I had only been working for Gofore for a few months when I decided to join the staff share savings scheme and buy company shares at a discount. Investing was nothing new to me because I had started as soon as I turned 18.
I had viewed Gofore as an interesting prospect well before I became an employee. It was a nice coincidence that I took part in Gofore’s IPO in 2017. Even then, I viewed Gofore as a good investment, and I still own the shares I bought at the time.
More active investor
Previously, I would have described myself as a rather passive investor but, thanks to owning shares in Gofore, I’ve become more interested in the company’s press releases. It’s easy to keep up with Gofore’s press releases, as the bot adds any new press releases to our internal discussion forum automatically. It’s great that we have a sense of community and open, active discussion channels on various subjects.
I follow the development of Gofore and my other investments at least once a week, sometimes even daily. I read social media discussions, analysts’ reports, and online discussion forums. I also follow the Moneybags channel in Slack, used for Gofore’s internal communication, which features a range of investment and financial discussions among employees.
A better understanding of the employer’s business
It makes sense for me to own a part of my workplace and work towards developing it. My work motivation has always been high, and I’ve taken part in Gofore’s sales and marketing alongside my regular duties. For example, I’ve been interviewed for several newspapers about the development of our bots, and have written blogs for Gofore’s websites. I’ve also assisted the sales team in making offers.
I want to help win more interesting projects – and euros – for the company. I would probably do the same even if I had not invested in Gofore, but now I have the added incentive of increasing the long-term value of my investment. I feel that a combination of ownership and employment has taught me more about the consultancy business and profitable growth.
