{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Grit","title":"#149 Co-CEO Workday, Carl Eschenbach: A Life of Significance","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":4924,"description":"Guest: Carl Eschenbach, co-CEO of Workday\nWhen Carl Eschenbach decided to leave VMWare after more than 14 years as COO, no one believed it: Not chairman Joe Tucci, not CEO Pat Gelsinger, and maybe not Carl himself. But he needed a more predictable work-life balance to help raise his teenage children. For the next seven years, he served as a partner at Sequoia Capital. And every day, he thought — and to his wife’s chagrin, talked — about going back: “It was always on the back of my mind,” he says. After the kids were out of the house, in late 2022, he jumped back into operating and became co-CEO of Workday. “It’s what I love to do,” he says. “I feel like I’ve been called to do it.”\nIn this episode, Carl and Joubin discuss jumping rope, Mike Clayville, the Flowbee, focusing on the family, wrestling, commuting cross-country, servant leadership, Sequoia Capital, Aneel Bhusri, co-CEOs, and Palo Alto Networks.\nIn this episode, we cover:\nWorking on Sand Hill Road (00:55)\nCarl’s workout routine (03:15)\nStaying humble and grounded (08:04)\nCarl’s family and dinner table conversation (11:41)\nDrive and ambition (16:08)\nCollege vs. trade school (19:53)\n3Com, Inktomi, and EMC (24:33)\nDeciding to join VMware (28:02)\nVirtualizing the data center (31:48)\nThe pressure of an incredible ride (35:54)\nThe infamous CFO story (40:14)\nEyeing the CEO job (46:00)\nCarl’s one “big regret” (47:40)\nRefocusing after a tragedy (52:05)\nA left turn into venture (55:37)\nThe “itch” to go back to operating (01:00:17)\nJoining the Workday board (01:04:37)\nBuilding an enduring business (01:07:15)\n“End[ing] my career in an operating role” (01:09:09)\nTransitioning out of venture (01:15:56)\nWho Workday is hiring and what “grit” means to Carl (01:18:01)\nLinks:\nConnect with CarlLinkedIn\nConnect with JoubinTwitter\nLinkedIn\nEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com \nLearn more about Kleiner Perkins\nThis episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/jCea5f44KBONhOsyLyht9nXUrj2YBNfA6fc-kgyfWTM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9zaG93/Lzk3NzAvMTY2Nzg2/MjQyOC1hcnR3b3Jr/LmpwZw.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}