Here’s a Glimpse of What You’ll Hear:
- [3:07] Ashish Patel shares his immigrant family background and early entrepreneurial influences
- [7:45] How his father’s software career inspired Ashish’s early interest in coding
- [11:14] Creating a Craigslist app to find a bike and turning it into a paid product
- [14:35] Lessons from receiving a cease and desist from Craigslist
- [17:05] Why Ashish chose a “safe” entrepreneurial route with consulting before founding Simpat Tech
- [21:00] Forming a co-founder partnership to scale operations through nearshore development
- [25:51] How Simpat builds company culture across borders with on-site leadership and frequent visits
- [28:54] Ashish’s take on AI coding tools and how senior devs can use them to 10x productivity
In this episode…
What does it take to launch a successful software company without outside funding — and scale it across borders? And how do you balance speed, quality, and culture in an industry where talent and tech evolve rapidly?
A seasoned technologist and problem solver, Ashish Patel shares his journey from coding simple tools to founding Simpat Tech. Drawing on personal stories, including building a Craigslist bot and nearshoring development to Mexico, Ashish outlines how a combination of entrepreneurial mindset, AI tools, and intentional leadership enables companies to build custom software faster and smarter. He offers actionable advice on scaling, hiring, and leveraging senior talent to make AI effective in development.
Tune in to this episode of the Smart Business Revolution Podcast as John Corcoran interviews Ashish Patel, CEO and Founder of Simpat Tech, about the journey from coding hobbyist to software leader. Ashish explains how nearshoring, cross-cultural teams, and AI tools are reshaping software development. He also shares insights on building culture, navigating early-stage risks, and planning for what comes next.
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Quotable Moments:
- “You just assume that’s the way of life until you realize it’s not normal.”
- “One client can fund your launch; just get started and learn from there.”
- “AI coding tools make senior developers 10x more efficient; junior devs can’t just click accept.”
- “We don’t have two teams; we’re one team across borders, and culture is everything.”
- “I want to find something I’m passionate about and apply my drive to build something new.”
Action Steps:
- Start small and build safely: Launch a service-based business with just one client to reduce risk and build confidence. It’s a proven way to ease into entrepreneurship while learning what works.
- Leverage nearshoring strategically: Establish cross-border teams where language, culture, and time zone align, like Monterrey, Mexico. This allows for cost-efficiency without sacrificing quality or collaboration.
- Empower your top talent with AI: Provide your most senior developers with AI tools like Cursor or GitHub Copilot to dramatically boost productivity. Experience is essential for leveraging these tools effectively and avoiding code debt.
- Invest in real culture, not just perks: Embed company culture by having boots on the ground, frequent leadership visits, and localized entities. Strong cultural alignment drives better teamwork and long-term retention.
- Stay ahead by institutionalizing curiosity: Assign dedicated teams to explore tech trends and report findings quarterly. Structured curiosity ensures your company doesn’t fall behind in a fast-evolving landscape.
Sponsor: Rise25
At Rise25 we help B2B businesses give to and connect to your ‘Dream 200’ relationships and partnerships.
We help you cultivate amazing relationships in 2 ways.
#1 Our Predictable Podcast ROI Program
At Rise25, we’re committed to helping you connect with your Dream 200 referral partners, clients, and strategic partners through our done-for-you podcast solution.
We’re a professional podcast production agency that makes creating a podcast effortless. Since 2009, our proven system has helped thousands of B2B businesses build strong relationships with referral partners, clients, and audiences without doing the hard work.
What do you need to start a podcast?
When you use our proven system, all you need is an idea and a voice. We handle the strategy, production, and distribution – you just need to show up and talk.
The Rise25 podcasting solution is designed to help you build a profitable podcast. This requires a specific strategy, and we’ve got that down pat. We focus on making sure you have a direct path to ROI, which is the most important component. Plus, our podcast production company takes any heavy lifting of production and distribution off your plate.
We make distribution easy.
We’ll distribute each episode across more than 11 unique channels, including iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon Podcasts. We’ll also create copy for each episode and promote your show across social media.
