BACKSTORY: John Harris of Infinitus Reporting Solutions

What’s your one top tip for doing a deal?

Ensure the deal is mutually beneficial for both parties. Make sure you fully understand the other party’s requirementS and intended outcomes and ensure that you can meet or exceed their expectations. Deliver value, on time, in scope and in budget, and the future deals will flow. Never give up — some deals may take longer than others — and always honour your values and principles. It’s better to walk away than to do a bad deal.

What was your first job?

My first part-time job was working as a front desk assistant at the Cabana Beach gym in Umhlanga, two evenings a week, during matric. I got to meet some interesting people and was able to add some upgrades to my BMX bicycle — the main means of transport in those days. Many other part-time jobs followed throughout varsity days.

How much was your first pay cheque, and how did you spend it?

R2,300 a month. I paid my parents board, some savings, petrol and car insurance, and the balance on life! After a few months I bought a rental property with my brother and a good friend.

I was very fortunate that I did not have a car or student loan to pay.    

What is the one thing you wish somebody had told you when you were starting out?

Read more — life is a continuous learning cycle. Somewhere on this planet, someone else has travelled the road we are travelling now — learn from their journey and improve on it. Most people spend a lot of time working — only a few spend enough time learning. I’m sure someone did tell me this — I most likely wasn’t listening at that time.

If you could fix only one thing in South Africa, what would it be?

Service delivery and the overall quality of experience. That pretty much covers everything.

What’s the most interesting thing about you that people don’t know?

I love anything to do with water — waterskiing, wakeboarding or just being in the ocean getting salty. I sometimes shout at my laptop.

What’s the worst investment mistake you’ve made?

Selling shares at the bottom of the market in 2002 and buying a Merc to save tax.

What’s the best investment you’ve ever made? And how much of it was due to luck?

The best and most rewarding investment is spending time with family and friends — something I am getting better at these days. Second in line was buying a home in early 2000. The equity provided by the property boom at the time enabled me to leave the corporate world in 2005 and bootstrap a new business with my business partner, an ex-colleague, together with a technology partner. We continue to build and invest our profits into growth.

What’s the best book you’ve read recently and why did you like it?

Daily Wisdom for Leaders, by John C Maxwell. The book provides actionable insights and daily guidance on what matters most as a leader. Short and to the point.

What is the hardest life lesson you’ve learnt so far?

You cannot get time back. Time spent with family, time spent learning, being invested in the market, time invested in your career or spent building a business. The sooner you start, the better.

What phrase or bit of jargon irks you most?

“It can’t be done!” Nothing is impossible — it just takes determination, some out-the-box thinking and hard work.

What is something you would go back and tell your younger self that would impress them?

Your dreams for the future will become your reality. It will take hard work, the willpower to succeed, many sacrifices, good guidance and having the right team. Only when you look back much later in life will you see how all the pieces of the puzzle fell into place in perfect timing. Be patient — you need to be “prepared” for great things.

If you were President Cyril Ramaphosa, what would you change, or do, tomorrow?

Focus on service delivery and credibility — surround yourself with competent and trustworthy people who understand their responsibility and that the government’s role is to serve the citizens of the country. Then start to rebuild our country’s economy through improving infrastructure, creating jobs and creating a sustainable education system to empower people for the future: an exciting future for all!