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Author: Rob

  • From Complexity to Clarity: The Operational Mind Behind Onik

    How Co-Founder Jeremy Francis built a career on fixing what actually matters—and brought that mindset to web performance.

    Most organizations don’t have a performance problem.

    They have a clarity problem.

    Too many tools.
    Too many metrics.
    Too many competing priorities.

    And no clear answer to a simple question:

    What actually needs to be fixed?

    This is where Jeremy Francis operates best.

    Built in Complexity

    Jeremy didn’t start in tech.

    He started in global retail—an environment where operations are constant, pressure is real, and inefficiencies show up fast. It’s where he developed the instinct that would define his career:

    Focus on what matters. Ignore the rest.

    When he moved into tech at Rebel.com, that instinct sharpened. Over more than a decade, Jeremy worked across nearly every operational function—logistics, project management, HR, financial systems, and cost efficiency—ultimately becoming COO.

    But more importantly, he became the person teams relied on when things weren’t working.

    Not to diagnose everything.

    To fix the right things.

    Making Performance Visible

    At Assent, Jeremy led Revenue Operations across Customer Success and Professional Services—two areas where performance is often felt, but not clearly measured.

    He built systems that changed that.

    By developing and visualizing KPIs around customer health, churn, and retention (NRR/GRR), Jeremy helped teams see what was actually happening beneath the surface. Executives got clarity. Teams got direction. Decisions got sharper.

    He also restructured CRM systems and standardized the customer journey—turning fragmented processes into something measurable, repeatable, and improvable.

    Because in Jeremy’s world, if you can’t see it clearly, you can’t fix it properly.

    Operational Discipline at Scale

    Earlier, at Heroic, Jeremy focused on building the operational backbone of the business.

    He developed financial forecasting models and reporting frameworks.
    Improved data hygiene across the organization.
    Built new datasets around customer behavior, product usage, and subscriptions.

    At the same time, he supported HR systems and internal policies—ensuring the team itself could operate at a high level.

    It’s not flashy work.

    But it’s the difference between organizations that react—and those that operate with control.

    Bringing That Mindset to Performance

    At ONIK, Jeremy applies that same discipline to a space that is often anything but disciplined: web performance.

    Most teams are overwhelmed by it.

    They run audits.
    They see scores.
    They get lists of issues.

    And then they stall—because they don’t know what actually matters.

    Jeremy changes that.

    He cuts through the noise.
    Identifies the highest-impact issues.
    And focuses teams on fixing what will actually move the needle.

    Not everything.

    Just the things that matter most.

    The Operator’s Perspective

    Jeremy doesn’t think about performance as a technical checklist.

    He sees it as an operational problem:

    • What’s causing the most friction?
    • What’s having the biggest impact?
    • What can be fixed quickly and effectively?

    Because performance doesn’t improve through awareness.

    It improves through focused action.

    The Bottom Line

    Most teams don’t need more data.

    They need better decisions.

    And better decisions come from clarity—about what matters, what doesn’t, and where to focus.

    That’s what Jeremy brings to ONIK.

    Not more complexity.

    Just a clear path to fixing what’s actually slowing you down.

    Wanna chat with Jeremy? Connect with him on LinkedIn.

  • Thank You, Invest Ottawa: How IO IGNITION Helped ONIK Build

    Last year, ONIK participated in Invest Ottawa’s IGNITION program—an intensive 10-week bootcamp designed to validate a tech startup idea and build a real business foundation. Invest Ottawa has backed ONIK in practical ways during the program and long after it ended. This is a short thank you—and a clear account of what changed because of it.

    THE BOOTSTRAPPING ONIK Challenge

    Bootstrapping a business is exciting. Its also fast, relentless, but it can be isolating. It can get lonely.

    In the summer before we joined IO, Jeremy and I were starting to feel it. We’d always worked with teams, and now we we only had each other. We had gaps to fill:

    • Community: Founders don’t just need motivation, they need a cohort of peers and fans to keep momentum and enthusiasm up.
    • Support: We’re experienced builders, but startups present new problems. The Invest Ottawa coaches became our knowledgeable and reliable team.
    • Network: New startups need discussion, input and feedback. The IO networking events helped us meet potential customers, partners, peers, and more.

    The IGNITION Program

    IGNITION is the trailhead of Invest Ottawa’s Venture Path. It’s built to help founders and new companies map the road ahead and avoid common pitfalls. The weekly rhythm is simple: show up, learn, share, and take it all in. We spent every Thursday afternoon with IO coaches, trainers, and our cohort of startup peers.

    For me, three lessons really stood out.

    • Customer discovery – Be an investigator: fewer guesses, more signal. Ryan Paul Gibson trains founders to think like an investigator during customer discovery interviews.
    • A live demo sales call in front of the cohort: slightly brutal, but very supportive. Wayne Selman played the part of curious customer for a mock sales call in front of he whole group. After this, pitching one-to-one is easy.
    • Using curiosity to gain insights: Andrew Milne showed us how to use curiosity to get directly to what matters. As curious as I thought I was, Andrew showed me there is room to be more curious.

    And the curriculum is unapologetically foundational: lean startup methodology, legal/accounting/banking basics, lean product development, sales and growth, funding roadmap (non-dilutive vs. dilutive), marketing/online presence, and pitching.

    Pulling It all Together for the Pitch Finale

    The program culminates in a Pitch Finale—pitching live in front of a large audience (judges, peers, community, friends, family). The two-minute time constraint is unforgiving—and that’s the point. It forces clarity. This is a nerve-wracking challenge, even experienced presenters. I was floored by how supportive everyone was in sharing kind words, hugs, and cheers.

    Every company in the cohort is in their own stage of the journey, and faced their own challenges. The bravery and resiliency stood out more than any outcome. The group was excited to see everyone grow.

    The amazing io Support continues

    Since IGNITION, Invest Ottawa has continued to support ONIK with introductions, coaching, media, and access to events. The team at IO are rabid fans of their startup graduates, and it shows. Most recently, Invest Ottawa invited us to participate in the IO showcase at the SaaS North Conference.

    Paying It Forward

    I’ve recommended Invest Ottawa IGNITION to most founders and small businesses—not out of obligation, but because it’s genuinely an awesome program. If you’re building and want structure, accountability, and a community that will challenge you, it’s worth a serious look. IGNITION runs quarterly and accepts applications throughout the year.

    I’d be happy to chat with you about our experience.

    A huge thank you to Abby, Erin, Nick, Andrew, Laurie, and the broader coaching and mentor community. You all showed up to help, and it did not go unnoticed.