Cofounders Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran credit podcasting as being the best thing they have ever done for their businesses. Podcasting connected them with the founders/CEOs of P90x, Atari, Einstein Bagels, Mattel, Rx Bars, YPO, EO, Lending Tree, Freshdesk, and many more.
The relationships you form through podcasting run deep. Jeremy and John became business partners through podcasting. They have even gone on family vacations and attended weddings of guests who have been on the podcast.
Podcast production has a lot of moving parts and is a big commitment on our end; we only want to work with people who are committed to their business and to cultivating amazing relationships.
Are you considering launching a podcast to acquire partnerships, clients, and referrals? Would you like to work with a podcast agency that wants you to win?
Rise25 Cofounders, Dr. Jeremy Weisz and John Corcoran, have been podcasting and advising about podcasting since 2008.
#2 Our Comprehensive Corporate Gifting Program
Elevate business relationships with customers, partners, staff, and prospects through gifting.
At Rise25, thoughtful and consistent gifting is a key component of staying top of mind and helps build lasting business relationships. Our corporate gift program is designed to simplify your process by delivering a full-service corporate gifting program — from sourcing and hand selecting the best gifts to expert packaging, custom branding, reliable shipping, and personalized messaging on your branded stationary.
Our done-for-you corporate gifting service ensures that your referral partners, prospects, and clients receive personalized touchpoints that enhance your business gifting efforts and provide a refined executive gifting experience. Whether you’re looking to impress key stakeholders or boost client loyalty, our comprehensive approach makes it easy and affordable.
Discover how Rise25’s personalized corporate gifting program can help you create lasting impressions. Get started today and experience the difference a strategic gifting approach can make.
Email us through our contact form.
You can learn more and watch a video on how it works here: https://rise25.com/giftprogram/
Contact us now at [email protected] or message us here https://rise25.com/contact/
Episode Transcript
John Corcoran: 00:00
All right. Today we’re talking about how to create software faster than ever. AI is all the rage vibe. Coding is super popular, and you can use these tools in order to create custom software like you never could before. My guest today is Ashish Patel. I’ll tell you more about him in a second, so stay tuned.
Intro: 00:19
Welcome to the Smart Business Revolution Podcast, where we feature top entrepreneurs, business leaders, and thought leaders and ask them how they built key relationships to get where they are today. Now let’s get started with the show.
Hi, thanks for tuning in to the podcast. On this special edition of the show, you’ll hear Rise25 John Corcoran’s Interview with Ashish Patel. It was originally done for another podcast, but we thought you’d benefit from hearing it here.
It’s brought to you by EO Austin, a community in Austin, Texas, for influential entrepreneurs. Since 1995, EO Austin has connected business owners and entrepreneurs across industries to build community, share experiences and inspire innovation. EO Austin’s members are focused on business growth, personal development, and community engagement. To join the world’s most influential community of entrepreneurs in Austin, visit www.eoaustin.com/join-eo/ Now enjoy this interview featuring Ashish Patel.
John Corcoran: 01:24
All right. Welcome everyone. John Corcoran here I am, the host of this show. And you know, every week we have smart CEOs, founders and entrepreneurs from all kinds of companies. We’ve had Netflix and Grubhub, Redfin, Gusto, Kinkos, lots of great episodes in the archives.
And before we get into this, this episode is brought to you by Rise25, where we help businesses to give to and connect to their dream relationships and partnerships. How do we do that? We do that by helping you to run your podcast. We are the easy button for a company to launch and run their podcast. We do three things: strategy, accountability, and full execution.
And we even invented what some are calling the wicks of B2B podcasting. It’s our platform, Podcast Copilot, so you can learn more about it by going to our website, Rise25.com or you can email us at [email protected]. All right.
And my guest here today is Ashish Patel, the CEO and Founder of Simpat Tech. It’s a custom software development company based in Austin, Texas, which he started way back in 2015, about ten years ago now, and has grown that company over those years through custom software solutions and development and stuff like that. So we’re going to talk about that. And he and I connected through the entrepreneurial master’s program, which we both are participating in. And Ashish, I know we tried to get this scheduled for a long time.
