Hurry up and make the tough decisions. Lessons from Gene Austin

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GENE AUSTIN – CEO – PART ONE 
We’ve talked to startups, financial institutions, and even dads. What about a company that has graduated from the startup stage to being publicly traded? How is this different? How is this the same? If you were ever curious about how managing and leading a company changes as it grows, this episode is for you.

Today’s guest is Gene Austin, the former CEO of Bazaarvoice and current CEO of Quorum Software.

If you’ve shopped online, you have probably used Bazaarvoice and didn’t know it. Bazaarvoice is behind many of the online review and ratings systems on many eCommerce websites.

Gene has more than 30 years of experience growing technology companies. Gene talks candidly about his path to CEO of Bazaarvoice and the clear differences between running a small company to a post-IPO organization.

Today’s Topics Include:

  • The different seasons of a company’s growth and the different requirements of growth
  • The unique requirements of a public company CEO
  • Board of Directors: How to use them correctly
  • The true role of a Board
  • How to use your Board
  • Gene’s path to Bazaarvoice, including previous experience at other tech companies
  • How Gene’s leadership and work ethic have roots in Boy Scouts
  • How to inspire and get people excited around a cause
  • The leadership style Gene uses to be as transparent as possible
  • The culture Gene believes works best: it’s one that rewards the right attributes, celebrates the right successes, and takes stock of the right failures
  • Does the CEO get the straight scoop as the company grows?
  • How Gene builds a relationship with trusted advisors
  • How he keeps his finger on the pulse of this large organization
  • The communication nuances of a publicly-traded company
  • How Gene is intentional about building bridges

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