Explore the WTE Ecosystem

We are creative digital problem solvers, educators, advisors, and students. We extend "digital problem solvers" to encompass cutting through the noise of marketing, branding, positioning, and strategy in a crowded complex world. Explaining complex technical and marketing challenges using language, ideas, analogies, and examples our customers understand is essential to why we exist. On occasion, our founder, Eric Garrison, has acted as a "virtual Chief Technical Officer," so "advisor" is a well-earned title. Finally, we are students since every customer, problem, challenge, and opportunity teaches something new, valuable, and affirming.

Philosophy

Life is short, so doing what you love with people you love is our dowsing rod. Websites and anything digital start cold, calculated, and unfeeling. Digital creations need passion, joy, and magic to light the way home. If, as Simon Sinek says in his recommended book Start with Why, people don't buy what you do; they join who you are, then we are inclusive nerds. Inclusive nerds love technology and marketing, and other people love tech and marketing because together, we are more intelligent, stronger, and creative than when we stand alone.

We believe in the curative intelligent power of crowds as we share in Content Marketing: Community in a Box. We all search for the aspirational experiences discussed on our About page. However, creating aspirational online communities can be tricky and confusing, sure to prove too much for those who lack commitment, the courage to ask for help, or the vulnerability to accept assistance when offered.

WTE started as World Trade Enterprises, part of Internet Tradeline in 1997; Koz.com then acquired World Trade. Eric Garrison wasn't going to leave his dream techie job for Marvel Comics for just anything, so he left to start a tech company in Hillsborough, North Carolina. Koz tried to acquire Eric's tech company, but as the Internet goes, Koz went bankrupt, so Eric put together an investor group that included TE "Tommie" Smith to buy Koz and all of its companies.

Eric and Tommie purchased WTE, Storerunner.com, and Pointshop.com in 2003. In 2008 World Trade Enterprises changed to WTE Solutions to focus on pioneering the future of digital transformation. Examples of WTE's focus include: 

• Moblz - world's first Mobile Vendor Relationship Management (MVRM).
• Rideology - community in a box beta for online community-building. 
• Mindpath - healthcare decision tree AI tech.

We work with customers across industries and business verticals, from enterprise Fortune 1000 companies to startups, your neighborhood church, and your favorite food truck. How we code is why we can help customers such as Mindpath, The Stock Whisperer, and Mt. Pleasant United Methodist Church. We code in small connectable blocks like Legos, blocks we easily connect to our partner’s Applications Program Interfaces (APIs). Coding in blocks makes connection to the cloud easier, more efficient and so less costly. 

Lego code creates advantages for WTE, our partners, and our customers. We get to plug code in to fix new problems, and Lego code makes taking advantage of new partner technology more manageable, and our customers receive value for their money. As you can imagine, coding Lego blocks is an intricate dance and one our American developers have mastered over the last twenty-five years.

We've defined our process as a three-legged approach: 

• Lego-Like Code
  We code in blocks with hooks to facilitate connection to other blocks or Applications Program Interfaces (APIs) and usually other cloud based microservice.

• Extreme Programming (XP
  We use Kent Beck’s pragmatic programming approach outlined in his book Extreme Programming Explained: Embrace Change. XP emphasizes business results and a get-something-started NOW approach while committing to continual testing and revisions to speed the development of new products, applications, and solutions.     

• Agile Software Development
  We develop new products, rapid prototypes, and minimal viable products (MVPs) in partnership with customers and end-users using self-organizing cross-functional teams.

WTE platforms address different technology needs for our clients. Discover more about the technologies we develop that can help you in the WTE Ecosystem.

Our friend and contributor Phil Buckley does many incredible things. One of our favorites is when he gathers a disparate group of techies, marketers, entrepreneurs, and influencers for one of his "Genius Lunches," usually held at The Pit in Raleigh.

Our goal is to transform WTE.net into an online "Genius Lunch," so we need your help. Whatever you create and whoever you are, we want to give you a page on WTE.net to share your stories, creations, and art with the world. We will promote, pitch, share, curate, and tout you and your art every chance we have and to anyone who'll listen. So if you believe packs are more innovative, resilient, and robust than lone wolfs, we hope you join ours.

You may be wondering how you can help, and there are many ways. Contributors earn a profile page on WTE.net that links to their social networks, websites, and posts. Contributions can be anything from original art to articles about web development and online marketing. The format can vary, too, from pictures and videos to articles and microblogs. We'll feature your content, write profiles about contributors, and conduct virtual "Genius Lunch" webinars, so you won't need to be able to drive to The Pit Barbecue restaurant in Raleigh.

Yes, it would be great if Malcolm Gladwell or Mark Manson became contributors, but for what we do - technology and marketing - there are people like Phil whose contributions could mean more to our audience. And we have ways to help build our friends' brands where Malcolm and Mark don't need help. Want to join our Genius Lunch online and share your art, science, or thoughts? Email Martin (msmith (at) WTE.net).