Why NYC is a Young Digital Talent Destination - Mike Germano

In Chapter 9 of 19 in his 2012 Capture Your Flag interview, social media ad agency CEO Mike Germano answers "How is the New York City Digital Community Changing?"  He notes how progressively more ambitious college graduates are entering digital and tech and how New York City adapted to attract ambitious young talent pool that wants to create digital products and services and is open to not relocating to Silicon Valley.  Mike Germano is co-founder and CEO of DUMBO, Brooklyn based social media advertising agency Carrot Creative.  Previously, Germano ran for and was elected to public office in Connecticut.  He is a graduate of Quinnipiac University. 

What Makes a Product Launch Successful - Jason Anello

In Chapter 12 of 20 in his 2012 interview, creative director Jason Anello answers "What Does It Mean to Successfully Launch a Product?"  Anello references author Seth Godin and his insistence on shipping a product so consumers may touch and experience the product.  Anello defines launch success by getting it out the door so consumers may react and so a feedback loop may get created.  Jason Anello is a founding partner and creative director at marketing services agency Manifold Partners.  He is also the co-founder of the Forking Tasty Brooklyn supper club.  Previously, Anello held creative leadership roles at Yahoo! and Ogilvy & Mather.  He graduated from the University at Albany. 

What Gets Easier and What Gets Harder - Doug Jaeger

In Chapter 1 of 17 in his 2012 interview, entrepreneur Doug Jaeger answers "What is Getting Easier and What is Getting Harder in Your Life?"  He finds learning is getting easier and is pushing himself to learn coding and filmmaking.  Jaeger also notes how getting older affects energy levels and the need for rest.  Doug Jaeger is the co-founder of JaegerSloan, a multimedia design services firm in New York City.  His street front office doubles as the JS55 Gallery. Jaeger is also an adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts (SVA).  He graduated from Syracuse University.

Finding Meaning Connecting the Global Creative Class - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 3 of 21 in his 2011 interview, Phil McKenzie answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?"  McKenzie finds meaning and purpose creating and growing a conference that connects the next frontier of leadership, the creative class.  He sees the artists, the entrepreneurs, the philanthropists, and the technologists as the next wave of change makers and sees a need to bring them together. By connecting them and creating value, McKenzie finds personal reward in return.  McKenzie is the founder of Influencer Conference, an international event series bringing together tastemakers across the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology.  He is also managing partner of influencer marketing agency FREE DMC.  Previously he worked in Domestic Equity Trading at Goldman, Sachs, & Co.  He earned his BA from Howard University and MBA from Duke University. 

Creating a Global Incubator for the Creative Class - Phil McKenzie

In Chapter 7 of 21 in his 2011 interview, Phil McKenzie answers "What Criteria Have You Used When Considering International Expansions?"  McKenzie notes the importance of understanding his core purpose, to facilitate the global development of the creative class.  He then ties that back into the cornerstones of his initiative, keeping a close eye on when to move forward or when to hold back expanding into new cities.  McKenzie is the founder of Influencer Conference, an international event series bringing together tastemakers across the arts, entrepreneurship, philanthropy and technology.  He is also managing partner of influencer marketing agency FREE DMC.  Previously he worked in Domestic Equity Trading at Goldman, Sachs, & Co.  He earned his BA from Howard University and MBA from Duke University. 

Learning Holistic Leadership Working at Salesforce - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 5 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "When Are You at Your Best?"  By working at Salesforce.com, Ferrentino learns to blend the creative side of creating and sharing a vision across a company with working with various teams - sales, marketing, product - to execute upon it.  Through the process, he learns on the job to understand how this integrated approach translates into on-message, seamless customer product experiences.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How Vision Enables Technology Leadership - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 6 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "What Does It Mean to Be a Leader in What You Do?"  Ferrentino believes leadership in software starts with setting a vision and building a corporate culture around it.  He notes how setting the vision in a large organization comes with challenges of scale not seen in startups.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How to Find Purpose in Technology Leadership Career - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 8 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "What Makes Your Work Meaningful?"  Ferrentino enjoys not only doing something that has not been done, but more importantly driving people - teams, partners, consumers - toward that vision.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How to Build a Career by Solving Personal Problems - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 9 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "How Has Solving Your Own Problems Shaped Your Business Career Path?"  Ferrentino notes how his engineering and technology career has been built by solving problems that affect his life and why living these problems helps him build product to address them.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How to Design a Corporate Social Network - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 10 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "So How Has Your Approach to Solving Problems You are Having Led You to Developing Social Tools for the Enterprise?"  Ferrentino, who concepted a corporate social network called Chatter, walks through the process that informed why and how Salesforce Chatter was built.  He compares and contrasts corporate social networks with consumer social networks and what he learned about applying Web 2.0 and social tools in an enterprise environment.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How Experience Shapes Product Design Excellence - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 11 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "What Have Your Experiences Taught You About What Makes a Product Great?"  In addition to solving a problem, Ferrentino underscores the importance of consistently delivering great experiences via product design.  As a result, he notes the importance of having one person responsible for managing that experience choreography.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

