“If you're not willing to invest in people, you probably shouldn't be an entrepreneur.” — Chris Carter
In this episode of Evolving Your Workplace, host Carol Schultz sits down with Chris Carter, Founder and CEO of Approyo, to discuss the hard realities founders face when building and scaling a company — particularly inside the highly complex SAP ecosystem. From hiring mistakes to enterprise technology transformations, Chris shares candid insights drawn from decades of experience working with SAP systems and leading a global technology company.
Chris explains how he came out of retirement in 2011 to start Approyo and quickly discovered one of the most common traps founders fall into: trying to do everything themselves. Early in the company’s growth, he delayed hiring key leadership roles and found himself stretched across operations, technology, sales, and management. Looking back, he believes bringing in strong operators earlier would have accelerated growth and prevented unnecessary strain.
The conversation explores why leadership teams must be built around complementary strengths. Chris describes this balance as a “yin and yang” dynamic between visionary founders and operational leaders who can manage the day-to-day execution required to scale a company.
Carol and Chris also dive into the realities of competing in the enterprise technology space. As the SAP ecosystem experiences one of the largest upgrade cycles in its history, companies are under pressure to migrate legacy systems to modern cloud platforms. Yet many organizations continue to delay these transitions due to cost concerns, internal resistance to change, and employees reluctant to learn new systems.
Chris also highlights a growing challenge across the industry: talent shortages and an aging workforce within the SAP ecosystem. With many experienced professionals nearing retirement, companies are struggling to attract younger talent — while at the same time expecting new hires to bring real-world experience rather than just academic credentials.
The discussion also addresses the growing role of AI in enterprise technology. Chris shares how he is actively experimenting with emerging AI tools to build applications, automate processes, and help companies understand how artificial intelligence will reshape enterprise systems in the coming years.
The episode closes with a conversation about leadership culture. Chris believes successful companies are built by combining accountability with empathy — creating environments where employees are trusted to deliver results while being treated with respect and flexibility.
The message is clear: scaling a company requires more than technology or strategy. It requires leaders who know when to delegate, how to build balanced teams, and why investing in people is the foundation of long-term growth.
Key topics covered:
Why founders often wait too long to hire key leadership roles
The leadership “yin and yang” between vision and operational execution
Lessons learned from building a global SAP consulting company
The massive global migration from legacy SAP systems to cloud platforms
Why many organizations delay enterprise technology upgrades
Talent shortages and workforce challenges in the SAP ecosystem
Why real-world experience matters more than degrees in modern hiring
The growing role of AI in enterprise software and business operations
Building company culture through accountability, trust, and empathy
