Remembering Jon

Last week we lost our leader and we’re mourning.

The news of Jon Zimmerman’s sudden passing created a hole in our hearts. But as we’ve cried, hugged and leaned heavily on each other over the last week or so, we’ve also been sharing our stories and memories of Jon. These stories have conjured an image of a driven, compassionate, caring, intelligent, sharp, frugal, and transparent man - one with an endless list of remarkable attributes who steadily piloted our ship, and whose memory will inspire us unceasingly.

“Jon was a person of tremendous intelligence and integrity,” said Seattle entrepreneur Nick Hanauer, an early investor in Pike13. “He was a joy to work with and a good friend. His even style, candor, powers of analysis, and good humor made even difficult circumstances fun to work through.” That’s exactly how we all think of our CEO, Jon Zimmerman.

In meeting Jon, two things became immediately clear: his passion and genuinely kind heart. He made a point to introduce himself to each new employee and welcome them to the team. Rui Zhang, Data Scientist, recalls meeting him as she tried to find the door to the office. “He led me the way, held the door, and said he was grateful I came. He wasn’t like a CEO to me, he was closer and easy-going. He was our leader”. His enthusiasm and warmth reflects in Pike13 daily. New employees are always surprised by the welcome they receive. No matter the department you’re in, Pike13 employees are certain to stop by your desk to welcome and offer assistance. We learned it from Jon.

Jon Zimmerman speaking to the company during our monthly Q & A

We all knew how much Jon cared about our team. It was clear to anyone the moment you met him. “I knew immediately upon meeting him that he cared deeply for his company and the people that worked with him.” said Kevin Klustner, Chief Revenue Officer, “He was a good man who constantly strived to improve himself and his service to the company he loved and the investors who trusted him. The company will miss him greatly.” We most certainly will.

It’s not common that a CEO would be so open about the status of the organization, but Jon made that a priority. It was important that Pike13 be a transparent organization, and Jon understood it was his onus to lead by example. “He knew the business down to the exact number,” recalls Mitchell Muller, Account Executive. “He was telling me about the growth from last year to present day, and I realized I was completely lost about half way through. I couldn’t stop thinking, ‘He is wicked smart’.”

Jon  Zimmerman & Annette Eyraud, Chief Financial Officer, following budget approval

He believed that learning was a lifelong pursuit. A voracious reader, he could be counted upon to conjure an analogy or parallel from a book, applying it to the situation at hand. “One year on my birthday, a book showed up at my door unexpectedly from Jon: Where the Suckers Moon - a nitty gritty history of Subaru.” Recalls Ben VandenBos, VP of Software Engineering, “He described it as ‘loosely related to Oregon’, where I had recently moved. This gift summed up a few aspects of Jon for me: he loved books, he loved the details and he could spot patterns anywhere.” And it didn’t stop at books. Rare was the day when you didn’t have an article or blog post forwarded from Jon. He never stopped offering a window into his thoughts, his hopes, his fears.

It’s no secret that Jon was, ahem, prudent when it came to money (many in our office make no bones about how cheap he was). Andrea Leach, Manager of General Administration, heard it from his own mouth at least once or twice a month. “I'm also a frugal human, so I really appreciated that connection.” He always wanted to wait until he arrived to book a hotel, just to save money. The only time he wouldn’t make a travel decision based on price was with flights. He would always fly with the same airline, because he wanted to get the free upgrades and other perks. “The last couple of trips were with leadership team members, so I had to book him on another airline and actually book hotel rooms in advance. I felt guilty doing so,” recalled Andrea.

In a startup, balancing life, work and health can be difficult. Jon Zimmerman made it happen. He could always find time to fit in a workout, even when traveling. He’d correct technique, and push others to do more and better. Jon even once tried to bribe a member of the development team to do more by promising ten dollars for each pull-up. (We should note that team member only finished one.) In the early days, visiting remote members would stay at Jon’s house. (Did we mention he was frugal?) This is when the team got to see him at his best. He’d wake up early to work, but would close his laptop as soon as his son came down for breakfast. And in the evening, it was all about guitar practice and homework. “Sharing some of those intimate moments with Jon and his family, Jon became more than a CEO to me, he became more than a mentor to me. He became my friend,” Dawn Hager, Senior Product Trainer.

Jon taught us our values. He taught us the meaning of integrity, empathy and innovation. Under Jon’s tutelage we’ve built Pike13 on those pillars. We’ll continue to build in his honor. After all, Jon would want it that way.

Jon touched many lives and businesses. Over the last week we’ve heard from countless individuals whose lives were altered by Jon’s actions. Hearing from everyone has been a comfort and a joy. He loved a good story, and he’d love the ones shared. We encourage you to share those stories, here and on our Facebook page. Jon gave us wonderful memories, it’s only fitting that we share those together.