Learning the Science of Sales at Salesforce - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 12 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "How Did Working at Salesforce Teach You to Be a Better Salesperson?"  Over an immersive 18-month rotational training program, Ferrentino learns sales the a culture built on founder and CEO Marc Benioff's mission in cloud computing enterprise software.  With a better understanding of enterprise sales strategy and solution selling, Ferrentino is better prepared to excel in his senior leadership role.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How to Recruit Top Technical Talent - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 14 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers "How Have You Learned to Be a More Effective Recruiter of Top Technical Talent?"  Ferrentino notes the scarcity of top technical talent means companies must look outside regular levers, including pay, to differentiate themselves and attract the best employees.  He notes the power of storytelling in better framing the company culture and purpose.  Additionally, he uses story to help people feel they are part of something larger than themselves and part of a cause.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How Cloud Computing Adoption Changes IT Career - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 15 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino "Why Did You Decided to Take on a New Challenge by Leaving Salesforce to Become CTO of Cloud Computing at BMC Software?"  Ferrentino details how he saw cloud computing transform enterprise information technology.  Starting as an evangelist speaking to CIOs, Ferrentino sees opportunity to focus on large scale managed services and joins BMC to make it happen.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How CTO and VP Engineering Job Roles Compare - Marc Ferrentino

In Chapter 16 of 16 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, cloud computing technology executive Marc Ferrentino answers how a VP Engineering role compares and contrasts with a CTO role."  Ferrentino begins by detailing what each role is not.  He notes how early stage company responsibilities may require someone to do both but over time, a VP Engineering becomes more tactical where a Chief Technology Officer becomes more strategic.  Ferrentino is Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of cloud computing at BMC Software.  Previously, he was Chief Technology Architect (CTA) at Salesforce.com.  Previous to Salesforce.com, Ferrentino worked in mobile and Internet startups and at Goldman Sachs.  He earned a BSEE in electrical engineering from the University of Michigan.

How Startups Can Better Prepare for Acquisition or Exit - Ramsey Pryor

In Chapter 7 of 15 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, Ramsey Pryor answers "What Was Most Educational Going Through An Acquisition Process as a Startup Executive?"  Pryor learns to understand how to assess what and what not an acquiring company cares about.  Pryor also shares specifics around what the diligence process taught him about what young startup companies can do to better prepare for an exit.  Pryor is currently a product management executive at IBM focused on cloud-based communication and collaboration software.  Previously he was VP Product Marketing at Outblaze, acquired by IBM.  Pryor earned an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and a BA in Economics and Spanish from Northwestern University. 

How Product Manager Startup and Corporate Jobs Compare - Ramsey Pryor

In Chapter 10 of 15 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, Ramsey Pryor answers "How Does a Startup Product Management Job Differ From a Large Corporate One?"  Pryor notes how startup product managers have a blank slate and significant autonomy, whereas large company product managers must work withing much more complex and numerous role definitions.  Pryor is currently a product management executive at IBM focused on cloud-based communication and collaboration software.  Previously he was VP Product Marketing at Outblaze, acquired by IBM.  Pryor earned an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and a BA in Economics and Spanish from Northwestern University. 

How to Plan a Product Launch - Ramsey Pryor

In Chapter 11 of 15 in his 2011 Capture Your Flag interview, Ramsey Pryor answers "How is Launching a Product at IBM Different Than Doing So at a Startup?"  Pryor shares how magnitude affects several dimensions of a global corporate product launch, including analyst relations, sales training, and customer feedback processes.  Pryor details the systems and structural benefits of the IBM 100-year history launching products.  Pryor is currently a product management executive at IBM focused on cloud-based communication and collaboration software.  Previously he was VP Product Marketing at Outblaze, acquired by IBM.  Pryor earned an MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona, Spain and a BA in Economics and Spanish from Northwestern University.