So I’m so excited that we finally got it scheduled. And you have an interesting background. Your parents came from India to Kenya, then London, then Texas, then the United States. So lots of moving around and a bit of an immigrant ethic that you learned. You were kind of instilled in you from a young age And your parents, even I think your dad and his brother lived on top of a convenience store. So it sounds like there’s a bit of an entrepreneurship that was kind of, you know, in you from a very young age. So talk a little bit about that, that background.
Ashish Patel: 03:08
Yeah. It’s, you know, you learn a lot. You just assume that’s kind of the way of life until you realize, like that’s not normal. But yeah. So a little bit of history there. So you know, back when India and Kenya were a colony and the British colony. So there was a lot of movement happening between those. There was also a lot of opportunity right, in India, their third world country, you know, not a lot of development at the time. And there was opportunity.
John Corcoran: 03:35
For or so years ago.
Ashish Patel: 03:36
Yeah. No.
John Corcoran: 03:37
Yeah.
Ashish Patel: 03:37
Less than more than that.
John Corcoran: 03:38
Yeah.
Ashish Patel: 03:39
50 years, about almost 60 years ago. Yeah. My grandparents saw an opportunity to go both sides. My dad and my mom moved to Kenya and they started a business to support the army. And so they were the main suppliers in this remote village for the British Army.
John Corcoran: 04:01
And it’s not even in Nairobi. This was smaller.
Ashish Patel: 04:04
No, this was out of Nairobi. Yeah. They moved to Nairobi later. And so they you know, I hear stories of like they were making so much money, they were importing Cadillacs into small villages, but they ended.
John Corcoran: 04:20
Up.
Ashish Patel: 04:21
You know, through a couple like a generation, like I think they blew it all. And unfortunately none of that filtered down. But, you know, it kind of instilled this entrepreneurial spirit. But there’s also a lot of that within a lot of the Indian community that moved to Kenya that had that spirit. And it continued.
So, you know, then for opportunity, my parents and their family moved to London and they opened a, you know, the only thing they know is to start a business. They opened a convenience store for both our families. And again, this was just normal to me. Both my parents and my uncle, my uncle’s family lived on the right on top of the convenience store. And we would run it, you know, between the two families, while my dad got an education and we just made it work.
And I was in the shop, as you would call it, every morning, and had a little playpen in there while things were happening. Wow. But then over time, you know, my dad got an education. We moved to the US, got my education, and then, yeah, I wanted to. I had that spirit and wanted to go to attack it.
John Corcoran: 05:30
I’m sure you spoke with Shabar Jahani, who’s in the EMP program, and he also has Indian roots but lives in Kenya. And I learned through him how there’s this large community I didn’t know, this huge community in India and in Kenya. Yeah. Yeah. Really interesting.
Ashish Patel: 05:47
They’re Kind of all of East Africa, Tanzania as well.
John Corcoran: 05:52
Yeah. I had an amazing, fascinating conversation with someone who only immigrated here to the Bay area two years ago and sought asylum and was telling me this story, this crazy story of like ten stops around the globe which just ended up in the United States on the southern border and surrendered itself and sought asylum. And just like it made me so appreciative. You know, I am not an immigrant, but I appreciate the immigrant story. And also, I really appreciate having interviewed 1500 people through this podcast.
Ashish Patel: 06:27
Yeah.
John Corcoran: 06:28
What that does, you know, how many immigrants and the next generation, you know, children of immigrants start companies and create tremendous wealth, you know, from that kind of spirit.
Ashish Patel: 06:43
Right? Yeah. And you know, more recently Just recognized how grateful I am to my parents for making that leap to leave their entire family in London, to move to a foreign country, to start, you know, no friends to start from scratch. And really, the only reason is for us, right? Like, they didn’t have to do that.
They were doing it for their kids. Actually, my sister wasn’t even around that point. It was for me. And you know that I don’t even know. That’s something that I could do.
Right. And to get my entire family to move to another country to do that. So I’m very grateful for that, for that effort.
John Corcoran: 07:23
Yeah, absolutely. So talk a little about now, you ended up starting a company at a young age, which was born out of your own personal frustration. Before we get into that, were you like a techie kid? Were you like taking apart computers? Were you programming websites at a young age?
