Social Impact Tech: Jennifer Doyle of Inspect Point On How Their Technology Will Make An Important Positive Impact
An Interview With Jilea Hemmings
Safety and its impact on communities, homes, and people, has only grown in importance over the years, and I do not see that changing anytime soon. With more and more structures being built to handle a growing population, the standards and codes will only evolve and grow in complexity and could move to remote monitoring and greater enforcement. As more and more jurisdictions and people become aware of the fire and life safety, and the role it plays in the background of everyday life, I could see more legislation being put in place to ensure the safety of people and property, and more people moving to software as the need for faster reporting and sharing of information becomes required.
In recent years, Big Tech has gotten a bad rep. But of course many tech companies are doing important work making monumental positive changes to society, health, and the environment. To highlight these, we started a new interview series about “Technology Making An Important Positive Social Impact”. We are interviewing leaders of tech companies who are creating or have created a tech product that is helping to make a positive change in people’s lives or the environment. As a part of this series, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jennifer Doyle, Co-founder and VPCustomer Success, Inspect Point.
Responsible, confident and conscientious, Jennifer Doyle is a natural and inspiring leader. She was born and raised in Upstate NY, and after several years of traveling the globe and living in Australia, Thailand, Ireland, and Bali, and building a small boutique consulting business, she returned to the states, got married and began Inspect Point (a SaaS company for the Fire and Life Safety industry) with her husband, Padraic Doyle, and two business partners. She currently leads the Customer Success and Support teams, is a cornerstone of the Leadership Team, is an active member of community organizations, and the mother of two young children — Rory 2 years old and Aidan who is due to arrive in August 2021.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series. Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a bit about your childhood backstory and how you grew up?
I grew up in Upstate NY, just outside of Albany, in a middle class family. I am the oldest of three and from a very young age have been independent. My mother recalls many times where I would be off to the side writing ideas and stories in a notebook while the other children played, and described me as an entrepreneur at the tender age of two when I had a “grocery store” where I charged everyone $2 for anything in the store.
Growing up I was not what you would describe as athletic. I tried just about everything, and gave it my all, but nothing really stuck on the athletic front. However, I did fall in love with theatre and throughout my high school years, I could be found every day after school rehearsing for a play.
After graduating high school, I attended an all-women’s college in Troy, NY — Russell Sage College — where I studied English and later went on to get my Masters in Secondary Education. After several months of substitute teaching, I realized teaching was not for me and started my career in technology — quite the jump, but was the best decision I ever made!
I started as a Marketing Coordinator for a local startup and after 4 years made the jump to start my own consulting business with my then boyfriend, Padraic Doyle. During our consulting years, we traveled the world and took on jobs that interested us and allowed us the flexibility to work and travel. After several years of living out of backpacks, we settled down and started Inspect Point back in the US with two of our friends, Phil Sirgiano and Drew Slocum, and the rest is history.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My husband is my biggest supporter and I do not think I’d be where I am today without him. When I was down on myself after teaching did not work out, he was the one who pushed me to look at technology. When we started working together and formed our consulting business, and then went onto start Inspect Point, it felt natural and like we were, and are, always supposed to be doing this together.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“If there is no Struggle, there is no progress.” ~Frederick Douglas
I truly believe that anything worth having in life takes work, dedication, and sacrifice. Getting to where I am today has meant going without pay, long hours, and many sleepless nights. But on the other side, it has given me the ability to see something grow from idea to reality, the ability to provide employment to others, and watch as our customers grow and thrive as well. The struggles have also shown me the strength and determination I have to make tough decisions and get through rough times.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
- Problem Solving/ Critical Thinking — Things come up that are unexpected and being able to respond with solutions is key. When leading a team, people look to you for answers — which you may not always have — but being able to think critically and provide people with solutions, helps everyone feel confident and empowered to do the same.
- Ownership — This is a huge one for me. I ask this of not only myself, but my team, as well. Making a mistake is not the end of the world — it happens and we cannot let it defeat us. But owning the mistake or problem, learning from it, and moving on is hugely important to me.
- Empathy — Being a leader to me does not mean a top down approach to me. I try very hard to learn the personalities of each member of the team and what their strengths and weaknesses are. From there, it’s about harnessing that information to empower, but yet also know when you may need to step in and assist and understand how this impacts their work.
