Grit CEO Incorta, Scott Jones: From Running Sales to Running a Company, and Everything in Between
Sep 13, 2021
48:27
Since the 1990s, Scott Jones has had a successful career working in sales at technology companies including SAP, Tableau, and Alteryx.
In early 2021, Scott took a job that had never before appeared on his resume — the role of Chief Executive Officer at Incorta, a company creating direct data analytics software.
On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Scott talk about Scott’s career, the value of making relationships with others in business, and the questions Scott had as he settled into his new role as CEO of Incorta.
In this episode, we cover:
- Scott's career up until his current role as CEO at Incorta and the story of his very first job. (1:42)
- A more prominent role at a smaller company: The factors behind Scott's decision to leave SAP to work at Alteryx in 2017. (5:37)
- 'A relationship business': The value of making connections and building a professional network. (9:01)
- The responsibilities of a CEO, the common qualities of successful leaders. and the conversation that put Scott on the path to eventually running a company. (12:41)
- Imposter syndrome: Dealing with self-doubt and insecurity, why failure is part of success, and the importance of taking risks. (16:27)
- How Scott's current company, Incorta, is streamlining data delivery to business users through a data and analytics platform — and why Scott wanted to work at Incorta. (22:59)
- Fundraising and dealing with a board and investors: Questions Scott had when he took his first CEO job — and keeping a company's co-founders around as a new CEO. (26:42)
- Problem-solving, selling, and messaging: Scott's first fundraise as CEO. (33:59)
- How the responsibilities of a CEO differ from that of a CRO — and the importance of being self-reflective when preparing for a CEO role. (37:07)
- The "prep homework" Scott gives to salespeople and sales engineers when they start work at Incorta. (44:24)
- What the word grit means to Scott. (46:44)
Links:
- Connect with Scott
- Connect with Joubin
- Learn more about Kleiner Perkins