The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

20VC: From a $5,000 College Fund to a $10BN+ Public Company, How to Beat People Who Are Smarter Than You, Why Happier Teams Outperform and How Software Buying Patterns are Changing in 2023 with Henry Schuck, CEO @ ZoomInfo

Jan 9, 2023

47:59

Creator website

Episode guests

Henry Schuck

Highlights

AI Chapters

Episode notes

The Power of Gratitude

02:35

The Opportunity to Evolve Makes You a Better Leader

02:48

How to Deal with Underperformance in the Right Way

01:23

The Pros and Cons of Going Public

00:32

Introduction

4min

Zoom Info's Story

4min

How Did Your Upbringing Prevent You From Going for All Outgrowth?

2min

The Opportunity to Evolve Makes You a Better Leader

3min

How Do You Foster a Culture Within Your Family?

6min

Your Safety Is in Your Performance

2min

How Do You Deal With Underperformance?

5min

Happiness Is the Biggest Advantage in Business

3min

Are You Seeing a COVID Pull Forward?

5min

10.

Is It a Pain in the Loss Being a Public Market CEO?

5min

11.

Do the People Who Matter, No Matter Matter?

3min

12.

What's Your Biggest Guilty Pleasure?

3min

13.

Secure Frame - The Leading All in One Platform for Security and Privacy Compliance

3min

Henry Schuck is the Founder and CEO @ ZoomInfo. From ZoomInfo's founding moment, putting $25,000 on a credit card, Henry has led the company to today, with over $1BN in ARR, a market cap of over $10BN, and a team of over 3,600. This is one of the untold but truly great stories in software.

In Today's Episode with Henry Schuck We Discuss:

1. From a $5,000 College Fund to Founding a $10BN Company:

Why did Henry always believe early in life that he would be successful?
Along the way doubt sets in, what did Henry do to combat that doubt when he questioned his own ability and potential?
What does Henry believe he is running from? What is he running towards?
How did seeing the work ethic of his single mother impact his work ethic with ZoomInfo?

2. Henry Schuck: The Leader:

What does Henry believe is the difference between trust vs safety in team culture?
Why does Henry believe safety is built through performance? How does Henry manage and communicate underperformance? How long do you give an under-performer?
Why does Henry believe that happier teams outperform? What does Henry do deliberately and specifically to drive happiness in the business?
ZoomInfo is magnitudes larger than some competitors who receive a lot more attention, how does Henry think about this? How does he manage his own ego as a leader today?

3. Henry Schuck: A Leader in a Changing Market:

How does Henry maintain internal morale when employees see their stock options get smashed every day?
Does it suck to be a public company CEO in the current market? What element is the worst?
How are the buying patterns and behaviors of customers changing in 2023 vs 2021?
How does this impact the sales cycle, retention rates, upsell plans, and the structure of the customer success teams?
Dec 2023, will we be in a better or worse macroeconomic position?

4. Henry Schuck: Relationship to Money and Fatherhood:

How does henry evaluate his relationship with money today? How has it changed over time?
Why does Henry very rarely fly private planes? What does he believe this says about his values?
How does Henry instill the same desire and worth ethic within his children despite being a billionaire?
What does Henry know now that he wishes he could give to his 23-year-old self founding the company?

Items Mentioned in Today's Episode:

Henry's Favourite Book: The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work