by Kalyn Stockman and Jim Lundy
If you haven’t heard, Aragon is celebrating its 10 year anniversary this week! We’ve told you about our major milestones and our employees’ proudest moments at Aragon, but what better way to learn about our 10 years than by hearing from our Founder and CEO himself? I sat down with Jim Lundy to talk to him about his past 10 years, which consisted of starting and growing Aragon Research.
What is something people may not know about you?
“I was a soccer coach for ten years! Two of those years overlapped with the start of Aragon Research–that was a fun challenge to balance!”
What inspired you to start Aragon Research 10 years ago?
“Well, it all started when a client of mine at a large tech firm actually encouraged me to leave my current job to start my own firm. Starting a company with no income while having 2 kids in college was a daunting idea. But after much thought, I knew I needed to. I had my own ideas about what a research and advisory firm should be, and I was ready to build an organization with one simple mission–to help our clients.”
What is your proudest moment in the 10 years since Aragon has started?
“Wow, there have been so many. The first one that comes to mind is thinking about when we opened our first office (our headquarters!) in 2012. I am proud of this because when I started Aragon, I built an office in my garage–many of our first meetings happened in that garage!”
Tell us about one of your favorite “firsts” at Aragon!
“I will always remember our first Transform event. I’ll never forget how our clients reacted when they walked in–they were surprised at the size and quality of our event. From that point on, people knew we were big-time! Our events have only continued to grow since then.”
What is one major challenge you’ve faced in these 10 years?
“When we decided to go big with Visual Research, it was definitely a challenge! However, I look back at that fondly. It was hard to do, as it took almost 4 years to build out our methodology. But now, we’ve produced hundreds of videos, and with commercial-grade quality.”
What is a fun, memorable moment you’ve had at Aragon?
“I remember an amazing event we had with customers at the top of the Fairmont Hotel. It was a sit-down dinner with 50 people in the presidential suite where presidents such as JFK had stayed before. We could see the entire city–It was just an incredible night.”
Where do you see Aragon going in the NEXT 10 years?
“Aragon is becoming a major brand in technology research and advisory, and I expect that to continue. We are going to make visual research a thing everyone must have, and we will continue providing great advice to clients.”
Describe Aragon Research in one sentence
“We help clients figure out where markets are going and how to succeed in those markets.”
What is something you have learned over the past 10 years?
“Hard work and perseverance pay off; helping clients pays off.”
How does Aragon Research stand out from other organizations?
“Something that I am proud of is our Aragon Cares program–I think this makes us stand out. Each month, we select a special cause to support to give back to different communities in need. We have done activities ranging from food drives to “adopting families” at Christmastime and providing gifts for them, and so much more!”
Thank you for the insights, Jim! As the week progresses, be on the lookout for more fun content from Aragon to celebrate our 10th anniversary. Here’s to 10 more years of Aragon Research!