Ok super. Let’s now shift to the main part of our discussion about the tech tools that you are helping to create that can make a positive social impact on our society. To begin, what problems are you aiming to solve?
At Inspect Point, our why is to develop, implement, and leverage technology to empower the Fire & Life Safety industry to save lives, protect property, and build safer communities.
How do you think your technology can address this?
Fire and Life Safety inspections can be complicated and in-depth. There are lots of layers and moving parts, and lots of information to keep track of. Our software not only helps businesses keep track of inspection and building information, but helps keep track of deficiencies (which are items and part of the fire system that has failed or is not up to code), and the businesses are able to quote and repair the broken items). By having a handle on the business, they are able to keep a better handle on the needs of the buildings and systems they support. This helps them ensure that people and property (in that order) are protected.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
Prior to starting Inspect Point my background was in technology and not fire protection. I was not fully aware of the impact these companies have on buildings and communities. What they do is important — really important — and people take their roles very seriously. It wasn’t until there was a deadly fire in our area, that was the result of inspectors signing off on an inspection that they never performed (they were not using software), that I truly saw and understood our role in the inspection and service of these systems.
How do you think this might change the world?
Safety and its impact on communities, homes, and people, has only grown in importance over the years, and I do not see that changing anytime soon. With more and more structures being built to handle a growing population, the standards and codes will only evolve and grow in complexity and could move to remote monitoring and greater enforcement. As more and more jurisdictions and people become aware of the fire and life safety, and the role it plays in the background of everyday life, I could see more legislation being put in place to ensure the safety of people and property, and more people moving to software as the need for faster reporting and sharing of information becomes required.
Keeping “Black Mirror” and the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks about this technology that people should think more deeply about?
Technology is a tool and should only be used in conjunction with people not as a replacement. I think the way technology is portrayed in shows like “Black Mirror” — as escapism or the enemy — and it is cut and dry. I do not see technology this way — especially Inspect Point. We act as a companion or enhancement to a very human process and trade. While there are iOT devices entering the fire and life safety market, there are, and I believe always will be the need for the human touch in the process. Sure there are technologies out there that could someday replace some jobs, but I do not see it happening in a way that is portrayed in fictional shows. It’s not something to be scared of. When used correctly, it can do amazing things!
Here is the main question for our discussion. Based on your experience and success, can you please share “Five things you need to know to successfully create technology that can make a positive social impact”? (Please share a story or an example, for each.)
- Knowledge: You need to be the experts in your industry otherwise how can people truly believe your value and mission. When developing Inspect Point we worked with industry leaders, experts, consultants, and beta customers prior to launching — and do even to this day
- Product Development and the need to understand your MVP: “If you build it, they will come” does not always work. Spending years developing a product and launching to crickets is not a good feeling. Cold calling potential customers, discussing ideas, developing, and then being agile in the development process, means you are building a product slower, but ensuring it is something people want, need, and will use.
- Understanding it’s not about you: You do not build products that make a positive social impact and help people by creating something that is all about you, or for recognition and fame. There needs to be a greater reason than just success.
- Processes: This pertains to every type of technology and business- not just social impact. Without processes you are basically throwing you know what at a wall and hoping it sticks. There is nothing more that I enjoy than a good SOP and process creation meeting. Knowing what is needed, and the end goal of that process, helps people stay focused and work towards a common purpose.
- Passion: Creating anything requires passion. Without it you can lose focus and purpose. Passion helps drive you through the tough times and reminds you daily why you do what you do.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
Believe in yourself and do not give up. People will not always understand what it is you do, or why you are doing it, or what you need to do to get where you are, but stay true to yourself and your goals. When I tell people about the software and what it does, I get a lot of blank stares and “ohh, that sounds interesting.” It’s not something that many people think of or want to talk about unless they need it one day, and I do not take this personally. I know there would be articles left and right if I helped create the next viral app or platform, but that’s not why I got into business and what I do. I kind of like being unknown and building things that help people because I want to — not just for the recognition.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenniferdabneydoyle/
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational, and we wish you continued success in your important work.
Social Impact Tech: Jennifer Doyle of Inspect Point On How Their Technology Will Make An Important… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.