Mike Gamson, CEO of Relativity, has joined the show this week to provide his take on leadership, sales, and the evolution of his career leading up to Relativity. Mike’s path into becoming a CEO is a varied one and his diverse range of experiences has helped him hone in on essential insights, which he very humbly shares. 

With a background in liberal arts, Mike has an interesting story about how he became a leader in the world of sales and technology. It all began when he made the decision to move to Costa Rica after an epic surfing trip along the coasts of South America. At one point, he faced a crossroads and had to decide between staying in Costa Rica or going back home. He chose the former and opened his own burrito shop. Afterward, Mike served as Advent’s head of product development, which set the stage for the rest of his career.

In this episode, Mike walks through the transitions in his career and shares why he was initially hesitant to join LinkedIn. He also talks about the crucial leadership skills and values he gained at LinkedIn under Jeff Weiner’s tutelage and dives into Relativity, Chicago’s “best-kept secret,” and the exciting innovations that Relativity is bringing on board. 

In this episode, we cover: 

• Mike’s fascinating professional journey leading up to LinkedIn; from turning down Goldman Sachs to opening his own burrito shop in Costa Rica - and he and Joubin discover some of the striking similarities they share. (02:03)
• The evolution of Mike's role at LinkedIn - and what factored into his decision to come on as an individual contributor. (9:47)
• The challenges LinkedIn faced in its early stages, as leadership navigated the company’s identity - and how the question, “what kind of leader do you aspire to be?” helped Mike tap into his core leadership principles. (15:37)
• Mike recounts moments when he was challenged to make decisions to preserve LinkedIn’s values as he grew into his sales leadership role - and how Jeff Weiner’s coaching gave him a more compassionate understanding of how to do business more broadly. (21:17)
• Why Relativity was the “best-kept secret in Chicago” - and why Mike feels passionate about leveraging tech companies to build ecosystems within their communities. (28:04)
• Mike’s views on investing in companies full-time and how his love for learning plays a role in his decision - and more on his transition to CEO of Relativity and how he gained his footing. (33:37)
• A look at Mike’s life as CEO: what he factors into his daily decisions, lessons learned, and his advice to those who are thinking of the next layer up job. (40:34)
• Mike elaborates on philosophies that he lives by, including his stance on hiring talent, why “yet” is the most powerful word in the English language, the power of being here by choice, and more. (45:21)
• Joubin and Mike discuss three important leadership traits - and the importance of asserting agency over your time to create a personal life harmony. (50:33)

Links:

• Connect with Mike
  • LinkedIn
  • Relativity
• Connect with Joubin
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • Email: gtmg@kleinerperkins.com 
• Learn more about Kleiner Perkins