How does TruAdvantage provide enterprise-level IT solutions for small to medium businesses. What makes them a top-rated managed IT and cybersecurity provider in the Bay Area. Why do over 100 companies trust TruAdvantage for their IT support and security needs.
TruAdvantage: Bay Area’s Premier Managed IT and Cybersecurity Provider
TruAdvantage stands out as an award-winning IT firm based in the Bay Area, specializing in managed IT services, cybersecurity, cloud solutions, and strategic IT planning. Their mission is to deliver enterprise-grade productivity, simplicity, scalability, and security to over 100 small and medium-sized businesses that have chosen them as their IT partner.
For Bay Area business executives facing IT challenges, TruAdvantage offers solutions to common pain points:
- Outgrowing current IT support
- Need for more responsive IT assistance
- Optimizing staff productivity and supporting business growth
- Enhancing cybersecurity measures
As a certified Great Place to Work, TruAdvantage has built a reputation for excellence in the IT industry, serving various sectors including healthcare, non-profits, and startups since 2001.
8 Reasons Why Bay Area Businesses Choose TruAdvantage
TruAdvantage has earned the trust of over 100 small to medium businesses in the Bay Area. Here’s why:
- Real-time support with live phone answering and chat support
- Award-winning service, ranking first in client satisfaction and response rate
- Affordable, fixed-cost support options for predictable budgeting
- Strategic focus on optimizing office workflows and automation
- 90-day full satisfaction guarantee or money back
- Expertise in industry-specific compliance (HIPAA, PCI) with included staff training
- Advanced security solutions to protect against cyber threats
- High client retention rate (97% since 2012) with most new clients coming from referrals
Comprehensive IT Services Tailored for Bay Area Businesses
TruAdvantage offers a wide range of IT services designed to meet the unique needs of Bay Area businesses:
- Managed IT services with proactive monitoring and maintenance
- Cybersecurity solutions to protect against evolving threats
- Cloud computing and migration services
- Strategic IT planning and consulting
- Help desk support with rapid response times
- Network design and implementation
- Data backup and disaster recovery solutions
- Compliance assistance for regulated industries
How does TruAdvantage ensure seamless IT operations for its clients? By combining cutting-edge technology with a team of skilled professionals, TruAdvantage provides round-the-clock monitoring, rapid issue resolution, and proactive maintenance to minimize downtime and maximize productivity.
Client Success Stories: Real-world Impact of TruAdvantage
TruAdvantage has a track record of delivering tangible results for its clients across various industries:
Healthcare Sector Success
Minimally Invasive Surgical Solutions (MISS), a healthcare provider, has been working with TruAdvantage since 2004. Dr. Reza Malek, Co-Founder and Head Surgeon, states:
“TruAdvantage has been with us since our foundation in 2004 and has helped us grow to 30 employees. Their expertise in both IT and healthcare IT has been the game changer for our practice, improving our staff efficiency, increasing cost savings and reaching worry-free HIPAA compliance.”
What specific services does TruAdvantage provide for MISS? The company offers:
- Proactive server and desktop management
- Onsite network administration
- Helpdesk support
- Virtual desktop solutions
- vCIO services
- Telephony systems
- Backup and disaster recovery
- HIPAA and healthcare IT consulting
Non-Profit Sector Transformation
A non-profit organization with locations in San Jose and Campbell, CA, has been benefiting from TruAdvantage’s services since 2001. The client emphasizes the strategic value TruAdvantage brings:
“We not only need IT technicians but also IT advisors. A team that can see the big picture, a team that can help us optimize our operations, improve our staff efficiency and IT security and bring peace of mind to our 338 residents and my staff including myself.”
How has TruAdvantage supported this non-profit’s mission? By providing:
- Managed IT with live helpdesk support
- High-level IT planning
- Cloud server solutions
- Robust cybersecurity measures
- Staff training and education
TruAdvantage’s Approach to Cybersecurity
In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity is paramount. How does TruAdvantage ensure its clients are protected against evolving cyber threats?
TruAdvantage employs a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity:
- Advanced threat detection and prevention systems
- Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
- Employee cybersecurity awareness training
- Incident response planning and execution
- Continuous monitoring and real-time threat intelligence
- Compliance-focused security measures for regulated industries
By implementing these comprehensive security measures, TruAdvantage helps its clients stay ahead of potential cyber attacks, protecting sensitive data and maintaining business continuity.
Strategic IT Planning: Driving Business Growth
Beyond day-to-day IT support, TruAdvantage places a strong emphasis on strategic IT planning to drive long-term business growth. How does this approach benefit clients?
TruAdvantage’s strategic IT planning services include:
- Quarterly business reviews to align IT initiatives with business goals
- Technology roadmapping to plan for future needs and innovations
- Budget forecasting and optimization
- IT project management and implementation
- Vendor management and coordination
- Performance metrics and KPI tracking
By taking a proactive and strategic approach to IT management, TruAdvantage helps its clients leverage technology as a competitive advantage, driving efficiency, innovation, and growth.
Cloud Solutions: Empowering Flexible and Scalable IT Infrastructure
Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses operate, offering unprecedented flexibility and scalability. How does TruAdvantage help its clients harness the power of the cloud?
TruAdvantage’s cloud services encompass:
- Cloud migration and implementation
- Hybrid cloud solutions
- Cloud-based backup and disaster recovery
- Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) management
- Cloud security and compliance
- Performance optimization and cost management
By leveraging cloud technologies, TruAdvantage enables its clients to enhance collaboration, reduce IT infrastructure costs, and scale their operations seamlessly.
The TruAdvantage Difference: Customer-Centric IT Support
What sets TruAdvantage apart from other IT service providers in the Bay Area? The company’s unwavering commitment to customer satisfaction and service excellence.
