Dave Whorton has spent decades at the highest levels of Silicon Valley—working alongside industry legends at Kleiner Perkins, co-founding pioneering companies like drugstore.com and Good Technology, and eventually charting a different course with Tugboat Institute. His focus? Evergreen businesses—companies built to last, guided by purpose, and driven by sustainable growth.

In this episode, Dave shares his journey from venture capital to founding the Tugboat Institute, where he champions a different way of building companies—one that rejects the high-risk, high-reward mentality of VC-backed startups. We dive into his new book, Another Way: Building Companies that Last… and Last… and Last, co-authored with Bo Burlingham, exploring the core principles of evergreen businesses and how they defy conventional wisdom.

Tune in to learn:

• Why many of the tech giants VCs celebrate (like Google and Microsoft) actually took minimal venture funding—and what that means for founders.
• How the explosion of the VC market has changed how businesses are built—and why that’s a problem.
• The "Evergreen 7Ps" framework and how they guide companies toward sustainable, long-term growth.
• Real-world examples of evergreen businesses that prioritize steady growth, pragmatic innovation, and people-centered leadership.

Let’s dive in with Dave Whorton.

Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks, Verne Harnish of Scaling Up, and the team at Growth Institute.

Many founders dream of turning a big idea into a lasting company. Sabrina Herrera has done it—again and again.

As part of the founding leadership at Genomma Lab, one of Mexico’s most successful pharmaceutical and personal care companies, she helped shape a brand known for category-defining products and direct-to-consumer innovation. Under her leadership, Genomma became the first in its industry to go public on the Mexican Stock Exchange and expanded into more than 20 countries.

But Sabrina didn’t stop there.

Over the past two decades, she’s launched wellness brands, backed startups, served on boards, and mentored the next generation of entrepreneurs. Known for her strategic clarity, sharp financial instinct, and human-centered leadership, Sabrina brings a rare combination of heart and execution to everything she touches.

Today, she’s transforming Regina Romero—a 40-year-old handcrafted leather shoe brand—into a modern, tech-driven business with global ambitions. It’s not just a rebrand; it’s a reinvention.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• How Sabrina helped Genomma scale beyond Mexico
• The hardest lessons she’s learned as an investor
• Why execution always beats vision alone
• How to evolve a legacy brand without losing its soul
• Why an obsession with product quality is non-negotiable

Ladies and gentlemen, Sabrina Herrera.

Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks, Verne Harnish of Scaling Up, and the team at Growth Institute.

In this episode of Strategy at Scale, we sit down with Matt Wallach, co-founder of Veeva Systems, one of the most successful enterprise software companies in the life sciences industry. While many companies craft visionary strategy statements, Matt reveals why execution—not strategy—is what truly sets high-growth companies apart.

You’ll hear how Veeva redefined cloud-based solutions for pharmaceutical companies and the pivotal choices that fueled their rapid rise—from a startup to a public company generating nearly $2.75 billion in annual revenue. Matt shares a behind-the-scenes look at how the team prioritized discipline, customer selection, and strategic patience to win in a highly regulated industry.

Tune in to learn:

• Why choosing the right first customer can make or break your business
• The strategic reasons Veeva became a Public Benefit Corporation
• Why saying “yes” to every customer request is a recipe for failure
• How “thinking slow” can accelerate long-term success
• The decision-making crossroads at scale: new markets vs. new products

Matt’s story is a masterclass in execution, focus, and discipline in scaling a
business.

Let’s dive in with Matt Wallach.

Thanks for listening! This episode is brought to you by Kaihan Krippendorff of Outthinker Networks, Verne Harnish of Scaling Up, and the team at Growth Institute.