Bill McDermott, CEO of ServiceNow, shares his remarkable journey from owning a delicatessen at 16 to leading a tech giant. He discusses how generative AI can foster workplace innovation while urging businesses to retrain their workforce for upcoming changes. McDermott reflects on his time at Xerox, highlighting the importance of adaptability during corporate decline. He also reveals effective strategies for closing deals, emphasizing customer-centric approaches and trust in negotiations. Tune in for insights from one of tech's most dynamic leaders!
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Deli Acquisition
At 16, Bill McDermott bought a deli for $7,000, trading multiple part-time jobs for one.
He catered to customer preferences, even stocking specific cigarette brands and beers.
insights INSIGHT
Xerox's Missed Opportunity
Xerox saw the digital shift but focused on printing and copying, missing the service aspect.
They had early cloud ideas with Xerox Business Services but didn't fully commit.
volunteer_activism ADVICE
Simplify and Integrate
Simplify complex enterprise processes for better user experiences.
Integrate IT systems, employee systems, and customer systems onto one platform.
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In 'Winners Dream,' Bill McDermott shares his life story, from growing up in a working-class family on Long Island to becoming the CEO of SAP. The book highlights key lessons such as the power of resilience, the importance of empathy in leadership, the value of authenticity, and the need to embrace change as an opportunity. McDermott emphasizes that success is a journey rather than a destination, stressing the importance of continuous learning, teamwork, and leading with passion and purpose.
Always Day One
Alex Kantrowitz
In 'Always Day One,' Alex Kantrowitz explores the concept of 'Day One' as coined by Amazon's Jeff Bezos, which means continuously inventing and acting like a startup, even for large companies. The book is based on 130 interviews with insiders, from top executives like Mark Zuckerberg to hourly workers, and delves into the cultures, technologies, and processes that enable these tech giants to maintain their dominance. Kantrowitz emphasizes the importance of a 'Day One' mindset, where companies prioritize reinvention over tradition and collaboration over ownership, and how this approach helps them stay ahead of competitors and avoid the pitfalls of 'Day Two,' which Bezos describes as 'stasis, followed by irrelevance, followed by excruciating, painful decline, followed by death.'
Bill McDermott is the CEO of ServiceNow, a $113 billion, publicly-traded cloud computing platform that helps companies manage their operations. He joins Big Technology Podcast to discuss his career path, from owning a delicatessen on Long Island to now managing over 20,000 employees. We also dive deep into how generative AI helps companies foster innovation and force businesses to retool their workforces in the coming years. Tune in for a lively conversation with one of the world's most dynamic tech CEOs.
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