Key differentiators include:
- Live phone and chat support for immediate assistance
- Guaranteed response times for critical issues
- Proactive monitoring and maintenance to prevent problems before they occur
- Regular check-ins and performance reviews
- Transparent, fixed-cost pricing models
- Ongoing staff training and certification
This customer-centric approach has resulted in TruAdvantage’s high client retention rate and numerous industry accolades, including recognition from Clutch as a top IT managed service provider in the Bay Area.
In conclusion, TruAdvantage has established itself as a leading managed IT and cybersecurity provider in the Bay Area by delivering comprehensive, strategic, and customer-focused services. From small startups to established healthcare providers, TruAdvantage empowers businesses with enterprise-grade IT solutions tailored to their unique needs and goals. With a proven track record of success and a commitment to excellence, TruAdvantage continues to be the trusted IT partner for over 100 businesses in the region.
Award-Winning Managed IT for Bay Area 408-680-8389
Bay Area’s Award-winning IT & Cybersecurity
TruAdvantage is a Bay Area based, award-winning IT firm that specializes in managed IT, managed Cybersecurity, cloud solutions and strategic IT planning. Our passion is to bring enterprise-level productivity, simplicity, scalability, and security to over 100 small to medium businesses who have chosen us as their IT partner.
Attention Bay Area Business Executives:
- Feeling Like You’ve Outgrown Your Current IT Company?
- Looking for a Highly Responsive IT Team to Help You Solve Your Chronic Computer Problems?
- In Need of a Partner to help You Optimize Staff Productivity and Support Growing Business Needs?
- Concerned That Your Current IT Is Not Doing Enough to Secure You Against a Cyberattack?
Then it’s time to give us a call. As an Award-winning IT and Cybersecurity firm (see why) in the Bay Area no other IT firm can touch our fast response time, quality customer service and range of experience in security and compliance.
We guarantee your 100% satisfaction.
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TruAdvantage
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We’re Great Place to
Work Certified
Healthcare
since 2004
Non-Profit
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Startup
since 2018
Healthcare
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8 Reasons Why over 100 Small to Medium Businesses in the Bay Area Have Trusted TruAdvantage to Support their Computer Network and Protect their IT Security
1
REAL-TIME SUPPORT – or “support @ your fingertips” since we answer our phones live and give you live chat support as if you have an onsite IT team at a fraction of cost (watch quick video)
2
AWARD-WINNING & RANKING 1ST – we rank as one of the top Bay Areas’ IT companies based on Clutch and Google in client satisfaction , response rate and small to mid size IT strategy (more)
3
NO NICKEL-and-DIMING – we offer affordable, fixed-cost, tailored-to-your-needs support options which leads to predictable cost for you
4
STRATEGICALLY-FOCUSED -regardless of your size, we help you OPTIMIZE your office flow and automation to save time and reduce cost with our Quarterly Business Reviews and Action Plans
5
“90 DAYS of FULL SATISFACTION or FREE” – confident of our unparalleled expertise and customer server, we guarantee your full satisfaction or your get 100% of your money back (more)
6
COMPLIANCE – we can help you meet industry-specific compliance (HIPAA, PCI) and train your staff.
All included at no extra cost (more)
7
SECURITY-FOCUSED – one of the few firms in the Bay Area with advanced security solutions to protect you against Ransomware, hackers and disgruntled employees (more)
8
NOT CLIENTS but RAVING FANS – over 90% of our clients come from word of mouth and referral. We’ve had a 97% plus retention rate since 2012 (more)
Chosen By Clutch (Leading B2B Rating & Review Organization)
As The Top IT Managed Service Provider In The Bay Area
Bay Area’s Top Cybersecurity Advisor
Read Press Release
Get To Know Us
LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR TEAM & CULTURE
See what other business owners and managers are saying about us…
“Competent, Fun, Professional and Very Responsive. They Have Contributed to Our Growth Since 2004.”
Industry: Healthcare | Client Since: 2004
Size: 30 | San Jose, CAGetting Their TruAdvantage With IT Through:
- Proactive Server & Desktop Management
- Onsite Network Administration
- Helpdesk Support
- Virtual Desktops
- vCIO Services
- Telephony
- Backup and Onsite/Offsite Disaster Recovery
- HIPAA & Healthcare IT Consulting
“TruAdvantage has been with us since our foundation in 2004 and has helped us grow to 30 employees.
Their expertise in both IT and healthcare IT has been the game changer for our practice, improving our staff efficiency, increasing cost savings and reaching worry-free HIPAA compliance. The team is easy to interact with, professional, fun and personable. They are truly part of our team.”
Their expertise in both IT and healthcare IT has been the game changer for our practice, improving our staff efficiency, increasing cost savings and reaching worry-free HIPAA compliance. The team is easy to interact with, professional, fun and personable. They are truly part of our team.”Reza Malek
Co-Founder and Head Surgeon
Minimally Invasive Surgical Solutions (MISS)
(click HERE to read case study)
“TruAdvantage’s Strategic Guidance along with an IT Security Roadmap and Live Helpdesk Support Have Transformed our Organization.”
Industry: Non-Profit | Client Since: 2001
Locations: 2 | San Jose & Campbell, CAGetting Their TruAdvantage With IT Through:
- Managed IT with Live Helpdesk
- High-Level IT Planning
- Cloud Servers
- Cybersecurity
- Staff Training and Education
“We not only need IT technicians but also IT advisors.
A team that can see the big picture, a team that can help us optimize our operations, improve our staff efficiency and IT security and bring peace of mind to our 338 residents and my staff including myself. TruAdvantage has exactly done that since 2001. They are part of our work family.”Priscilla Haynes
Executive Director
Santa Clara Methodist Retirement Foundation (SCMRF)
“We Have Incubated over 50 Startup Companies at TechCode and Heavily Rely on Technology and High-level Security. Choosing TruAdvantage Was One of Our Best Decisions.”
