In this episode of "Leaders in Tech," host David Mansilla sits down with Vivek Vaidya, General Partner at Superset, to pull back the curtain on the "Company Builder" model. Vivek shares his 25-year journey from surviving the .com crash to overseeing massive exits to Microsoft and Salesforce.

If you are a founder or tech leader, this conversation is a masterclass in Founder-Market Fit, "clock speed," and the grit required to turn a raw idea into a durable, data-driven enterprise.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The difference between an incubator and a Company Builder Studio.
• How to identify "Painful Business Problems" before writing code.
• The secret to surviving a "Hard Right Turn" (Pivot) in a volatile market.
• Why building technology is easy, but building companies is the ultimate challenge.

Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned CTO, this episode will change the way you think about resilience and market adaptation.

#LeadersInTech #AI #Startups #TechLeadership #VivekVaidya #LeadersInTech #VivekVaidya #Superset #CompanyBuilder #AIStartups #TechLeadership #Entrepreneurship #VentureStudio #DataScience #ScaleUp #FounderGrit #TechPivots #MicrosoftAcquisition #SalesforceMarketingCloud

The world is changing at an exponential rate. By 2030, two billion jobs will be transformed or displaced. Are you prepared to bridge the gap between innovation and adoption, or will you fall into it?

In this "Golden Nuggets" highlight, we’re extracting the high-level leadership blueprint from John Rathje, VP and CIO of Kent State University. John oversees the tech strategy for a top-tier R1 research powerhouse—the same place that birthed the liquid crystal technology in your smartphone.

From writing code on a borrowed computer to leading global tech shifts, John shares why "looking up" is the most important skill an entrepreneur can have in the next decade.

Key Takeaways:

(1) Stop Hunting, Start Solving: Don't build a product and look for a market; find a massive pain point and obsess over it.

(2) Environment is Everything: You are the architect of your team's creativity. Build an "Innovation Hub," not just a workspace.

(3) Human Impact to Code: Technology is built by people, for people. If you lose the human element, you lose your competitive edge.

Listen To The Full Podcast Episode Here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vr-_ybTrFI

#FutureOfWork #EntrepreneurMindset #LeadershipTips #TechInnovation #GoldenNuggets #JohnRathje #2030Vision #BusinessGrowth #StartupAdvice

What does it take to lead through forty years of digital revolution? In this episode of Leaders in Tech, host David Mansilla sits down with technology consultant Adrian Smith to trace his journey from the "school of hard knocks" to the high-stakes world of global consulting.

Adrian shares the incredible story of how he went from a summer job loading half-inch tapes to building the groundbreaking videotex systems that powered the London Stock Exchange. We dive deep into the mindset required to survive in an industry where you are judged solely on your deliverables.

In this episode, you’ll discover:

👍 The "Invaluable" Intern: How Adrian turned a boring entry-level role into an essential business asset by mining data for leadership.

👍 Disruptive Tech: The 1980s "Netflix" style technology that gave retailers a massive edge.

👍 The Consultant’s Creed: Why over-delivering and maintaining a "bug-free" reputation is the only way to scale a consulting business.

👍 The Accidental Meeting: A hilarious and insightful story about a breakfast meeting with Bill Gates that happened by total mistake.

👍 The Golden Rule of Leadership: Why you should never burn bridges and why your junior staff might be your most important resource.

#TechLeadership #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #ConsultingLife #TechEvolution #LeadersInTech #DigitalTransformation #BillGates #LondonStockExchange #CareerGrowth #BusinessIntegrity #OverDeliver