Young and Profiting with Hala Taha (Entrepreneurship, Sales, Marketing)

Mike Seckler: How to Build a Business That Thrives When Others Fail | Entrepreneurship | E384

Feb 2, 2026
Guest
Mike Seckler
Mike Seckler, seasoned tech entrepreneur and CEO of Justworks, who scaled startups through market crashes. He recounts surviving the dot‑com collapse, building intellectual stamina to pivot quickly, and making customer obsession a leadership habit. He also covers building effective boards, preserving culture and values, and managing risk and growth with humility and speed.
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ANECDOTE

From Startup Exit To Corporate Operator

  • Mike Seckler sold EmployeeEASE to ADP and then ran merged product teams inside ADP for two years.
  • He stayed because he worried ADP might harm the product and wanted to protect his people and legacy.
ANECDOTE

Surviving The Dot‑Com Extinction Event

  • During the dot-com bust Mike's company cut staff ~30%, took dilutive financing, and survived while many competitors died.
  • The ordeal taught him that early upside can blind founders to existential risks.
INSIGHT

Intellectual Stamina As A Pivot Framework

  • Intellectual stamina means holding a vision, learning, extracting the enduring 10–20%, and recasting the plan repeatedly.
  • Mike credits this mindset (learned from Ann Winblad) for surviving multiple pivots across a venture.
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