Industry: Startup Incubator | Client Since: 2018
Size:50 | Mountain View, CAGetting Their TruAdvantage With IT Through:
- High-Level IT Planning
- Fully-Managed IT
- Cybersecurity
- Project Services
“How did we choose TruAdvantage? We did a great deal of research in the Bay Area based on IT firm’s ratings, expertise, customer feedback and their process during sales.
We narrowed it down to TruAdvantage. In hindsight, I am glad to say that was one of our best decisions. If you are looking for a reliable, responsive IT team that can not only solve your problems but help you with long-term strategy, go with TruAdvantage.”Joey Doe
Operations Manager
TechCode
Read More Testimonials
IT Support & Services in San Jose, San Francisco & The Bay Area
Managed IT
We’ll manage all of your IT services for a flat-rate fee.
Managed Cybersecurity
Protect your data, protect your business.
Managed Backup &
Business Continuity
Prevent the unexpected from ruining your company.
Managed Cloud
Our solutions are fully scalable and available for a flat-rate fee.
Managed VoIP Phones
We’ll make sure your communication needs are met.
Managed Compliance
Be ready when a HIPAA audit happens.
Latest News
Check out our new, modern Office across from Apple Spaceship Campus
Our new branded cars
We were honored to speak and be part of “Cloud Services Community” panel in San Francisco sharing how we integrate Cloud to transform our client’s businesses. Learn more…
TruAdvantage Earns 2022 Great Place to Work Certification™! Read more…
If so, we would at least like to send you a copy of our recently published report, I.T. Buyers Guide.
Even if you aren’t ready to make a change right now, this guide will explain in simple, non-technical terms what you need to look for when outsourcing your IT support, as well as cost-saving strategies, insider tips and 21 revealing questions you MUST ask any computer consultant before giving him access to your computer network.
Simply fill out the form here and we’ll send you a copy today!
Meet the Team Behind TruAdvantage
Meet the Team Behind TruAdvantage
Thank God it’s Monday!
That’s the kind of culture we have and strive to strengthen at TruAdvantage.
We look forward to our Mondays and coming to work. One thing we make sure is part of the fabric of our company is having fun. Our team is a group of go-getters, jokesters, and IT lovers. We have great passion about technology and healthcare – but more importantly about helping our clients. Our management hand-picks our team members through a meticulous process. We strive to build a team that lives and breathes our core values daily: inspiring and empowering each other and our clients.
We’re Great Place to Work-Certified!
Thanks to our people, we’re proud to have earned Great Place to Work® Certification™. Our company culture is our top priority!
Kayvan Yazdi
CEO, Co-Founder
Get to Know Me
Connect with me on LinkedIn:
My Vision:
The principal mission of TruAdvantage? That’s clear: “Many small to medium sized organizations are in dire need of IT experts who understand the business aspect as well and can impact the bottom line.
Such organizations not only need solvers but also optimizers for the long term. They need IT experts as a strategic resource not just a tool. We bridge that gap.” As the co- founder and Chief Technology Officer of TruAdvantage, Kayvan is primarily responsible for the strategic relationships and technology vision of TruAdvantage.
Favorite Books:
Think and Grow Rich, Power of Now , Untethered Soul, The 5Am club
Favorite Quote:
“The man in the arena by Theodore Roosevelt: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming;”
Favorite Teams:
Golden State Warriors, 49ers, Manchester United, Esteghlal FC
Favorite Hobbies:
Playing & Watching Soccer, Bodybuilding, Reading books on spirituality and metaphysics
Favorite Food:
Sushi, Persian Cuisine
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
- Fun culture
- Fun and humble team
- Always growing and improving
- Making our clients happy
Iman Oskoorouchi
President, Co-Founder
Get to Know Me
Connect with me on LinkedIn:
My Vision:
What makes TruAdvantage services unique in the Bay Area? Iman answers, “First it’s that personal touch we bring into IT for our clients from Medical firms to Legal firms and so on.
Second is our expert knowledge for each specific industry. For example, medical practice personnel and doctors need help transitioning into the paperless and digital healthcare environment before they can be successful in it. TruAdvantage provides the much needed understanding first, and makes the transition simpler and smoother.”
Favorite Books:
The Untethered Soul, The 5AM Club, Stolen Focus, Angels & Deamons
Favorite Quote:
“From minds, thoughts are born which erodes humanity. If achieving love is your goal, become a lover not a thinker!” -Sa’di
Favorite Teams:
Persepolis, FC Barcelona, Golden State Warriors
Favorite Hobbies:
Backcountry Skiing, Rumi, Philosophy
Favorite restaurant:
Crepevine
Favorite Food:
Thai Green Curry
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
Continuously learning from everyone on the team, and coconut waters!
Karen Francisco
Service Coordinator
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Rich Dad, Poor Dad – Robert Kiyosaki, The Secret – Rhonda Bhyrne
Favorite Quote:
“It always seems impossible until it’s done.
” (Nelson Mandela)
Favorite Teams:
Cleveland Cavaliers
Favorite Hobbies:
Reading Books, Singing, Playing the Piano, Fitness Boxing
Jennifer Anne Manlutac
Finance Administrator
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Keeping Customers Happy, Men are from Mars Women are from Venus, Angels
Favorite Quote:
Start each day with a positive thought and a grateful heart
Favorite Hobbies:
hiking, playing with dogs, watching kdrama
Favorite Food:
Caesar salad
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
Being part of this family is such a great experience. I am totally blessed. I am amazed on how each team member lives the core values which include Have a “Can-Do Attitude”, Always Be Learning and Growth Oriented, Deliver Beyond Expectation, Communicate Confidently Yet Humbly, Be Honest and Trustworthy, Be Creative.
