Let me tell you a story about an emerging company that is global in outlook and nimble in execution.

Recent times represent great change, when technologies continue to shrink the world and potentially disrupt the general pecking order of businesses. As digital information doubles every 18 months and social media changes how people around the world connect, a new company was born.

This company’s DNA was atypical to those more traditional companies. Without any revenues, this Seattle-based company developed a social media research center in Ho Chi Minh City. This was not an ordinary “outsourcing” outpost. Rather, it was geared to be the best social research center of its kind anywhere in the world. Much effort and time was spent on finding the right people, developing a sustainable culture and a relentless focus on training.

The company remained small but quickly built a solid reputation in the Seattle area. The company continuously looked for more insightful applications to social media data. By happenstance, fate led them to another small, but globally-oriented company with offices in London and Seattle. This other company had spent the past 11 years providing innovative and penetrating insights as a boutique market research company.

As a combined entity, they knew they could disrupt the traditional market research industry. Yes, all the big agencies talk about new digital data practices, but they are enormous companies typically organized around silo-ed disciplines. It would take more effort for those large organizations to integrate traditional and digital internal groups than for two nimble, savvy, willing companies to do so at the outset.

Unhampered by traditional “cash cow” practices, the two companies worked hard on coming up with new research solutions that encompass both traditional research methods and incorporate the usage of digital platforms and data sets, including social media, web analytics and others. They knew they could positively disrupt an old industry that needed the shakeup.

Both companies were still small, flexible enough to merge their DNAs to adapt more successfully in today’s dynamic research environment. By leveraging emerging technologies and proven traditional research methods across three continents with multi-lingual and multi-cultural perspectives, a uniquely relevant company is emerging.

So, the story continues now with the merger of Intrepid Consulting (research firm) and Lift9 (social media firm) into a kind of business consultancy.  I will lead the new “Intrepid” as CEO.  Our story is just beginning, but already gaining traction. If the story, so far, is interesting to you as well, please contact us for more information.