Dusty Davidson: A Pioneer of the Silicon Prairie
D usty Davidson is a co-founder and CEO of Flywheel, a WordPress hosting and management company based in Omaha, NE. He’s a technology entrepreneur who has built several web-oriented organizations in the Midwest. I recently sat down with him to discuss startups and advice for entrepreneurs.
What is Flywheel?
Flywheel is a platform for building and hosting websites built on WordPress, a popular content management service. “We really make the experience of building and launching sites beautiful and easy, specifically for designers and agencies,” says Davidson. They host hundreds of thousands of websites, ranging from blogs to Fortune 500 companies, serving clients across the U.S. and internationally.
See the change, be the change
Flywheel launched in 2012 and has steadily grown to nearly 250 employees. Davidson says at the time, many of the options for managing WordPress sites were built for technical people. “They weren’t built for designers or creative folks.” Several factors set his company up for success from the beginning. Davidson and co-founding members Tony Noecker and Rick Knudtson all previously worked together and share the same values, drive and passions. Building the company with expertise in the web design field was an advantage and investing in extraordinary people on the Flywheel team played an important role.
“My philosophy has always been that ‘if you get the people part right’ and inspire them down a path and get out of the way, that’s the formula for building truly big and long-lasting, impactful companies,” Davidson says.
Why some startups fail
Davidson says some entrepreneurs are often unwilling to hustle and do the work when starting out. “They’re kind of afraid to roll up their sleeves and do whatever it takes.” He recalls the early days of Flywheel calling up to 20 potential customers a day to generate business.
Advice for young entrepreneurs
Davidson says to focus more on the “people aspects” of the company, not just the tech and number of sales. Who you surround yourself with is often overlooked or rushed in the early stages.
A new journey begins
Although Flywheel was sold in 2019 to Texas-based tech company WP Engine, Davidson says this isn’t the end of the journey for his partners. “It’s not really about doing something then starting a new thing, it’s mostly about finding the right opportunity that you can scale and grow with extraordinary people.”
About Dusty Davidson
Dusty Davidson is the Co-Founder and CEO of Flywheel, a delightful WordPress hosting and development platform built for designers, freelancers, and agencies. Dusty spends half his time recruiting exceptional people to build the Flywheel team and the other half steering big-picture strategy to create an even stronger business. As a serial technology entrepreneur, he’s started a handful of projects and products, including Silicon Prairie News, Tripleseat Software, and Big Omaha. Although Flywheel is number one in his heart, some close seconds are Diet Mountain Dew, French Pinot Noir, and his Macbook Pro.
