Tough Things First

Ray Zinn, the longest serving CEO in Silicon Valley, discusses the history of silicon as only he can, having watched it from Shockley to Facebook. In Part I, Ray and Goldman Sachs analyst Peter Marchetti cover the early days of Silicon Valley and how that led to mass innovation. Peter Marchetti has spent the past 20 years as an advisor […]

Ray Zinn, the longest serving CEO in Silicon Valley, sits with Trey Taylor, author of “A CEO Only Does Three Things” for a chat about the priorities facing every business leader. Ray Zinn: Hello everyone, this is Ray Zinn. I’m the author of Tough Things First. Welcome to another Tough Things First podcast. We really appreciate you joining us and […]

Norm Wright, Dean of the Woodbury School of Business at Utah Valley University, chats with Ray Zinn on how to innovate virtually, which with work-from-home, may now be the new norm. Ray Zinn: Hello, everyone. This is Ray Zinn. I’m the author of Tough Things First. Welcome to another Tough Things First podcast. I’m excited today to have a friend […]

Robert Barker, a tech veteran CFO, joins Ray Zinn to discuss disaster planning for CFOs and the tech industry in general. Ray Zinn: Hello everyone. This is Ray Zinn. I am the host for this Tough Things First podcast. I’m Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO and the author of the best-selling book, Tough Things First, as well as my most […]

Tech Nationalism is driving China’s near-term goals. Can the U.S. compete and what do startups need to know about this tech tug-o-war? Ray Zinn is back with another informative episode of the Tough Things First podcast. Rob Artigo: I’m Rob Artigo your guest host for this edition of the Tough Things First podcast with Ray Zinn, the longest serving CEO […]

Are jobs and manufacturing poised to return to the United States? What will it take? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses the dynamics of offshoring and hurdles to balancing out the benefits other countries offer. Rob Artigo: Rob Artigo here once again, your guest host for this edition of ‘The Tough Things First’ podcast. I’m a writer, […]

Not all start-up ideas are created equally. In fact, most are doomed to failure. Are there ways to determine if an idea is worth pursuing before you hit a wall? Ray Zinn, in this Tough Things First podcast, says yes, but it means self-critique and asking the toughest questions in the idea stage. Rob Artigo: I’m Rob Artigo, your guest […]

Entrepreneurs can either learn this quickly or slowly, but eventually they’ll learn or fail. Relationships with employees are about being friendly, not being friends. In this episode of the Tough Things First Podcast, Ray Zinn offers insights and examples to one of the most common workplace management problems. Rob Artigo: I’m Rob Artigo, your guest host for this edition of […]

To create an enduring business means creating one that will last. That is different than creating a startup and selling it off. Ray Zinn, Silicon Valley’s longest serving CEO, and one who ran his semiconductor business for 37 years, tells you the top three things you need to do to make your business enduring. Guy Smith: Hello everybody, and welcome […]

No matter what phase a company is in, or the level of employee or management, work stress goes with the territory. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn draws on decades of experience to talk about identifying stress and dealing with it before it throws you off your game.     Rob Artigo: Welcome back to another edition of […]