After several years working on the hardware side of the payments, Ken Paull was done—or so he thought. “It’s a tough business,” he explains. “Every day, every month, every year, you start out fresh. All anybody cares about is what you’ve shipped lately.”

Plus, notes the 20-year industry veteran, revenue isn’t based on residuals as it is in the rest of the industry. “Although you’re always trying to create some recurring revenue in software and services, the majority of your revenue is based on how many hardware units you’re able to ship.”

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