The former head of Google Analytics has launched a new startup, and it's aimed at CIOs.
Productiv launched out of stealth mode with an $8 million investment led by Accel. It offers an analytics platform that parses how employees are using enterprise software and applications, like Dropbox, Box, and Sharepoint.
CEO and cofounder Jody Shapiro worked at Google for nearly nine years, where he headed Google Analytics Premium, the enterprise version of Google Analytics. He finally left to return to his startup roots. Shapiro says he had a desire to create again and build solutions for significant industry problems.
"I was at Google with a career that was going phenomenally well," Shapiro told Business Insider. "We were out to solve a big problem, not a small problem. We did a lot of research and validation early on. It also became clear that what does it take to pull it off. You need a strong team. You need an experienced team."
Before starting the company, Shapiro spent time talking to CIOs to better understand the problem. He realized he wanted to build a product like Productiv, which can answer questions about how work is getting done and how people work together.
For example, Productiv can extract license information from applications, see which apps are being used the most and the least, and see how employees use apps to collaborate. This way, CIOs can figure out which apps to invest more money in, and which ones aren't being used.
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"I heard consistent feedback that the pain point is really real for them," Shapiro said. "Every CIO is facing the same kind of challenges and searching for a better answer. That's what got us excited and there's a real opportunity there."
Shapiro says his work at Google Analytics was a major influence, and Google Analytics changed how marketing works — measuring customer data and driving business results.
"What Google Analytics did was fully understand that customer journey now," Shapiro said. "All my experiences at Google Analytics and seeing that transformation happen was incredibly powerful and rewarding."
