Dave Hersh, former entrepreneur and founder of Jive Software, shares his insightful journey from bootstrapping to IPO and beyond.
Dave is also the Author of 1 in 10,000, a newsletter on The Future of Competitive Advantage: Case Studies and Strategies for Building Moats in the Age of Commoditized Technology
In this episode, Host Alex Shartsis dives into the unspoken challenges of startup growth with Dave, highlighting the pitfalls of premature scaling, the importance of understanding your company's soul, and the often-overlooked impact of a founder's mental health on business success.
Tune in as Dave discusses:
The systemic flaws in the venture capital model and how to navigate them
Strategies for identifying and capitalizing on your company's unique strengths
The critical distinction between ego-driven and soul-driven decision-making
Practical advice for founders on sustainable growth, funding, and leadership development
Gain valuable perspectives from Dave's experiences and apply them to your own entrepreneurial journey.
Show Notes:
0:00 | Introduction
01:12 | From Bootstrapped to Public: Dave's Journey with Jive Software
12:08 | Restructuring for Success: Leadership Lessons from a Turnaround
14:00 | The CEO's Hidden Struggle: Mental Health, Wellness, and Company Performance
20:02 | The Waste in Venture Capital: Why Premature Scaling Often Fails
28:50 | Investors vs. Customers: The Conflict That Can Sink Your Business
41:47 | The Human Advantage: Investing in Emotional Market Openings and Flourishing
45:25 | From Ego to Empathy: Jesse's Transformation and the Power of Culture Shift
53:04 | Transforming Yourself, Transforming Your Company: The CEO's Intuitive Journey
Guest: Dave Hersh(linkedin.com/in/davehersh)
Host: Alex Shartsis (linkedin.com/in/shartsis)
Audio Engineer & Video Editor - James Fixx (fixxmusic.com)
Music by the Great White Shark (Shark Shartsis)
The Seed to Sequoia podcast is created by Silverwood Advisors to help founders with practical advice on building successful startups.
If you would like to get expert advice for your startup reach out to us on:
Website: silverwood.ai
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/silverwood-advisors
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Ruthie's Table 4
For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com