Grit

For Bill McDermott, work has never been just a job.

On this Labor Day rerun of Grit, first published Jan 9, 2023, the ServiceNow CEO reflects on what he learned from his earliest jobs and how he carried those lessons from a deli counter in Long Island to the boardroom of an $80B software company.

We cover:
  • Why Bill bought a deli when he was in high school — and how he competed against 7-Eleven (04:00)
  • Interviewing at Xerox and wanting it more than anyone else (08:17)
  • Unwavering optimism and being a source of strength for others (12:34)
  • How a love of work has shaped Bill as a person (16:44)
  • Facing challenges and keeping a promise to his father (22:00)
  • Enjoying the present and keeping an eye on the future (30:01)
  • Leaving Xerox for Gartner and learning from a tough experience (33:29)
  • Sloan Kettering and Father Michael Judge (39:22)
  • Following the “original dream” vs. building something new at ServiceNow (44:59)
  • Losing an eye and getting a pep talk from two Medal of Honor winners (51:15)
  • Why Bill started and ended his book with quotes from two Kennedys (01:01:21)

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Creators and Guests

Host
Joubin Mirzadegan
Partner, Kleiner Perkins
BM
Guest
Bill McDermott
CEO of ServiceNow

What is Grit?

Grit explores what it takes to create, build, and scale world-class organizations. It features weekly episodes highlighting the leaders who are pushing their companies to make a difference. This series is hosted by Joubin Mirzadegan, go to market operating partner at Kleiner Perkins, a venture capital firm investing in history-making founders.