Use Imagination and Have Work/Life Balance. I’m learning a lot and I look forward to serving our clients more in the coming years.
Andrew Barger
Service Manager
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
The Hobbit & The Lord of the Rings Trilogy
Favorite Quote:
“Words are the means to meaning, and for those who listen, the enunciation of truth” – Alan Moore
Favorite Teams:
Baltimore Ravens
Favorite Hobbies:
Travel, cooking, music, reading, video games
Favorite restaurant:
Miss Shirley’s
Matt Richter
Sr. IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Karen Mae Lacorte
Business Development Representative
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Dream Psychology by Sigmund Freud
Favorite Quote:
“Nothing is impossible.
The word itself says ‘I’m Possible!'” – Audrey Hepburn
“God is within her, She will not fail”- PSALMS 46:5
Favorite Hobbies:
My Favorite Hobbies are working out at home, Doing DIY Crafts with my Kid, Watching a NETFLIX Series, and Reading Blogs.
Favorite restaurant:
TGI Fridays and Italianni’s
Favorite Food:
Mexican and my mom’s Indian food
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
What I look forward to working at TruAdvantage is learning new skills, meeting new people, and being a part of the company’s journey and more successes to come.
Race Castro
Executive Assistant
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Percy Jackson & the Olympians series!
Favorite Quote:
“The longest journey starts with a single step. When you have a dream or an ambition and it’s so far away, and it’s so high up, it can be overwhelming.
But when you look at it one step at a time, one day you’ll look up at your feet and you’ll be in your destination” – Catriona Gray
Favorite Teams:
Vakifbank Women’s Volleyball Team
Favorite Hobbies:
Singing in the shower, working out and play volleyball
Favorite restaurant:
Yabu
Favorite Food:
Tuna Sashimi
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
It’s very easy to work at TruAdvantage because of the people you get to work with. They make everything easier and better.
Felix Ng
Solution Architect
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
The Power of Habit, The Phoenix Project, Laptops for Dummies
Favorite Quote:
Ride pony; but search for horse
Favorite Hobbies:
Climbing
Favorite Food:
New foods!
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
I am constantly challenged to learn and grow
Erik Gallagher
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Star Wars: The Original Trilogy
Favorite Teams:
Raiders, A’s
Favorite Hobbies:
Gaming and esports
Favorite restaurant:
Paxti’s Pizza
Favorite Food:
Pizza!
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
I learn something new every day I work here.
Alex “Yuki” Nguyen
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Kitchen Confidential
Favorite Quote:
“It isn’t all over; everything has not been invented; the human adventure is just beginning.” – Gene Roddenberry
Favorite Teams:
San Francisco Shock
Favorite Hobbies:
Learning songs on piano, PC gaming
Favorite restaurant:
Sweet Mango, Koi Palace
Favorite Food:
Dim Sum
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
Flexibility, Company Culture, Room to grow
Joe Nguyen
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Factfulness, Modern Romance, Not Nice
Favorite Quote:
“Try and fail, don’t fail to try” (John Quincy Adams) “For every minute you remain angry, you give up 60 seconds of peace of mind” (Ralph Waldo Emerson) “A man is but the product of his thoughts” (Gandhi)
Favorite Teams:
Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, SJ Sharks, SF 49ers
Favorite Hobbies:
Bowling, Games, Movies, Music
Ruzzel Cruz
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
The Hunt for Red October
Favorite Quote:
“Knowledge speaks, Wisdom listens.
” (Jimi Hendrix)
Favorite Hobbies:
Traveling, PC gaming, hiking, watching documentaries & sightseeing
Favorite Food:
Steak
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
A lot of things to learn and a healthy environment.
Armando Del Campo
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Quote:
“I can do everything through Him who gives me strength”
Favorite Teams:
Chargers, Lakers, Dodgers
Favorite Hobbies:
Anything with the Beach
Favorite Restaurant:
Pacific Catch
Favorite Food:
Seafood
What are you looking forward to at TruAdvantage:
To meet my colleagues and grow with the Team.
DJay Gurung
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
To Kill a Mockingbird, Ben Hur
Favorite Teams:
Manchester United
Favorite Hobbies:
Listening to music, Learning new things, working out
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
Everyday brings new challenges; the people are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable
Mark Yumul
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Quote:
“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.
”
Favorite Teams:
Lakers
Favorite Hobbies:
Online Gaming
Favorite Food:
Korean BBQ, Seafood
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
The work environment and bosses are the best! The encouragement and openess they show us.
Alex Surber
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
East of Eden, Candide
Favorite Quote:
“It’s always funny until someone gets hurt. Then it’s just hilarious” – Bill Hicks
Favorite Teams:
Golden State Warriors
Favorite Hobbies:
Photography, Backpacking
Favorite restaurant:
Selam Ethiopian Food
Favorite Food:
Mexican, Indian, Ethiopian
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage:
The money! Just kidding.
It’s the variety of IT solutions we provide.
Jennifer Gonzalez
Business Development
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
The World is flat
Favorite Quote:
“Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving.” (Albert Einstein)
Favorite Teams:
SF 49ers, Chicago Bulls
Favorite Hobbies:
Yoga, Hiking, Spending time with family
Juan Paolo Angeles
Business Development Representative
Get to Know Me
What is your favorite book(s)?
Shoe dog
What is your favorite quote?
“If you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe then you’ll be successful” -Eric Thomas
What is your favorite sports team(s)?
Lakers and the Bulls
What are your favorite hobbies?
Cooking and Watching Sports ie.
MMA, Boxing, Basketball etc.
What is your favorite restaurant?
North Park
What is your favorite food or dessert?
Kare kare and dessert would probably be salted caramel ice cream
What are you looking forward to at TruAdvantage?
