Navarik Corp., founded in 2000, creates software to help shipping companies collect data on a particular vessel, such as how long it takes to load goods at port and the quality of cargo at a destination.

"The main driver of growth has been mostly due to building relationships with the shipping industry to explain how they could use the Web technology to improve their business," said Dobie.

"After the dot-com boom, a lot of people did not trust anything that was coming out of the Internet. Because I had relationships with these guys from shipping, we could work with them to pull the good stuff from the technology and speak their language."

Navarik was founded by five partners who met at the University of British Columbia during their undergrad programs. They cobbled together around $100,000 of seed money and relied primarily on sales for further growth.

Navarik, with 23 staff, enjoyed 2004 revenue of $1.5 million, and in 2005 Dobie expects revenue of between $2 million and $3 million.

Dobie said an increasing number of companies are looking to IT to simplify their operations, adding that a lot of his customers were previously collecting and sharing this information by e-mail, which proved inefficient. "Our software acts like a real-time diary of what happens to the ship while it is at sea and while it is at port," he said. One of Dobie's major goals is to offer Navarik's software in a slightly more standard format, so that it can be used and tested by clients with less of an up-front cost.

Profession you would like to try: Crown attorney

Where do you feel most comfortable? At the beach in the fall

Favourite movie: The Shawshank Redemption

Currently reading: Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson and The Company: A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge

Toughest decision: Having to lay people off

Car: No car, mostly walk

Would most like to meet: Bill Clinton

Birthplace: New Westminster

Last CD bought: O by Damien Rice

Education: Political science, UBC

What's left to do: Start another business and have a family; go on vacation for two years