Interview with Peter Yee, Founding Principal of Impact I/O Consulting, LLC
It’s an early Monday morning and like usual, Peter is the first one here at Innovation WorkSpaces. He has a private office on what he and his neighboring office members have playfully named the “endcap”. With his large custom made Impact I/O logo sign hanging behind him, Peter spends hours planning his next moves, strategizing with customers, and immersing himself in the great big world of data, and he does it all with a contagious smile!
Peter was one of our first members here at Innovation and as such, we have been able to watch how he has grown his successful business from the conversations about what to name his company all the way to how he strategically strives to provide great services for his clients. Peter is a worker, a doer, an innovator. He’s a great fit here at Innovation WorkSpaces and I wanted to get to know a little more about him and his 2020 start-up, Impact I/O Consulting, LLC.
Ok Peter. First tell us a little bit about yourself.
Well, I live in Cedar Park with my wife Kara, and our 3 kids. We’ve been in the Austin area since 2016, and love the Hill Country life. When I’m not working for my Impact I/O customers, I enjoy volunteering for the Vista Ridge High School band, and serving as a committee member for Cedar Park Young Life. I also try to squeeze in smoking BBQ, disc golfing, racquetball, and woodworking as often as I can.
What is your company name and what services do you provide?
Impact I/O Consulting, LLC. We help companies get the most out of their data by optimizing the input/output flow of information. We connect their business processes to accurate data with low-cost, low-code solutions at a fraction of the cost of typical custom software solutions.
When did you start your company and how did you get the idea or concept for your business?
I started Impact I/O in February 2020, though I’ve been doing this type of work nearly my entire career. When my most recent employer was purchased and moved out of state, I put myself in the shoes of the next hiring executive, and realized that if I needed my skill-set for my organization, I’d rather get it on a project-by-project basis, not from a full-time employee. I’ve spent most of my career as a consultant, and so starting Impact I/O felt a little like getting back to my roots.
How did you come up with your company name?
I knew I wanted “I/O” involved somehow – I’ve always looked at the business process as a matter of inputs and outputs, and I wanted to make sure I brought the “techy” side into the name. After several weeks of letting various other words float around in my head, I went with “Impact” – it was the most straightforward description of the business plan I could come up with. I want to have a real impact on the way companies manage their data, or I/O.
What is unique about your business?
What I’m most excited about is that we’re seeing a dramatic rise in the quality and accessibility of several robust “low-code” platforms that many companies are under-utilizing or are not even aware of. I wouldn’t say that Impact I/O is “unique” per-se, but I do believe that we’re on the front-end of a wave that will eventually have a massive impact on the way companies conduct their business. We’re not strictly a technology or software consulting firm, nor are we only a business process optimization resource, but we’re an enabler of efficient processes through the use of these platforms.
What made you choose Innovation WorkSpaces for your office location and what do you like most about working here?
Innovation Workspaces is a tremendous value – to have a professional & friendly space to be able to focus, and not have to deal with all the little issues that I would have normally had to deal with in a traditional lease allows me to put that much more time into the business. I’ve seen other co-working spaces, but I haven’t seen one that can match the quality of the environment at this great price. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the staff and the other members, and have even gotten some great advice, connections, and services from my Innovation network.
What is the piece of advice that has had the greatest impact on you?
One of the perspectives that really changed the way I approached my career came from my early consulting experience where I was taught to discern “value to the organization”. There is a value in being able to work hard, but unless it’s toward an end that creates value in the direction an organization is headed, it’s spinning wheels at best, and at worst, can destroy value. I credit this perspective for allowing me to adapt to whichever technology tools are around to be able to create value for my customers.
Interviews like this one with Peter are a great way to remind us all just how important it is to continue to create true value for our clients and to connect with each other. Thanks Peter for sharing your story with us! We love having you as a member and can’t wait to see how things take off for you and Impact I/O Consulting. If you want to know more about the work Peter is doing, message him on LinkedIn or stop by Innovation WorkSpaces to say hi.
Stay tuned for future Innovation WorkSpaces Member Spotlights.
