What does it take to drive significant transformation in a tech company? In this episode, David interviews Bryan Murphy, the seasoned entrepreneur and current CEO of Smartling. Murphy shares insights into his strategic decision to integrate AI rapidly at Smartling, the challenges faced in execution, and the creation of a separate R&D function to innovate without disrupting core operations.

Murphy discusses his approach to leadership, the impact of meeting with hundreds of customers, and the critical role of operational discipline. Additionally, he reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, from his early ventures to his mentoring experiences and the factors driving his unyielding ambition.

Takeaways:

• Embracing Innovation and AI: Bryan emphasizes the importance of being early adopters of AI in order to remain competitive. He recounts how Smartling's leadership team proactively engaged with AI technologies as soon as they became available. Cultivating Customer Obsession: A significant part of Bryan's approach as CEO involves a deep focus on understanding and anticipating customer needs. He actively engages with customers, often initiating conversations with questions about the primary problems they are trying to solve.
• Building a Robust Operating Rhythm: Bryan highlights the critical role of a structured operating rhythm in executing plans effectively. Weekly leadership and management council meetings at Smartling help streamline processes and keep initiatives on track.
• Strategic Decision-Making in Remote Work Setup: With over 200 employees across 20 countries, Bryan holds annual gatherings and regular meet-ups to foster team cohesion while accommodating the global distribution of the workforce.
• Clarifying Business Metrics and KPIs: To Bryan, measuring success involves defining clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) that are aligned with customer value. These metrics directly inform product development and strategic priorities, ensuring the company remains focused on delivering value to customers.
• Overcoming the Innovator’s Dilemma: Bryan explains the challenge of balancing innovation with existing successful practices, a common issue known as the innovator's dilemma, by systematically integrating new technologies like AI to improve its service offerings without destabilizing its well-established operations.
• Advice for Aspiring Leaders: Bryan advises newcomers to the industry to always meet their obligations first and then seek opportunities to contribute more broadly, ensuring career advancement and sustained organizational impact.

Quote of the Show:

• “[CEOs] have that latitude to run across the organization and dive down into each one of the respective parts of the organization, no one else can do that or does do that." - Bryan Murphy

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryanmurphy2/
• Website: https://www.smartling.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://notanotherceo.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #Smartling

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:36 Embracing AI at Smartling

02:43 Implementing AI in a Production Environment

07:29 Customer-Centric Innovation

11:01 Understanding Customer Needs

24:25 Balancing Leadership and Involvement

31:37 Weekly Operating Rhythm

33:58 Strategic Planning and Key Initiatives

35:43 Balancing Focus and Resources

48:52 The Importance of Mentorship

51:40 Reflecting on Entrepreneurial Journey

54:06 Outro

What’s it really like to build a SaaS company from scratch, not just once but twice? In this episode, David talks to Thomas Pedersen, the serial entrepreneur who co-founded OneLogin and now leads Bunny, a bootstrapped billing platform for B2B SaaS.

Thomas also opens up about co-founding two companies with his brother, surviving a major security breach, and how he’s approaching company-building differently this time around.

Takeaways:

• Why Thomas Is Bootstrapping This Time: After raising $175 million for OneLogin, Thomas opted to bootstrap Bunny, focusing on control and long-term product quality. He discusses how this choice affects hiring, spending, and overall company culture.
• Bringing the Band Back Together: Bunny’s small but mighty team includes engineers from OneLogin. Thomas shares why working with trusted colleagues has helped them execute quickly and avoid early hiring pitfalls.
• The Grind Creates the Bond: Reflecting on the early OneLogin years, Thomas explains how hard work and shared struggle helped forge lasting relationships and why people often want to work with him again.
• Building with His Brother, Again: Thomas co-founded both of his startups with his brother. He explains how they complement each other technically, navigate disagreements, and have grown even closer through the experience.
• Remote from Day One: From commuting weekly between LA and San Francisco during OneLogin’s VC-fueled growth to now working from a boat in the Mediterranean, Thomas discusses why Bunny is remote-first and when in-person still matters.
• Lessons from a Security Breach: A major breach at OneLogin could have destroyed the company. Thomas details how transparency and direct communication with customers helped them retain trust and bounce back.

