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(282)

#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

#136 COO Modern Treasury, Rachel Pike: Golden Ticket

#136 COO Modern Treasury, Rachel Pike: Golden Ticket

Guest: Rachel Pike, COO at Modern TreasuryPayment operations startup Modern Treasury is not afraid to do things in “our own weird way,” says COO Rachel Pike. Its values statement is a 150 word essay, ...

1 Maj 20231h 4min

#135 CMO & CSO GitLab, Ashley Kramer: The Three Ps

#135 CMO & CSO GitLab, Ashley Kramer: The Three Ps

Guest: Ashley Kramer, CMO & CSO of GitLabOne day, when Ashley Kramer was an SVP at Alteryx, one of her direct reports hit her with a dose of reality: “She said, ‘I think you are trying to put me on a ...

24 Apr 20231h 11min

#134 Chief Bizdev Officer at Uber, Jen Vescio: Buy, Build, or Partner

#134 Chief Bizdev Officer at Uber, Jen Vescio: Buy, Build, or Partner

Guest: Jen Vescio, Chief Business Development Officer at Uber and founder of Awestruck VenturesIf you were to look at Jen Vescio’s calendar, it might look like a pack of Skittles: Every single one of ...

17 Apr 20231h 20min

#133 CEO Palo Alto Networks, Nikesh Arora: Create Certainty

#133 CEO Palo Alto Networks, Nikesh Arora: Create Certainty

Guest: Nikesh Arora, CEO and Chairman of Palo Alto NetworksNikesh Arora has been in the C-Suite for more than two decades, including a 10-year stint as Google’s chief business officer and — most recen...

10 Apr 20231h 17min

#132 Former 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith and Former Warriors Guard Shaun Livingston: Hard Steps

#132 Former 49ers Quarterback Alex Smith and Former Warriors Guard Shaun Livingston: Hard Steps

Guests: Alex Smith and Shaun Livingston, former players for the San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors“I just thought, the best of my life is behind me.” That’s what former NFL quarterback Alex...

3 Apr 202355min

#131 Golden State Warriors Forward Andre Iguodala: The Sixth Man

#131 Golden State Warriors Forward Andre Iguodala: The Sixth Man

Guest: Andre Iguodala, forward for the Golden State WarriorsThe average professional basketball career lasts around four years. By the first time Andre Iguodala came to play for the Golden State Warri...

27 Mars 202349min

#130 Former Vice President Al Gore: Relentless

#130 Former Vice President Al Gore: Relentless

Guest: Al Gore, Former Vice President and chairman of The Climate Reality ProjectAl Gore has been talking about all kinds of renewable energy for decades. The former U.S. Vice President, Nobel Peace P...

20 Mars 20231h 1min

Populärt inom Business & ekonomi

framgangspodden
varvet
badfluence
rss-jossan-nina
rss-borsens-finest
rss-svart-marknad
svd-tech-brief
avanzapodden
uppgang-och-fall
fill-or-kill
rss-inga-dumma-fragor-om-pengar
borsmorgon
rss-dagen-med-di
lastbilspodden
bathina-en-podcast
rss-kort-lang-analyspodden-fran-di
affarsvarlden
market-makers
rss-den-nya-ekonomin
borslunch-2