Albert Santalo launched two successful tech companies from South Florida during economic recessions. The first company was right after 9/11 and a year after the dotcom bubble had burst. He recalls that being an entrepreneur in those times was like being “the scourge of the economy.” The second company was in the midst of the 2008 global financial crisis. This company was Carecloud, a cloud-based health tech company that currently processes billions of dollars in annualized accounts receivable.
Now Albert is the founder and CEO of 8base, a low-code development platform that helps entrepreneurs bring their digital products to life. Founders, particularly, non-technical founders can use 8base to get their products up and running in a faster and more economical way. He states that by 2024, 65% of the software will be written using low-code platforms.
In this episode, I sat down with Albert to talk about why low-code platforms are the future of software development and how he got started on his entrepreneurial journey. He explains what it was like to start a business in times of economic uncertainty and how becoming an entrepreneur changed him as a person. We also discuss the impact of COVID-19 on the workplace and what he thinks the future of remote work will be.
Learning how to execute
Albert became fascinated with computers from a young age. He took his first computing class when he was in high school in the early days of microcomputing. Even though he always envisioned starting his own business, he didn’t exactly know what that would be back then. Before taking the big leap into entrepreneurship, Albert learned how to successfully execute a business while working at Answerthink Consulting Group, where he saw a company go from zero to IPO in 11 months.
Find out more about Albert’s lessons learned from his early days in this episode of Crossing Borders.
A student of the game
Albert explains that he had a very deliberate approach to entrepreneurship. He did everything he could to prepare for the journey he would eventually take on. He would study and observe other companies, leaving very little to chance. Eventually, he experienced an internal shift and realized that there was only so much he could control as an entrepreneur. He had to dive in headfirst and let opportunities come naturally.
Listen to this episode of Crossing Borders to find out how Albert transformed from a creature of logic to one of faith.
Untapping the potential of low-code
After working in a variety of industries developing different types of software, Albert started noticing a pattern in software developers. He realized that there was a tremendous opportunity to build a platform that would make programming easier for them and for people with fewer tech competencies. That’s when 8base was born.
In this episode of Crossing Borders, learn more about low-code development and the potential it holds for the future of software.
Since taking the leap into entrepreneurship, Albert Santalo has founded three successful tech companies. His ability to execute is further demonstrated with his most recent venture. The low-code development market is expected to grow by billions in the next few years, placing 8base at the forefront of software development.
Outline of this episode:
- [1:25] – About 8base
- [2:50] – Albert’s background
- [4:30] – Finding his calling
- [5:48] – Taking the leap
- [7:38] – Transforming a creature of logic
- [11:12] – 9/11, the dotcom bubble, & 2008 financial crisis
- [13:44] – CareCloud
- [15:10] – Lessons learned from first two companies
- [16:10] – Why 8base?
- [18:20] – A typical 8base client
- [20:20] – Building a startup in Florida
- [21:23] – Remote work post-COVID-19
- [23:26] – Books, blogs, & podcast recommendations
- [24:33] – Advice to Albert’s younger self
- [26:35] – What’s next for 8base?
Resources & people mentioned: