RCN Podcast 48: Lessons from a Laser Scanning Expert with Silviu Stoian

In Episode 48 of the the RCN Podcast, CEO of RC Monkeys Silviu Stoian, CEO speaks about being in a niche field of the reality capture world, entrepreneurship, and the importance of building relationships with other members of the reality capture community. Episode Timeline 2:27 Silviu’s youth in Eastern Europe, getting into structural engineering, and his first job with its fair share of intimidating responsibilities 5:58 Special Visa lotteries, finding a way to the U.S. in 2008 and learning fast what a recession was, and Silviu’s fascinating educational journey 10:05 Silviu’s first encounter with an old scanner 13:20 The path to getting hired at The Beck Group. 16:42 The very beginning of RC Monkeys and details around the origin of the name 20:08 The pros and cons of attention to detail, and a lesson from marketing titan Seth Godin. 24:16 Project specifications; who is defining them? 27:52 What influences the services we purchase? An insightful customer story related to RC Monkeys. 30:11 A common misconception many companies have; that scanning is as easy as pressing a button 36:22 “Niching down” per the orders of Chris Do, and the unique focus it led to within reality capture 41:22 The perils of the wrong tool for the wrong job 46:49 Kevin Kelly’s 1,000 true fans: The value of focusing on your niche and not taking on too many clients 50:52 Upselling and cross-selling to grow a business 53:46 Rabbit holes, information overload, and Reality Capture Network’s primary goals 59:22 Starting a company and the importance of standardization 1:06:40 Reality capture education, perks of working at big companies early on, and on-the-job training 1:14:13 “Share your knowledge, sell the implementation”; the many benefits of consistent LinkedIn usage, and how a rising tide lifts all boats. 1:21:26 Exploration of the RCN podcast’s beginning 1:26:16 When a company’s top priority shifts from knowledge to the actual business 1:30:03 Matt Damon, sacrifices, and the fierce passion required to be an entrepreneur 1:34:56 Knowing what needs to be done in business, willingness to be bad when starting something new, and Atomic Habits 1:43:46 What advice would Silviu give his younger self? 1:48:40 What is Silviu excited about in the coming years?