We’ve had a fantastic month celebrating 20 years of Nexthink and taking time to reflect on the people, products, and innovations that have shaped the company. Today, Nexthink is a category creator, an industry defining brand reshaping how IT teams manage the digital workplace. But that wasn’t always the case. Let's take a moment to recap some of our favourite content from the month celebrating the last 20 years of Nexthink.
Anniversary Special: The first investor in DEX (w/ Alain Nicod)
To kick off the celebrations, Tim and Tom spoke to Alain Nicod, Nexthink’s first funder, over on the DEX Show. Alain has witnessed Nexthink grow from its infancy to maturity. He shares his fond memories as an investor, from landing the first 7-digit project with the French army, to being approached with an impressive first offer of $100 million from a potential buyer, the journey has been nothing short of exhilarating.
What makes Nexthink successful?
Alain holds much responsibility for success with the people: whether they’ve been with Nexthink from the very start or joined along the way, the people are at the heart of the organization.
From three PhD students working in a room at The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne to a global business with over 1,000 employees, Nexthink has stayed true to its roots, maintaining its innovative nature and people first culture over the two decades. While changes have occurred, the spirit and the Nexthinker mentality remain.
Hear more of Alain’s perspective on The DEX Show episode here.
Over the past two decades, many of the changes at Nexthink have been centred around the value delivered by our product. But did you know, we weren’t always focused on DEX? Watch the video below to discover what problem we tried to solve first:
Reality Bytes: The first ever DEX employee (w/ Gregoire Jaunin)
Next up, an interview with Nexthink’s first ever employee—and still a Nexthinker to this day! The Reality Bytes crew caught up with Gregoire Jaunin, Technical Fellow in Architecture to hear about his highs and hurdles, as well as humorous moments with the company.
One standout moment: Gregoire told us he first realized Nexthink was becoming a serious player when he spotted someone reading Nexthink documentation on the beach!
What were your first impressions of the founders?
In many startups, tensions frequently arise at the offset. However, in the case of Nexthink, “the founders made for a winning team from the very beginning”. Luckily, the Nexthink founders were a team of genuinely nice individuals without big egos.
For Gregoire, reflecting on the success of Nexthink 20 years on, he attributes much of that to the founder’s ability to discuss challenging topics in a productive manner and overcome barriers together. Every start-up will face challenges along the way, but it's how they navigate and overcome these obstacles that determines success.
Listen to the Reality Bytes episode with Gregoire here.
How to Embrace the Journey: Nexthink’s Co-Founder Reflects on 20 Years of Lessons Learned
What makes a start-up not only survive but thrive?
Surviving as a start-up is one thing, but thriving is another challenge all together. Co-Founder Vincent Bieri often receives questions about both. While there isn't a single answer, there are a few underlying principles he believes are essential.
Find out Vincent’s keys to start up success over on the Dex Hub.
As we celebrate two decades of innovation and growth, we look back at the journey and forward to what’s next. Take a trip down memory lane with us to discover some of the key milestones and memories from Nexthink’s journey in this short video on the history of Nexthink:
Reflecting on The Past and Looking to The Future | Navigating AI Models: Neural Networks and Digital Experience (w/ Pedro Bados)
Pedro, Founder and CEO joined Tim and Tom on The DEX Show to discuss AI's early involvement with Nexthink, its unexpected advancements, and how AI can enhance the digital employee experience moving forward. To mark the end of the 20th anniversary specials on The DEX Show, he also shares the guiding principles for Nexthink 20 years on.
What guiding principles have driven Nexthink to its current success?
For Pedro, the key to longevity in business is avoiding a transactional mindset. This has helped him maintain a long-term vision when thinking about the next 100 years, not just 20. Keeping the momentum running as start-ups mature and grow can pose challenges for many, but Pedro strongly believes that Nexthink has more energy now than the early days.
What has been the impact of AI on DEX and what do you predict will be its impact in the next 3 to 5 years?
Over the last year, there has been immense focus on GenAI. This surge has been a turning point, creating AI innovations that present as almost human. Yet, Pedro cautions, holding the understanding that AI will remain a simulation rather than true intelligence will be the key differentiator for companies utilizing AI. Looking ahead as AI tools become increasingly sophisticated, these tools will complement rather than replace human capabilities, acting as a co-pilot in many instances where there is a need for human characteristics that AI can’t replace - emotions and feelings.
Listen to The DEX Show episode with Pedro here.
It’s not just the employees who we have to thank, the customers have also played a significant role in Nexthink’s journey.
Masters of DEX 20th anniversary webinar
As the finale for our 20th anniversary celebrations, we hosted an exclusive customer webinar with EY, Kenvue, and NRG Energy, to hear about their own journeys with Nexthink, their vision for the future, and their thoughts on the influence AI is going to have on the digital
workplace.
Learn what our customers had to say here.
Masters of Experience Roadshow
The Masters of Experience tour kicked off in San Jose earlier in May. In honor of Nexthink’s birthday, attendees saw firsthand the culmination of 20 years of cutting-edge employee-centric technology with demos of Nexthink’s AI-infused DEX platform. And heard from speakers from across our customer base sharing their insights and vision for building better digital employee experiences.
If you want to see the latest from Nexthink and learn from industry visionaries and cutting-edge practitioners, join us LIVE on the biggest stage in DEX at our annual Experience event, this year in Boston, October 15-16 and London, November 5-6!
