Jan Rautenbach, the CEO of Kvell group, is poised to take another giant leap forward in a career that has spanned over 40 years. Rautenbach along with Data Scientist Robin Meisel has come up with a Linguistic Inferencing Tool. The tool will help create psychographic profiles of people based on their language use. It is the next major step in Jan Rautenbach’s illustrious career.
Rautenbach has successfully built a number of businesses over the years. He started working in IT in 1979 and spent over 20 years in Software development and ERP implementations. Now a successful entrepreneur, things weren’t always easy for Rautenbach.
Without a formal degree, Rautenbach’s work options were limited. After losing his father when he was only in 5th grade, Rautenbach started working as a kid to help his family. He got married at a young age and landed his first office job as an audit clerk. Despite the difficulties, Rautenbach always had the desire to start his own business.
Soon the era of computers kicked in and while many accountants were reluctant to use computers, Rautenbach took a keen interest in them. He learned programming by himself using outdated manuals and over a year later, he succeeded in creating a simple ledger system. He started processing part-time clients and soon it became a full time job.
Rautenbach also started studying part time to become a chartered accountant. Although he couldn’t find the time to complete the degree, he did learn how to form and sell shelf companies when studying the subject “commercial law”.
In 1980, he co-founded a software development company which became Rautenbach Software in 1985.
Rautenbach developed excellent people skills working sales and processing his part-time clients. Breaking into a market in a town where all business was done using “school tie” networks was a challenge. But by being reliable, dependable and by providing excellent service, Rautenbach made a name for himself. His business integrity has taken him this far and now he is ready for another challenge.
The linguistic inferencing tool developed by Jan Rautenbach and Robin Miesel is tipped to be a game-changer for the online industry. It was developed based on the research published at the Universities of Harvard, Oxford as well as Texas University. The software will be able to identify personality traits of people based on their language use. So basically, computers will be enabled to recognize and interpret human language and speech. Any area of a business that deals with customers can be enhanced with this latest innovation.
Rautenbach is quite optimistic about the wide ranging applications of the linguistic tool. He believes that the strategies implemented using this new tool will help deliver excellent customer service to potential clients. Rautenbach believes that the software will have widespread applications across human resources, high end sales situations and even banking.
“Our next step is to develop tools that will enable users to easily integrate this as a digital tool with media platforms and creatives,” Rautenbach said while elaborating on the future of the technology.
Rautenbach advised the businessowners to understand the importance of accountability and counselling when forging a successful business.
“As a business owner, make sure you make yourself accountable to a very trusted advisor. It is the first thing I’ll implement if I have to do it all over again” Jan remarked.
Like any business owner Rautenbach also made a few mistakes that led to him losing a major chunk of his investments. Rautenbach acknowledges that his most glaring mistake was not using the counsel of his wife. He thinks that it is better to acknowledge your weaknesses as a business owner and seek advice.
Business is all about learning from one’s shortcomings and coming up with solutions. Rautenbach’s journey helps in understanding the importance of integrity, reliability and openness to new ideas.