To be able to learn how I can further improve my skillset and grow with the company
Amit Gupta
Web Developer
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Getting Things Done, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind
Favorite Quote:
“If you want to test a man’s character, give him power” (Abraham Lincoln)
Favorite Hobbies:
Reading books, Website and eCommerce development
Cheryl Montesclaros
Account Manager
Get to Know Me
Favorite Books:
Think and Grow Rich, The Art of Seduction, Tuesdays with Morrie
Favorite Quote:
“In Life As In Dance: Grace Glides On Blistered Feet”
Favorite Teams:
Cleveland Cavaliers, Jabbawockeez
Favorite Hobbies:
Dancing, Karaoke, Reading, Watching The Walking Dead
Drew Yuan
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Teams:
Warriors
Favorite Hobbies:
Lifting, attending festivals, and watching TV
What is your favorite restaurant?
Seapot Hot Pot
Adam Santos
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
Favorite Hobbies:
Strategy video games and learning about random stuff
What is your favorite restaurant?
Primavera Pub in Newington, CT
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage?
The ability to have a large positive impact by empowering clients’ business operations
Cherish Anarcon
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
What is your favorite quote?
‘Where flowers bloom, so does hope’ – Lady Bird Johnson
What are your favorite hobbies?
Watching movies/series and playing online games.
What is your favorite food or dessert?
Sinigang and Pakbet
What are you looking forward to at TruAdvantage?
I am looking for a new challenge that can help me broaden my experience. Super excited to learn new things here!
Joy Bautista
Administrative Assistant
Get to Know Me
What is your favorite book(s)?
Ripples of Joy – Cheryl Kirking
What is your favorite quote?
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” – Philippians 4:13
What are your favorite hobbies?
I love baking and cooking, taking pictures and videos of my baby boy – Marcus, I love to read good books and I love singing worship songs.
What is your favorite restaurant?
Jollibee, Aristocrats
What are you looking forward to at TruAdvantage?
New learnings, more opportunities for growth and more years of stay at TruAdvantage.
Jack Wolfe
IT Support Specialist II
Get to Know Me
What is your favorite book(s)?
My Name is Asher Lev | A Walk in the Woods | The Martian Chronicles
What is your favorite sports team(s)?
SF Giants – SF 49ers – Seattle Mariners – Seattle Seahawks
What are your favorite hobbies?
3D Printing
What is your favorite restaurant?
Chef Chu in Los Altos, Ca
What is your favorite food or dessert?
Ginger Beef
Vincent Baon
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
What is your favorite book(s)?
The Town Mouse & The Country Mouse
What is your favorite quote?
You’ll never know unless you try.
What is your favorite sports team(s)?
OG (e-sports)
What are your favorite hobbies?
Watching movies & playing mobile/console/PC games
What is your favorite restaurant?
Cold Stone Creamery
What is your favorite food or dessert?
Brownie Ala Mode Ice Cream
What are you looking forward to at TruAdvantage?
A company with a healthy environment and a support system that helps individuals grow to their full potential.
Alvin Cabuen
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
What is your favorite book(s)?
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene
What is your favorite quote?
‘Ability is nothing without opportunity.’ – Napoleon Bonaparte
What is your favorite sports team(s)?
San Antonio Spurs
What are your favorite hobbies?
Mobile games, watching videos
What is your favorite food or dessert?
Ramen
What are you looking forward to at TruAdvantage?
Knowledge and challenges
John Carlo Bonilla
IT Support Specialist
Get to Know Me
What is your favorite quote?
Slow progress is better than no progress
What are your favorite hobbies?
Love going on a motorcycle ride, watching movies and anime, playing online games
What is your favorite food or dessert?
Chicken/Pork Adobo, Donut and Pizza
What are your favorite things about working at TruAdvantage?
Healthy working environment and new learning
James Lacbay
Sr.
Project Manager
Get to Know Me
What is your favorite book(s)?
The Hound of the Baskervilles
What is your favorite quote?
“Doing what you like is freedom; Liking what you do is happiness.”
What is your favorite sports team(s)?
LA Lakers
What are your favorite hobbies?
Playing basketball, watching movies
What is your favorite restaurant?
Max’s
What is your favorite food or dessert?
Sinigang na baboy
What are you looking forward to at TruAdvantage?
Gaining new knowledge and skills.
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Psychologist Nir Eyal: a person will never be satisfied with his own life, and this is normal
Photo: Olena Yakobchuk / Shutterstock
A person will never be satisfied with his own life – this is inherent in our evolution, psychologist and author of several books Nir Eyal believes.
He spoke about the true reasons for the feeling of dissatisfaction in Psychology Today.
According to the psychologist, many live in constant anxiety and do not enjoy life. It seems completely normal to him. “The point is that we are not programmed to feel satisfied or satisfied,” he explains.
The expert refers to a publication in the scientific journal Review of General Psychology, which suggested that dissatisfaction is necessary for the survival of the species. “Our ancestors worked harder and strived for more because constant anxiety was built into them by evolution,” says the psychologist. “And we remain the same to this day.”
Eyal identified four factors that prevent you from always feeling joy and being happy. The first one is boredom. The psychologist cites as an example an experiment in which participants were asked to choose: to be alone with their thoughts in an empty room for fifteen minutes or to receive a light shock with a stun gun. More than 67 percent of men and 25 percent of women preferred electric shock.
“Research has shown that people dislike being alone with their thoughts so much that they prefer to do something else, even if that activity is unpleasant,” explains Eyal. To drown out internal discontent, people resort to spontaneous purchases or distract themselves from thoughts with gossip about the stars.
