Why do startup founders kill themselves work themselves to death? They shouldn’t, according to Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO. Guy Smith: Hello everyone in podcast land. My name is Guy Smith. I’m your guest host today for the next episode of the Tough Things First podcast, where we’re going to a chat with Ray Zinn, longest serving CEO in all […]

What does Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO, and now a tech investor, think about tech investing and the current state of the industry? In the episode of the Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn lays it bare. Guy Smith: Well, good morning to all the audience and welcome to another episode of the Tough Things First podcast. I’m your host […]

Do founders of startups need confidence? Silicon Valley’s prototype founder tells you so and why. Guy Smith: Hello and welcome again to another episode of the Tough Things First podcast where we pick the brain of Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO, Mr. Ray Zinn. I’m your guest host for today, Guy Smith. And hello, Ray. I trust you’re doing well. […]

You can follow your passion, but it takes a lot more than that to be a successful entrepreneur. In this edition of the Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores why there’s a difference between having passion and following passion. Rob Artigo: Rob Artigo here, your guest host for another edition of The Tough Things First podcast with Ray Zinn. […]

Employees want a larger share of the pie as they stick with a company. Ray Zinn, Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO, maps out the right way to balance employee expectations with company growth.     Guy Smith: Hello again and welcome to another episode of the Tough Things First podcast. I am your guest host today. Guys Smith. Former Silicon […]

The essence of adapting a startup. In the episode of the Tough Things First podcast, ZinnStarter Fellow Sameer Saran and ParkStash president discusses the new opportunities with their company, market and ask Ray some question about next steps. Ray Zinn: Good to meet with you again on one of our exciting podcasts. With me today, I have Sameer Saran who […]

Strategy is often easier than execution. In this episode of the Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn chats with Michael Canic of Making Strategy Happen to explore how an organization goes from planning to execution, all while remaining faithful to the underlying strategy. Michael Canic, PhD, CSP is the founder and Chief Flag-Bearer of Making Strategy Happen®. Through high-impact consulting, action-inspiring presentations, and a […]

No matter how large or small your creative teams are, you’ll want to maximize their cohesiveness and innovation. But that’s almost never easy. Ray Zinn has worked with creative teams his entire career and there’s hardly a situation he hasn’t experience. In this Tough Things First episode he’ll flatten that learning curve for managers at any level.

Spending your life in academia doesn’t promise wisdom, any more than working in the trenches guarantees knowledge. In the latest Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the need for balance and how making a weakness a strength is important for success. Rob Artigo: Rob Artigo here, your guest host, for another edition of the Tough Things First podcast. I’m […]

Why do venture capitalists (a.k.a. vulture capitalists) always want controlling interest in a startup? Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO never took VC money, so he has some keen observations on why the VCs do this and why you might want to avoid it. Guy Smith: Hello everybody. Welcome to another episode of the Tough Things First podcast. I’m your guest […]