Why I Joined Paperless Parts: Lindsey Athanasiou (VP of Strategic Relationships)

I love underdog stories. At 5’2”, I’ve been a literal underdog the majority of my life. I was raised by blue-collar parents and hustled my way to where I am today– a woman in sales, in tech, and in historically male-dominated industries. When Mike Stankus, Paperless Parts’ CRO, and a former colleague of mine, reached out to discuss the opportunity to join the team, I quickly realized that I’d be helping more underdogs. Of course, I couldn’t say no to that, and it certainly didn’t hurt that every member of the Paperless Parts team I spoke to was down-to-earth, tenacious, and pumped up about their work.

American manufacturers have long been viewed as the underdogs of global manufacturing. Well, that is changing– partly because of us. The sense of satisfaction I get from knowing that our software has helped a $5M sheet metal fabricator retire and successfully transition the business to their kids, or that a $30M CNC operation won $1,000,000 in quoted jobs and increased their win rate by 10%, is unrivaled. The awe and joy our customers experience, and the energy it feeds to our team, is truly unique and amazing to be a part of. I wish it could be bottled and saved (or sold!).

Having worked for other Boston-area startups, I know how most companies try to recruit new employees. They say they are a “rocket ship.” I was skeptical when I heard about Paperless Parts before I joined. But four months in, I know it to be true.

I joined Paperless Parts because of the underdog story. I remain at Paperless Parts because of the news-making upset that it’s enabling. As we millennials say, “I’m here for it.”