The second factor that prevents you from enjoying life is a tendency to negative thinking. According to the psychologist, such pessimism begins to appear already from the age of seven months, which suggests an innate human tendency to this way of thinking. Eyal believes that negative thinking has also given us an evolutionary advantage. “Good things are just good, bad things kill. That’s why we pay attention to bad things first and remember them better,” he explains.
The third factor that causes a feeling of dissatisfaction is the tendency to constantly think about bad past experiences. As Eyal notes, thanks to this mindset, people survived. The analysis of painful situations was necessary to understand the sources of errors and avoid similar problems in the future.
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The last factor that interferes with permanent happiness, the psychologist calls “hedonic adaptation.” “All kinds of life events that we think will make us happier actually don’t — or at least don’t for long,” he explains. According to him, the feeling of satisfaction in this case has a temporary effect in order for a person to develop and strive for an even greater level of happiness.
Eyal notes that dissatisfaction with life does not mean that something is wrong. “The takeaway here is that if you’re unhappy, you’re normal,” he says. It is this feeling, according to the psychologist, that is the reason for the evolution of our species, so he advises to perceive difficult times only as a part of life necessary for development.
Before that, psychologist Kristen Beasley talked about the disadvantages of a busy life. According to her, a busy schedule and a too busy life may indicate that a person avoids emotional pain.
Creativity and innovation as a true competitive advantage
Looking for new and innovative solutions and gaining leadership positions or falling at the mercy of competitors is a clear alternative for today’s companies entering the knowledge economy.
How are innovations born? What are the characteristics of creative organizations? What can a leader do to stimulate creative processes in the company? The materials of the collection 9 are devoted to this0029 Creative Thinking in Business , published in the Harvard Business Review Classics series by Alpina Business Books .
The collection consists of eight articles published in Harvard Business Review in different years. The digest of the collection that we offer you contains the main ideas and describes practical technologies for finding creative solutions.
Innovation and Leadership
It’s clear that creativity, innovation, and out-of-the-box thinking often give companies a competitive advantage. Professors INSEAD W. Chang Kim and René Mauborgne investigated why some companies manage to maintain high revenue and profit growth rates while others fail, and found that one of the important qualities for companies is the value innovation logic .
In article “Value Innovation: The Strategic Logic of Rapid Growth” , the authors note that high-growth companies do not seek to catch up and overtake competitors, they simply take them out of the game. As one example, the experience of a Belgian company Bert Claeys , operating a chain of cinemas, which in the 60-80s. had to face the decline of their industry. Participants in a rapidly shrinking market turned cinemas into multiplexes, but Bert Claeys opened the first Kinepolis in 1998 – a huge cinema complex with 25 screens. Having provided film fans with a fundamentally new type of service, Kinepolis won 50% of the Brussels film distribution market in the first year, while expanding it by about 40%. The word “Kinepolis” has become a household word, replacing the word “cinema”. In order to provide consumers with the most valuable service, Bert Claeys has abandoned traditional ideas about what a movie theater should be like.
According to W. Chan Kim and René Mauborgne, the differences between traditional logic and the logic of value innovation define five aspects of strategy:
- Industry stereotypes. Many companies take industry conditions for granted. Innovative companies, regardless of the state of affairs in other industry representatives, are looking for unexpected, enchanting ideas, striving to achieve a quantum leap in value.
- Strategic dominant. When building strategies, many companies focus on competitors, traditional logic encourages companies to fight hard to increase market share. The logic of value innovation sets the goal for the organization to achieve market dominance through a giant value leap. Since innovators do not focus on competition, they are able to identify among the factors of competition those that are of exceptional value in the eyes of the consumer.
- Consumers. Many companies see the key to growth in maintaining and expanding their customer base. Instead of looking for differences among consumers, innovators focus on meaningful preferences that are common to the majority. According to the logic of value innovation, most people are willing to give up individual preferences in order to gain significantly greater customer value.
- Assets and competencies. Many companies look at possible strategies in terms of their existing assets and competencies. They ask themselves, “What can we do given what we already have?” Value innovators ask, “What if you start from scratch?” They evaluate business opportunities without bias, thereby not limiting their own worldview.
- Offer of goods and services. As a rule, competition between market participants is limited by the usual framework of the traditional supply of goods and services for the industry. Innovative companies often go beyond these limits. They strive to offer the consumer a comprehensive solution to problems, trying to eliminate the inconvenience that he had to put up with before.
Instead of looking for differences among consumers, innovators focus on meaningful preferences that are common to the majority. According to the logic of value innovation, most people are willing to give up individual preferences in order to gain significantly greater customer value.
After rethinking the strategic logic of the company and directing it into the mainstream of value innovation, four questions should be answered. What are the traditional components for the industry can be abandoned? What parameters can be reduced from industry standards? What characteristics need to be raised above those accepted in the industry? What opportunities that have not been proposed before need to be created?
According to Peter F. Drucker , author of The Science of Innovation , innovation is more about hard work than insight, and in a company or industry, the following circumstances create the potential for innovation:
- Unexpected turns of events. At the beginning of the 30s. IBM developed the first calculating machine, which was not in demand. An unexpected stroke of luck saved the company from collapse: New York Public Library bought the machines. 15 years later, businesses unexpectedly found interest in mechanized payroll processing. Unlike competitors, IBM appreciated the unexpected opportunity. In five years, the company has become the leader in the computer industry, which it remains to this day.
- Inconsistencies. In the 1960s, one of the founders of Alcon Laboratories, Bill Conner noticed that cataract surgery was trusted to almost perfection, with the exception of one moment – cutting the ligament. This procedure fell out of the general logic of the operation. At the same time, for about 50 years, doctors have known about the existence of an enzyme that dissolves the ligament and allows it not to be cut. Conner just added a preservative to this enzyme to extend its shelf life. Ophthalmologists immediately adopted the new tool, and Alcon Laboratories received the exclusive right to sell it. Inconsistencies can also arise between economic realities, expectations, and outcomes.
