1. It’s such a privilege to get to collaborate with you Dom, please tell us who Dominic Santo is.(When you were born, Where you were born, where you studied and what your passions are)
I was born in Cape Town on the 31st Of Jan 1994. Spent my entire childhood in Cape Town and moved to JHB about 3 years ago now. I studied at CTI in Cape Town but my degree is from Heriot-Watt University in Scotland. My passions are cigars, golf, fly fishing and soccer.
2. For our audience that may not know what Codexpress is please could you explain it to them.
Codexpress specializes in designing, building, and maintaining software applications for clients across various industries. We offer expertise in various programming languages, platforms, and technologies to provide custom software solutions to meet unique business needs. The company’s goal is to deliver high-quality, efficient, and user-friendly software that helps clients achieve their goals and stay ahead in their respective markets.
3. When did you first venture into coding and what did you envision for yourself when you first started out?
I started programming when I was about 16 years old. Which is actually late compared to the other kids in my IT class in High School as they started as early as 9 years old. But once I wrote my first line of code, I knew I never wanted to do anything else. I guess when one starts programming you always envision yourself as one day working for a silicon valley giant or even creating your own.
4. When did the idea of Codexpress come to you and how did it happen?
Codexpress paved the way for me to explore my entrepreneurial spirit. Initially it was just for me to handle small projects while I was working full time but eventually the smaller projects got bigger and Codexpress needed my full attention. The idea for Codexpress actually started as a software blog to train others in the world of software engineering, then it pivoted to a software development company.
5. It’s been 4 years since Codexpress was first conceived, when did you get your first client and when did Codexpress start seeing profit?
The first few months of Codexpress were brutal, not going to deny that. I was having second thoughts almost every single day, and in April 2019 I sent out the first ever invoice for Codexpress and about 3 months later we started to see the profits.
6. How many clients do you currently work with and of those which are long term clients?
Currently we have 4 clients that we actively work with, 3 of those are long term clients that we have had since Codexpress started.
7. What are 2 of the biggest problems you have had to overcome with Codexpress and how did you manage to solve those problems?
Trust, especially with new clients who want to expand their current business into the tech space and need that verification. This is where the tech partners value comes about, as we are not just engineers who write code but rather we are there to assist in all aspects of our clients business.
Staying ahead, things are changing every single day in the tech space and you need to stay on top of it and be able to expand your knowledge. I encourage my team to always innovate outside of work and present it to the rest of us. We want everyone to be creative and evolve.
8. What are 3 pieces of advice that really stick with you as an entrepreneur in South Africa and why?
Keep on going – movement is always seen as progress
Rome wasn’t built in a day – patience is key
See the end goal – focus on the future and not always the present
9. In today’s age, do you think it is beneficial to be part of an exclusive community with like-minded entrepreneurs like The HustlersGlobal Club and why?
Absolutely, when I first started Codexpress I was missing a community of entrepreneurs to share and connect with, it helps on so many avenues of one’s business. From growth to knowledge sharing
10. What advice would you give to a programmer/new software company trying to land their first big client and how do they retain that client?
Keep it simple, the simplest solution is often the best. Complexity is all around us and people turn to software to solve problems, so don’t add to their problems. Clients will forever appreciate you for that.
11. What are some things you want to achieve in 2023?
We are obviously always looking for more clients but we would also like to launch our own SAAS projects this year.
12. Where do you see Codexpress in the next 3-5 years?
Scaling nicely and carrying on supporting our current clients as well as the new clients we obtain. Also a whole division dedicated to in house software development for our SAAS projects
Finally, where can people connect with you if they want to learn more?
People can hit me up on instagram (@domsanto_)
my email: dominic@codexpress.co
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominic-santo-7318aa77/
