Co-founder and CEO G2, Godard Abel: Finding Opportunity in Challenging Times
Grit8 Aug 2022

Co-founder and CEO G2, Godard Abel: Finding Opportunity in Challenging Times

After rescuing his first startup BigMachines from the brink of bankruptcy and building it to positive cash flow, Godard Abel thought the express lane of life was opening up to him. But after the board replaced him as CEO, Godard — now the CEO of B2B tech buying firm G2 — found himself on a rocky road for 10 years. He had all the money he could want, but also overwhelming fear, anxiety, and depression. To break out of this funk, Godard says he had to embrace presence and reckon with why entrepreneurship called him.

In this episode, Godard and Joubin discuss the mental benefits of running, Silicon Valley during the dotcom boom, ex-Apple CEO John Sculley and “scale at all costs,” turning around a failing startup, a young founder’s “FU mentality,” Jim Dethmer and conscious leadership, the importance of “wallowing in the muck,” the best part about entrepreneurship, WFIO moments, and the advantage of getting older.

In this episode, we cover:

  • The first company Godard co-founded, BigMachines (09:00)
  • The race to IPO as soon as possible, and the “dot bomb” bubble (18:41)
  • Rock bottom for BigMachines: “I felt like a massive failure every day” (23:20)
  • How Godard lost the CEO job: A “Trojan horse” swap (26:55)
  • Financial success and debilitating anxiety (32:30)
  • Conscious leadership, being present, and embracing one’s emotions (36:12)
  • Godard’s redemption: Joining, building, and selling SteelBrick (42:55)
  • How often are you happy? (51:05)
  • The humbling moments of starting G2, and staying an entrepreneur (53:35)

Links:

Avsnitt(281)

#144 CEO Lacework, Jay Parikh: Quiet Intensity

#144 CEO Lacework, Jay Parikh: Quiet Intensity

Guest: Jay Parikh, CEO of LaceworkJay Parikh describes himself as a “stickler” for meetings that start and end on time, and holds himself to the same expectations as his workers. “It’s just really imp...

26 Juni 20231h 10min

#143 CEO HashiCorp, Dave McJannet: Phase Shifts

#143 CEO HashiCorp, Dave McJannet: Phase Shifts

Guest: Dave McJannet, CEO of HashiCorpTo scale a company effectively, says HashiCorp CEO Dave McJannet, you will have to make something like 10 decisions every single day. “There’s generally one that ...

19 Juni 20231h 14min

#142 President of DocuSign, Robert Chatwani: Get Uncomfortable

#142 President of DocuSign, Robert Chatwani: Get Uncomfortable

Guest: Robert Chatwani, President and General Manager of Growth at DocuSignRobert Chatwani’s first reinvention was in his early 20s, when he left McKinsey & Company to start a people-powered commerce ...

12 Juni 20231h 17min

#141 CEO Navan, Ariel Cohen: Be Naive!

#141 CEO Navan, Ariel Cohen: Be Naive!

Guest: Ariel Cohen, CEO and co-founder of NavanAs a business travel-focused startup, Navan (previously known as TripActions) was heavily impacted by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020; after laying off ...

5 Juni 20231h 17min

#140 CRO Walmart, Seth Dallaire: How You Show Up

#140 CRO Walmart, Seth Dallaire: How You Show Up

Guest: Seth Dallaire, CRO at WalmartWhen Seth Dallaire was approached by Walmart about joining their team as CRO, he had one question: Are they serious? Seth knew that Walmart wanted him for his digit...

29 Maj 20231h 5min

#139 CEO Coach, Matt Mochary: Coaching Greatness

#139 CEO Coach, Matt Mochary: Coaching Greatness

Guest: Matt Mochary, CEO of Mochary MethodMatt Mochary was only 31 when he sold the company he co-founded, Totality, to Verizon, “and I made enough money that that was it,” he recalls. “I didn’t have ...

22 Maj 20231h 16min

#138 CEO Motive, Shoaib Makani w/ Ilya Fushman: Powering the Physical Economy

#138 CEO Motive, Shoaib Makani w/ Ilya Fushman: Powering the Physical Economy

Guest: Shoaib Makani, CEO of Motive“When we fail,” says Shoaib Makani, “it is because we have not understood the customer problem deeply and allowed them to guide us.” This wisdom is hard-won: Motive’...

15 Maj 20231h 10min

#137 CEO Oura, Tom Hale: Business & Backgammon

#137 CEO Oura, Tom Hale: Business & Backgammon

Guest: Tom Hale, CEO of OuraWhen he was growing up, Tom Hale’s family had pretty ordinary dinner-table conversations: What happened today, how was school, etc. But every day after dinner, Tom and his ...

8 Maj 20231h 4min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
badfluence
rss-jossan-nina
rss-borsens-finest
rss-svart-marknad
uppgang-och-fall
svd-tech-brief
avanzapodden
rss-dagen-med-di
lastbilspodden
borsmorgon
fill-or-kill
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
bathina-en-podcast
kapitalet-en-podd-om-ekonomi
rss-den-nya-ekonomin
tabberaset
affarsvarlden