With a dedicated salesforce, stellar customer support, and solid products, you could capture a staggering 70% market share. The core philosophy? Deliver tangible outcomes for your customers.
While many were focused on selling routers and switches, I envisioned a more transformative goal: changing the way the world works, learns, lives, and plays via the internet... we must sell outcomes, driven by technology, rather than just selling products.
When it comes to acquisitions, many people jump straight to analyzing the financial returns. I approach it differently. I start by asking: How will our customers benefit from this acquisition?
I urge everyone to channel their inner teenager. Think back to those fearless days brimming with creativity and ambition. As we age, societal rewards for 'playing it safe' can stifle our innovative spirit.
Dyslexics, like me, often possess above-average intelligence, but we grapple with sequential thinking. Instead of thinking linearly from A to B to C to D, we jump from A to B to Z. Over time, I've learned to turn a perceived 'weakness' into a strength.
Growing up in West Virginia, we were at the forefront economically— the chemical and coal mining center of the world. However, due to an inability to adapt to changing market dynamics and transitions, our position plummeted to the bottom ranks among the US states... I firmly advocate the idea of reinventing oneself every 5 years.
I start by asking: How will our customers benefit from this acquisition? I tend to shy away from companies that don't share a similar cultural ethos. Even if an acquisition seems financially sound, if there's a stark cultural mismatch, I'd usually reconsider.
In the tech sphere, when you acquire a company, you're seldom buying the present product. Instead, you're investing in their future innovations. This means retaining talent is paramount.
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