Succeed as a Serial Entrepreneur - Careercast | Chicago Booth

Succeed as a Serial Entrepreneur

CareerCast - Life-long Career Development

Steven KahanDo you think that if you don’t succeed in your first startup, it’s unlikely you ever will? This is actually a myth. In fact, some people believe serial entrepreneurs are more likely to succeed, in part, because they build and exhibit persistence, tenacity, and resilience. Steve Kahan, serial entrepreneur himself and author of Be a Startup Superstar, would absolutely agree. He has successfully helped to grow seven startup companies from early-stage development to going public or being sold, resulting in more than $3.5 billion in shareholder value. In this CareerCast, Steve shares his experience, insights, and guidance on how you can succeed as a serial entrepreneur.

Aired February 21, 2020

Steven Mark Kahan has successfully helped to grow seven start-up companies from early-stage development to going public or being sold, resulting in more than $3.5 billion in shareholder value. He is currently CMO at Thycotic, which will become the eighth. Bringing passion and positive energy, Steve inspires teams and their organizations to take on the impossible and succeed. He is best known for his ability to plan marketing strategy and execute it so that companies can accelerate revenue, grow market share, and consistently deliver superior returns for shareholders. In his current position as Thycotic’s chief marketing officer, he has helped take the company from $10 million to more than $100 million in the first four years. It’s been a similar story with the other companies where he’s brought his talents over the past three decades, including KnowledgeWare, e-Security, PentaSafe, Postini, Bindview, Quest Software, and The Planet. In a rare move, Gartner Group recognized Thycotic in their 2018 PAM Magic Quadrant as having superior marketing in its peer group. And Web Host Industry Review recognized Steve as “Marketer of the Year” in 2009. This year, Steve has been nominated for 2019 Cybersecurity Marketer of the Year. He also has been featured as “the ideal CMO” by a Summative.com white paper, which used Steve as a model to help its clients hire the best CMO for their start-ups.

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Be a Startup Superstar by Steve Kahan

Read an excerpt from Be a Startup Superstar by Steve Kahan

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