricks or ploys, and why this is in line with his moral principles and those of the investors he has chosen to grow Rotageek
Marcus critique of the 'shareholder value' and 'growth at all-costs' doctrine and Chris' response why Rotageek's strong moral principles may differentiate them from other tech companies
Marcus's worry the retail workers will be pushed into even more precarious working conditions after the lock down - and why Chris thinks most retailers will be compelled to to look after them
Chris explains his choice of outside investors and why he doesn't believe in the Silicon Valley-type investor
Zooming out: how Corona is changing Chris's view on what he really needs as a consumer, why caring about others is more important than focussing on your company's valuation and wanting a bigger house
Why Marcus regards Chris as a prototype for a Social Capitalist in the 21st century and what Chris thinks is really essential now