When did you get interested in this stuff?
Ashish Patel: 07:45
Yeah. So my dad was a software engineer. That’s, you know, while we were running the convenience store or my family was getting an education in software engineering. And that’s how, you know, at the time, there was a ton of opportunity in the US for that role. And so we came over.
And so just through that community, you know, they like I think I had an Apple two C was my first computer. And my parents, friends who he worked with, and kids had showed me how you can actually code on the Apple two C without just like on the kernel. And so they were like, oh look, you can do this a while loop and print out like some crazy stuff. And you know, I was like, man, this is so cool. And so that was like what piqued my interest.
Of course, the games were interesting as well, but that was kind of my first, first like development experience.
John Corcoran: 08:40
And you ended up studying computer science in college?
Ashish Patel: 08:42
I did, yeah, I went to Virginia Tech. I knew that pretty early, like, hey, this is really interesting to me. And plus it makes a lot of money, so why not? Let’s go try it out. And it came pretty easy to me.
So yeah, that’s what I did. And then I went to University of Florida because you know, I loved the technology part of it. But I really liked applying technology to solve problems. Part of it was more interesting to me. And so I went to get a grad school at Florida for business.
John Corcoran: 09:13
That’s not something I’ve seen a lot of. A lot of times people get their computer science degree and then they go off into the working world. But you actually went and got your master’s degree. What was, you know, what did you think that was necessary at the time? Yeah.
And reflecting back on it, are you glad that you did it?
Ashish Patel: 09:31
That’s a good question. So I think it’s probably the, the main reason is probably the wrong reason, which I just was not done with school. I just loved learning and I loved the environment of being in a university. And, you know, it was also paid for because I got a Ta ship. So it seemed like, you know, no two years, no brainer.
Would I do it again? I think I didn’t lean into entrepreneurship early on. I don’t think I had confidence in myself that I could do it. And so I kind of wish I leaned in more on that and been less risk averse. And yeah, so I’m torn between that.
But, you know, you change one thing and you change everything.
John Corcoran: 10:17
So yeah, you.
Ashish Patel: 10:18
Now, I’m happy I met a lot of great people in Florida that I’m still friends with, and so I wouldn’t want to change that.
John Corcoran: 10:23
I just paid my last payment on my law school loans, like within the last month, and I graduated in 2007, and I haven’t practiced law in about 8 or 9 years. Yeah, my wife reminds me of this all the time. But, you know, I look back at it and I kind of don’t think I would change anything, because going and getting that graduate degree gave me the confidence that I could go out in the world and I could figure anything out, which I didn’t have before. Frankly, when you have a bachelor’s degree, you know, it was at a BA in English. You know, I didn’t feel like I could do anything, but after getting a law degree, I was like, I can figure it out, you know?
Yeah, that helped a lot.
Ashish Patel: 10:59
Good point. Yeah. Great point.
John Corcoran: 11:00
You had this challenge. You were looking for a bike. You’re an avid cyclist. You couldn’t afford to get the type bike you wanted, and you’re checking Craigslist regularly to see if you can find an affordable one. And you saw an opportunity.
So tell me a little bit about that.
Ashish Patel: 11:14
Yeah. So you kind of have to rewind. I don’t even remember when. This is 2010. Right.
So 15 years ago. Yeah. When Craigslist was the rage.
John Corcoran: 11:22
It was the end all be all there was. There’s no Facebook marketplace. There’s no next door. Yeah.
Ashish Patel: 11:27
Yeah. It’s just like Craigslist or newspaper, right. Is like your two options. And I also just graduated college, and had college loans. So I couldn’t afford a brand new bike and was looking for it on Craigslist.
And I was there like every hour seeing what popped up. I was like, there’s got to be a better way. And so I built this little app that would basically troll Craigslist or search and and.
John Corcoran: 11:56
By the way, the other thing that was frustrating about Craigslist is that that was where everyone went and they were like, so back then, I don’t even think they had images built into it or yeah, it was.
Ashish Patel: 12:06
Definitely.