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My company has been a partner of Concur for several years, starting back in 2012 when the original founders (Steve, Raj and Mike) were all still there. Steve w

My company has been a partner of Concur for several years, starting back in 2012 when the original founders (Steve, Raj and Mike) were all still there. Steve was easily the most-respected leader in the travel industry- even people that disliked Concur admired Steve. He was articulate, created a clear vision for Concur that they maintained even as they grew like wildfire, and he inspired trust and goodwill with Concur partners. I get the "oh no, SAP executive" instinctual reaction, but Steve is clearly an entrepreneur at heart and considers himself an entrepreneur (it took them 20 years of grinding and ups and downs to build Concur what it is today). There was also a comment about him leading the company to exit in 2-3 years. I seriously doubt it. Concur's stock symbol is CNQR which isn't a coincidence. They didn't build Concur to sell it, they built it to conquer, which they had basically done when SAP bought them. Plus after 20 years I imagine $8B sounded pretty good, but I don't think their approach was ever to try to "flip" the company and I doubt he would join Docker if that was the intention in any way.

nullnilvoid 9y ago
This is standard PR stuff. Docker's PR machine has been working hard and churning out stuff like this. > Steve was easily the most-respected leader in the travel industry... When you read "easily the most-respected", it triggers some doubt. > They didn't build Concur to sell it, they built it to conquer, which they had basically done when SAP bought them. You meant they were conquered when they were bought by SAP, right?
- shykes 9y ago
  They were conquered in the same way that Pixar was conquered by Disney.
- onwardly 9y ago
  I'm not affiliated with Docker in any way and I'm just speaking from my experience. My only connection to Steve Singh is just that my company still partners with Concur. Concur became a behemoth in corporate travel, and companies that competed against them or didn't want to work with them eventually had to.[1] It sounds like you don't know a lot about the corporate travel industry which is fine. I'm sure a lot of people would love to get "conquered" for $8B some day. [1] http://www.businesstravelnews.com/Business-Travel-Agencies/IBM-will-cease-operating-Global-Expense-Reporting-Solutions-as-a-standalone-product-effective-March-31-2016 http://www.businesstravelnews.com/Business-Travel-Agencies/I...
- dang 9y ago
  Please don't post like this to HN. It's a breach of the civility rule to accuse a fellow user of "standard PR stuff" and insinuate astroturfing or other bad-faith behavior without evidence. The overwhelming majority of the time, you're simply talking to someone with a different point of view than yours, and that's the foundation of civil discourse.
  - throwaway4719 9y ago
    Note: Docker is a YC company (S10). Note 2: This kind of comment from a moderator feels a bit out of place, given this. At least without a disclaimer explaining the relationship between the topic and the moderator's employer.
    - dang 9y ago
      Three thoughts. First, the overwhelming majority of users who we stick up for with comments like this (including the GP) aren't affiliated with YC in any way, so I don't see what problem that would solve. It would insult readers' knowledge and intelligence to put nitpicky disclaimers on everything, especially when the affiliations are all public. Presumably you knew these things without special access; why assume less of others? HN is a spirit-of-the-law, not letter-of-the-law place. The principle at issue is that fellow users deserve to be read charitably. I don't see how that needs any disclaiming.
  - Myrmornis 9y ago
    I disagree with the moderator's response. The whole reply was fine, and "easily the most respected leader in the travel industry" is indeed unintelligent, gushing drivel that sounds like PR copy; it's this sort of thing that we don't want on HN.

nullnilvoid 9y ago

This is standard PR stuff. Docker's PR machine has been working hard and churning out stuff like this. > Steve was easily the most-respected leader in the travel industry... When you read "easily the most-respected", it triggers some doubt. > They didn't build Concur to sell it, they built it to conquer, which they had basically done when SAP bought them. You meant they were conquered when they were bought by SAP, right?

shykes 9y ago
They were conquered in the same way that Pixar was conquered by Disney.
onwardly 9y ago
I'm not affiliated with Docker in any way and I'm just speaking from my experience. My only connection to Steve Singh is just that my company still partners with Concur. Concur became a behemoth in corporate travel, and companies that competed against them or didn't want to work with them eventually had to.[1] It sounds like you don't know a lot about the corporate travel industry which is fine. I'm sure a lot of people would love to get "conquered" for $8B some day. [1] http://www.businesstravelnews.com/Business-Travel-Agencies/IBM-will-cease-operating-Global-Expense-Reporting-Solutions-as-a-standalone-product-effective-March-31-2016 http://www.businesstravelnews.com/Business-Travel-Agencies/I...
dang 9y ago
Please don't post like this to HN. It's a breach of the civility rule to accuse a fellow user of "standard PR stuff" and insinuate astroturfing or other bad-faith behavior without evidence. The overwhelming majority of the time, you're simply talking to someone with a different point of view than yours, and that's the foundation of civil discourse.
- throwaway4719 9y ago
  Note: Docker is a YC company (S10). Note 2: This kind of comment from a moderator feels a bit out of place, given this. At least without a disclaimer explaining the relationship between the topic and the moderator's employer.
  - dang 9y ago
    Three thoughts. First, the overwhelming majority of users who we stick up for with comments like this (including the GP) aren't affiliated with YC in any way, so I don't see what problem that would solve. It would insult readers' knowledge and intelligence to put nitpicky disclaimers on everything, especially when the affiliations are all public. Presumably you knew these things without special access; why assume less of others? HN is a spirit-of-the-law, not letter-of-the-law place. The principle at issue is that fellow users deserve to be read charitably. I don't see how that needs any disclaiming.
- Myrmornis 9y ago
  I disagree with the moderator's response. The whole reply was fine, and "easily the most respected leader in the travel industry" is indeed unintelligent, gushing drivel that sounds like PR copy; it's this sort of thing that we don't want on HN.