- Process requirements. Japan lacks a modern highway system – highways still repeat all the bends of the old roads laid in the 10th century for ox-drawn carts. What makes this system suitable for today’s vehicular traffic is upgraded versions of reflectors that allow drivers to see other vehicles approaching an intersection on any of several intersecting roads. This minor invention, which makes life easier for motorists and reduces the number of accidents, was driven by the needs of the process.
- Changes in industry or market. Changes in the structure of industries offer enormous opportunities for innovation. Brokerage Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette was founded in 1960 by three graduates of Harvard Business School who noticed that as the role of institutional investors increased, the structure of the financial services industry was changing. These young people had practically no capital and connections. However, within a few years, their brokerage firm had established an excellent reputation on Wall Street and spearheaded the transition to a negotiated commission system.
- Demographic shifts. Innovative projects based on changes in the number, age composition, educational level, employment and geographical dislocation of the population are the most promising and least risky. The Japanese came to a leading position in robotics precisely because they paid attention to demographic data and carefully analyzed them. By the beginning of the 70s. in developed countries, two trends have become obvious to everyone: a sharp drop in the birth rate and an active growth of interest in higher education. Accordingly, it was possible to predict a decrease in the available productive labor force and its shortage by 1990 year. Everyone knows about this, but only the Japanese embodied this knowledge in concrete actions.
- Changes in perception. Instead of rejoicing in the increase in life expectancy, Americans are obsessed with the idea of how far they are from immortality. This way of looking at things has generated a huge number of innovative opportunities: vast markets for new lifestyle magazines, for a variety of dietary products, for organizing sports activities and for the production of sports equipment.
- New knowledge. Innovation based on new knowledge can be capricious and difficult to control. For example, they are characterized by the longest development period: from the moment new knowledge appears to the moment it is transformed into a technology applicable in practice, a long period passes. It takes just as much time for this technology to be implemented in the form of specific processes, products or services. Successful innovations of this kind usually happen when they are based on a combination of several discoveries in different fields at once.
15 years later, businesses unexpectedly found interest in mechanized payroll processing. Unlike competitors, IBM appreciated the unexpected opportunity. In five years, the company has become the leader in the computer industry, which it remains to this day.
However, within a few years, their brokerage firm had established an excellent reputation on Wall Street and spearheaded the transition to a negotiated commission system.
This way of looking at things has generated a huge number of innovative opportunities: vast markets for new lifestyle magazines, for a variety of dietary products, for organizing sports activities and for the production of sports equipment. The factors listed above can overlap in time, which means that at the same moment the company may well have the opportunity to choose several directions for applying forces at once.
How to create an innovation?
According to Dorothy Leonard and Jeffrey F. Rayport , a set of techniques called empathic design can help companies innovate and gain competitive advantage (Article “Toward Innovation – Through Empathic Design” ). The methodology is based on observing how the consumer uses goods or services in a familiar environment. When it comes to a well-known product or service, traditional marketing methods are very effective. But what if consumers are so used to the status quo that it doesn’t even occur to them to change it?
The technique allows obtaining at least five types of data that are not available using traditional methods of marketing research and analysis of consumer properties of goods:
- Use trigger. What circumstances motivate people to pay attention to your product or service? Are your assumptions about when and how the consumer should use your product correct? By observing consumers, Cheerios found that parents of young children were attracted to the opportunity to put pieces of cereal in a bag, take it with them and give out one at a time, so that their child could eat anytime, anywhere and not be afraid that the child would get dirty.
- Interaction with the environment of the consumer. How does your product or service fit into your customer’s typical environment—whether in the home, office, or industry? It was while working in consumer homes that the developers of the Intuit discovered that many small business owners were using Quicken for bookkeeping.
- Customization for specific customer needs. Does the consumer redesign your product? Does he make changes to it so that it is suitable for the task the person needs? An industrial equipment manufacturer noticed that customers were taping paper strips to his machines as identification marks. Without much material investment, he was able to gain a significant competitive advantage by providing special zones on the new models of his mills for posting such information.
- Non-material characteristics of the product. What additional, intangible properties characterize your product or service? Watching videos of housewives using cleaning products and washing powders, representatives of the company that makes them noticed that often the smell of a particular product evoked memories of the past (“My mother used this”), caused a feeling of satisfaction in the consumer, or some other emotional reaction (“When the house smells of cleanliness, I feel that my efforts were not in vain”).
- Unexpressed consumer needs. Observing customers who encounter a problem while using your product or service that they don’t know they can solve and probably don’t even recognize as a problem. Nissan Design President Jerry Hershberg once saw a couple struggling with the back seat of their minivan trying to load a sofa into it. They got in the way of the seats, but they didn’t think the manufacturer could eliminate that convenience. Hershberg immediately came up with a solution to the problem: six-foot-long skids that allowed the rear seats to be folded down and pushed back, freeing up additional cargo space.
Empathic design cannot replace market research, but it can provide a flow of ideas that can form the basis of a full scale development project. Using the empathic design method includes five main stages: 1) observation, 2) data collection, 3) consideration and analysis, 4) collective search for fresh solutions, 5) development of a model of a possible solution.
In addition to observing their customers, managers are encouraged to learn how to work in an unpredictable market by drawing on the experience of designers who use the interpretation method ( Interpretation in Management: What Design Can Teach a Manager, Richard K. Lester, Michael J. Pioree and Kamal M. Malek ), and learn how to recruit and manage project team members by drawing on the experience of filmmakers ( “Characterizing Creativity” , 9 0029 Eileen Morley and Andrew Silver ).
