Are the most successful companies just the luckiest ones? Why is it that some companies scale quickly while others never really seem to take off? Today’s guest highlights the real secret to success, and the secret is leaders who are willing to ACT!

Matt Hulett has driven more than $2 billion in value creation as a four-time public company CEO and president and a two-time private company CEO. He is a seasoned technology executive with more than thirty years of experience building and leading world-class SaaS and consumer companies. He has had multiple turnaround successes in the public and private sectors, including Rosetta Stone, RealNetworks, and Expedia. Matt is also the author of Unlock : 5 Questions to Unleash Your Company ’s Hidden Power.

Matt is a man with a particular set of skills, and those skills have taken him far. Rosetta Stone was his most satisfying turnaround, with a clear opportunity for market leadership and increased relevance within a premium market. By looking at technology trends and focusing on a core customer, Rosetta Stone was able to successfully dominate a segment of — but not the entire — market share.

By following the same model, Expedia grew from zero to a billion dollars in just three years. Matt may have suffered a bit of imposter syndrome along the way, but he took advantage of the opportunity to learn from the best in the industry and quickly scale Expedia to the powerhouse that it is today.

He highlights some of the leadership tactics that he has developed over the last two years through the pandemic, and underscores the importance of maintaining a strategic mindset while also managing “team capital.” No matter your position, if you want to do something big, you have to be able to work with other people.

Serendipity, perseverance, network, and capital all play a role in the kind of success that Matt and so many other market leaders have experienced. Zoom’s success did not happen by total chance; neither did Slack’s nor will any other business. The entrepreneur who understands the edge of the business and is willing to pivot makes all the difference. If you’re ready, Matt’s new book is the place to start changing your company’s destiny.

Interview Links:

Matt on Twitter

Resources:

20,000 Scaleups

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311: Matt Hulett — Unlocking Market Leadership

Scaling Up Business with Bill Gallagher