From Dyslexia to SugarCRM: John Roberts (Part 2)

SM: During that timeframe, what did you think were the bright flashing lights of OpenSource? JR: It was all about hope and belief. That is why in the fall of 2003 I decided to go for it. I asked my wife for six months to chase this idea.

From Dyslexia to SugarCRM: John Roberts (Part 1)

John Roberts is CEO and co-founder of SugarCRM. He established SugarCRM’s commercial open source business model. Today the Sugar community is one of the largest open source communities on the Web.

Legendary Entrepreneur and Author Judy Estrin (Part 7)

SM: Really strong people do not tolerate that kind of dynamic. JE: The way to lead innovation is to bring out the leadership in each individual.

Legendary Entrepreneur and Author Judy Estrin (Part 6)

SM: What knowledge and experience did you gain from your time at Packet Design? JE: For the first time I realized how hard it is to hire CEOs. One of the problems with an incubator is that if you try to turn the idea over to someone else and it was not their idea, they

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Legendary Entrepreneur and Author Judy Estrin (Part 4)

SM: You merged with 3Com, which has a completely different dynamic and culture. JE: The biggest mistake is that we merged with the notion there was going to be an office of the president. Bill Carrico and Bill Krause were sharing the key roles. Bill Carrico was chairman and president and Bill Krause was CEO, or

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Legendary Entrepreneur and Author Judy Estrin (Part 3)

SM: Tell me some about how VCs received your concept when you were starting Bridge. JE: Bridge started in 1981 and we spent six months trying to raise money. We raised $1.8 million, and I remember one VC asking why we needed $1.8 million for a modem. I looked at Bill and said, “He doesn’t get it”. We

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Legendary Entrepreneur and Author Judy Estrin (Part 2)

SM: I have never even thought of myself as a woman. I have thought of myself first as an entrepreneur and a professional. JE: I thought of myself as a technologist first. When I became a leader and manager I thought of myself as a business person first and a woman second. Now when I

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Legendary Entrepreneur and Author Judy Estrin (Part 1)

Estrin has been named three times to Fortune Magazine’s list of the 50 most powerful women in American business. She sits on the boards of directors of The Walt Disney Company and FedEx Corporation as well as two private company boards – Packet Design, Inc. and Arch Rock. For more background review her bio. SM:

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