In the analytical approach, the development of a new product is viewed as a purely technical problem – a task that needs to be solved. But with a high degree of uncertainty, it is more logical to consider the development of new products not as a project aimed at solving a specific problem, but as a process unlimited in time. In the fashion industry, there is no beginning and end of the process – it is impossible to determine once and for all what is fashionable and what is not.
The task of a design organization is not so much to analyze or solve problems as it is to interpret, or interpret, the changes that are taking place. Such interpretation is as much a creative process as invention. To stimulate and sustain creativity, the manager of an interpretive organization must think and act not like an engineer, but rather like a jazz bandleader, aiming for development rather than completion.
As the market matures, companies instinctively seek an analytical management model. But as the uncertainty of the business environment grows, the limitations of a purely analytical management model become more and more obvious. According to the authors of the article, those leaders who master both approaches to management, considering them as complementary, rather than antagonistic options, will achieve the greatest success.
How to create favorable conditions for creativity?
Creativity is more important than ever in today’s knowledge-based economy. However, according to Teresa M. Amabile , author of article “How to Kill Creativity” , in the pursuit of productivity, efficiency and control of the organization, leaders, unwittingly, automatically create conditions that are detrimental to creative activity.
Orders that stifle creativity are rarely the personal invention of any manager. Most often, this is an element of the system, and so familiar that few people think of doubting its justification. Such elements can be divided into six main categories:
- Statement of the problem. The manager can choose a task for a subordinate that corresponds to his competence, creative abilities and makes him want to get down to business as soon as possible. The accuracy of dosage is very important here: the task should be difficult enough so that the person does not feel bored, and at the same time not so difficult that it seems to him that he is not in control of the situation. One of the most common reasons for the suppression of creative activity is the lack of information necessary for the correct distribution of tasks.
- Freedom of action. To increase creativity, it is necessary to give employees the freedom to choose the means to achieve the goal. Managers usually make two types of mistakes: 1) often change goals or unclearly explain their essence to subordinates, 2) sometimes the independence provided exists only in theory, but in reality the boss expects strict adherence to the designated route.
- Resources. The main resources that affect the level of creativity are time and money. Artificial or impossible deadlines have a detrimental effect on creativity. The first breed distrust, the second – the depletion of physical and moral strength. Leaders who do not allow time for research and do not understand the need for “incubation periods” unwittingly stop creativity in their organizations. When allocating funds for a specific project, balance is also needed. Exceeding the funds in relation to the “sufficiency threshold” does not give a sharp increase in creativity. However, the underestimation of resources leads to its suppression – employees begin to spend their creative potential in search of additional funds instead of developing new products or services.
- Composition of the working group. It is necessary to assemble a group whose members are distinguished both by their readiness for interaction and the heterogeneity of knowledge and views. The main mistake: the formation of homogeneous working groups, although homogeneity does little to enhance professional and creative potential.
- Promotion. People need to feel that their work is important to an organization or group of people whose opinion is important to them. However, in many companies, innovative ideas are not welcome at all, but long and painful walks through the authorities, and even harsh criticism. Interesting: people believe that a critical attitude makes them smarter in the eyes of their superiors – and often this tactic works, a critical attitude has a beneficial effect on the career growth of a skeptic. The way to encourage creativity is to become a role model by persevering in finding solutions to complex problems and facilitating information sharing and collaboration among working group members.
- Organizational support. The real flowering of creativity is observed where the organization is set to support. Leaders of an organization can encourage creativity by making the exchange of information and active collaboration among employees a rule, and thereby curb unhealthy competition.
One of the most common reasons for the suppression of creative activity is the lack of information necessary for the correct distribution of tasks.
Exceeding the funds in relation to the “sufficiency threshold” does not give a sharp increase in creativity. However, the underestimation of resources leads to its suppression – employees begin to spend their creative potential in search of additional funds instead of developing new products or services.
The way to encourage creativity is to become a role model by persevering in finding solutions to complex problems and facilitating information sharing and collaboration among working group members. The authors of article “How to make the collective brain of the company work” Dorothy Leonard and Susan Strauss suggest that managers take a closer look at how they recruit a team and manage subordinates. A successful leader skillfully stimulates creativity by bringing together different approaches to problem solving and initiating a process called the authors of article creative collisions . To energize the process of coming up with new ideas and products, these leaders consciously bring together people who think and act differently and are therefore prone to disagreement, and organize their interaction.
The authors of the article give managers some advice:
- Understand yourself. By identifying your own mindset and dominant hemisphere, you will gain insight into the impact your preferences have on your personal leadership style and communication patterns. To turn an organization into a center of innovation, you must recruit, support, and encourage people you don’t feel comfortable working with.
- Forget the golden rule. Do not treat others as you would like to be treated. When choosing a communication style, you should focus on the recipient, not the sender. In a cognitively heterogeneous environment, not every sent message reaches the addressee.
- Engage both hemispheres of the collective brain. One cognitive style can become dominant in a work group or company. The complete homogeneity of the cognitive approach of the organization can be very effective. However, leaders of leading corporations have found that, no matter how talented employees of companies, the ability to solve problems and generate new ideas increases when they have the opportunity to get acquainted with points of view that are different from their own.
- Look for “ugly ducklings”. You may find the right qualities in managers who are one step below your direct reports. Right-thinking people are often seen in companies as capable of being useful, but unsuited to work in the upper echelons of power.
- Manage the creative process. The process of collisions will not become creative if the leader does not make it so. Misunderstanding and hostility often arise between dissimilar people. Successful heterogeneous group leaders place a lot of emphasis right from the start on helping their members recognize the differences between them. Managing the process of creative collisions means making sure that no one is silent and does not sit in the corners. Clarify to everyone what the joint work is for, formulate clear rules for joint work, think over the agenda in advance, allocating enough time for both the divergent phase (disclosing all dissenting opinions) and the convergent phase (choosing a point of convergence, the best solution).