Quote of the Show:

• "It’s really hard to get a design partner… I wish every Saas or every startup could find a customer like that." - Thomas Pedersen

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tbpeder
• Website: https://bunny.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://notanotherceo.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #bunny

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:32 Building Bunny: Lessons from OneLogin

02:39 Team Dynamics and Hiring Strategies

05:59 Working with Family: A Brother's Partnership

10:55 Remote Work and Company Culture

16:40 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital

23:37 Marketing and Personal Branding

28:46 Passion for Solving Business Problems

31:21 The Importance of Solving Business Problems

31:38 Challenges and Solutions in Billing

33:24 Early Days of OneLogin

33:40 Building SAML Integrations

36:20 Acquiring First Customers for Bunny

37:35 The Role of Design Partners

41:28 Handling Security Breaches

45:04 Transparency and Customer Trust

48:09 Future of Bunny

50:46 Entrepreneurial Journey and Background

54:45 Mentorship

59:13 Advice to His Younger Self

01:03:04 Outro

Do you know the key factors for successful leadership in high growth tech companies? In this episode, CEO of commercetools Andrew Burton shares his extensive experience in building and scaling tech companies.

With over 25 years in the industry, Burton details his approach to leadership since becoming CEO of commercetools in 2024. He emphasizes the paramount importance of maintaining customer focus, building strong team culture, and aligning company goals.

Takeaways:

• Understanding Customer Needs: Andrew highlights the importance of stepping into customers' shoes to understand their challenges and measure success through their lens. He emphasizes starting conversations by asking customers about their challenges and how they define success.
• Aligning Around an Ideal Customer Profile: A crucial step Andrew implemented at commercetools was refining their Ideal Customer Profile (ICP). He stresses the necessity of focusing on where the company can deliver the most significant value and understanding why they're uniquely positioned to serve that particular segment.
• The Role of Leadership in Team Development: Andrew believes in playing as one team and ensuring a unified direction across the organization. He discusses the importance of testing for cultural and operational inconsistencies as a new CEO and aligning the team around shared objectives and metrics.
• Strategic Planning and Adapting to Change: Andrew shares insights into effective strategic planning by decoupling it from the stress of annual closing and starting a new fiscal year.
• Curiosity as a Driver for Success: Andrew describes how a curious approach to understanding problems and developing solutions leads to personal and organizational growth, making it a critical quality he looks for when hiring team members.
• Balancing Passion and Work-Life Integration: Andrew touches on the concept of work-life balance, suggesting that it is deeply connected to one's passion and motivation. He encourages individuals to be mindful of what genuinely drives them and to regularly assess whether their professional and personal lives are aligned with these motivations.
• Mentorship and Learning from Diverse Experiences: Andrew reflects on his journey and the importance of mentorship, emphasizing that learning from a variety of experiences and colleagues, regardless of hierarchy, contributes to a well-rounded leadership style.

Quote of the Show:

• "Anybody that's really, I would argue successful… in their space, is going to know or have an appreciation for, at the core, the customer." - Andrew Burton

Links:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burtonandrew/
• Website: https://commercetools.com/

Ways to Tune In:

• Substack: https://notanotherceo.substack.com/
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1NQ9oAB2XKlgWeL8iEQXg0
• Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/not-another-ceo-podcast/id1751581707
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NotAnotherCEOPodcast
• Transistor: https://podcast.notanotherceo.com/

#NotAnotherCEO #BusinessSuccess #commercetools

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:58 The Importance of Customer-Centric Leadership

04:21 Engaging with Customers: Strategies and Insights

09:36 Aligning Company Mission and Team Goals

13:10 Defining the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)

17:50 Building Trust and Credibility as a New CEO

23:15 Strategic Planning and Measuring Success

31:50 Monthly Cadence and Operational Efficiency

33:05 Reflections on Planning and Offsite Meetings

34:50 Journey to Becoming a CEO

35:58 Curiosity and Leadership

43:44 Mentorship and Influences

46:24 Hiring and Growth Mindset

51:43 Future of Commerce Tools

53:36 Personal Background and Motivation

56:59 Work-Life Balance and Career Advice

01:01:48 Outro