The Montana Mogul: RightNow CEO Greg Gianforte (Part 7)

SM: In your opinion, what are some of the typical problems entrepreneurs have? GG: I think the biggest problem is they think they have to a perfect product before they can go to market. The reality is that learning does not start until you have some value proposition. When you go through the process of

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The Montana Mogul: RightNow CEO Greg Gianforte (Part 6)

SM: Have you taken any venture capital funding with RightNow, or has it been solely bootstrapped? GG: We raised about $27 million in 1999 and 2000. The first key is that our partners were really good. We also were a good size, we had about 160 people on board. We had a $6-million-a-year business and they

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The Montana Mogul: RightNow CEO Greg Gianforte (Part 5)

SM: Is there any particular market segment that you have targeted, or do you simply focus on companies by size? GG: We have about 1,800 clients who tend to be larger organizations. Over 60% of our business is with corporations that have over $1 billion in revenue. Some of our larger verticals are telecommunications, which accounts

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The Montana Mogul: RightNow CEO Greg Gianforte (Part 4)

SM: How did you conduct sales at RightNow? GG: Primarily through telesales, which was combined with Internet-based demonstrations and trial periods of the product.

Vision India 2020: Doctor At Hand

Many readers write to me with ideas for Vision 2020 ventures. One, Dr. Vaman Shanbhag, a neurologist in Mumbai, sent me a great idea for a healthcare venture which inspired Doctor At Hand.

The Montana Mogul: RightNow CEO Greg Gianforte (Part 3)

SM: What came after Brightwork /McAfee? GG: I ‘retired’ to Bozeman, Montana in 1995. I used to vacation in Montana when I was a kid. I did some backpacking trips there. I decided to retire there because I thought it would be a good place to raise my family.

The Montana Mogul: RightNow CEO Greg Gianforte (Part 2)

SM: What were your revenues at Brightwork? GG: Ultimately it grew to $10 million a year in revenues. SM: What are some nuggets of knowledge you took away from Brightwork? GG: Brightwork was my first entrepreneurial endeavor and I had a steep learning curve.

The Montana Mogul: RightNow CEO Greg Gianforte (Part 1)

Greg is a serial entrepreneur and author of Bootstrapping Your Business. He was awarded the 2003 Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year. His current company, RightNow, was founded in 1998, had an IPO in 2004, and has passed $100 million in revenue. SM: To start, let’s talk about your background. GG: I am an

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