Not Another CEO Podcast

Not Another CEO Podcast Trailer Bonus Episode 27 Season 1

A Tale of Two Exits - Tom Buiocchi - Not Another CEO Podcast - Episode #27

00:00
What can two wildly different exits teach us about leadership? In this episode, David Politis talks with Tom Buiocchi, a tech industry veteran with a 40-year career that spans iconic companies like IBM and HP, as well as leadership roles at high-growth startups.

Tom reflects on his unique journey as a CEO, including selling ServiceChannel for $1.2 billion and handing another company back to its founder for $1. He shares lessons on building resilient teams, over-communicating during crises, and making transformative hiring decisions. This conversation is packed with insights for leaders at any stage.
 
Takeaways:
  • Executive Coaching as a Catalyst: Tom shares how hiring an executive coach early in his ServiceChannel tenure helped him navigate challenges, think more clearly, and ultimately become a better leader.
  • Uncomfortable Hiring Decisions: At ServiceChannel, Tom prioritized hiring experts who challenged his thinking, leading to innovative strategies and significant growth, even though it was uncomfortable at times.
  • Segment Until It Hurts: Tom emphasizes the importance of narrowing target markets to identify ideal customers. By meticulously defining criteria, ServiceChannel created a focused pipeline of less than 700 target companies, improving conversion rates and customer engagement.
  • The Growth Roadmap: Beyond the product roadmap, Tom implemented a "growth roadmap" focused on pricing strategies, new revenue streams, and bundling options that directly drove business growth.
  • Over-Communication During COVID-19: Navigating the challenges of the pandemic, Tom adopted a strategy of daily updates and regular all-hands meetings to keep his distributed team aligned and motivated.
  • Resilience, Grit, and Luck: Reflecting on his career, Tom credits his success to a combination of skill, resilience, and timing, sharing his belief that luck often comes to those who stay in the game long enough.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
01:33 What You’d Do Again As CEO
05:15 Tom’s First CEO Experience
09:05 Lessons Learned & Hiring Strategies
15:08 Dealing With Competition
20:13 The Importance of Target Market Segmentation
26:20 Metrics and KPIs
31:40 Navigating Investor Relationships
34:08 The Growth Roadmap
42:16 Tom’s Biggest Challenge
48:20 Tom’s Background
50:56 Biggest Career Impact?
52:13 What Motivates You?
54:28 One Piece Of Advice
57:53 Outro

Quote of the Show:
  • “Fish in a pond where you know the names of all the fish.” - Tom Buiocchi

Links:

Ways to Tune In:

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #ServiceChannel

Creators & Guests

Host
David Politis
Producer
Alex Fischer
Guest
Tom Buiocchi

What is Not Another CEO Podcast?

Tune into Not Another CEO Podcast with host David Politis, as he sits down with a new CEO every week to discuss how they got to where they are today. CEOs share their successes, struggles, lessons learned, actionable tactics and the strategies that propelled their growth. This isn't just about the strategies for business success, but also the personal journeys that led CEOs to where they are today.

29 CEOs interviewed and counting.