Building ZoomInfo

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(00:03:19) - (First question) - The story of Henry’s famous email about building a championship team

(00:05:39) - How the email aligned with the IPO of ZoomInfo

(00:07:01) - Dealing with pressure in business

(00:09:14) - Applying pressure from the top down as a CEO

(00:10:28) - How ZoomInfo’s C-suite was constructed and how it operates

(00:13:17) - A high level picture of their product philosophy

(00:15:35) - The interplay between unique data and workflow

(00:19:29) - Rating the effectiveness of the average B2B go-to-market engine

(00:21:25) - An anecdote about meeting with the head of commercial banking at one of world’s largest banks

(00:22:03) - The framing for most tech companies’ B2B go-to-market strategies

(00:23:06) - What separates the good from the great B2B go-to-market strategies

(00:24:55) - Characteristics of great salespeople in the all stages of a company’s lifespan

(00:27:30) - Specific questions for screening potential salespeople; characteristics to look for

(00:28:59) - His breakdown of how he used both study and practice to get to where he is

(00:31:39) - The story of bootstrapping his startup

(00:36:05) - His view on the process of pricing

(00:37:19) - The generation of and control of power

(00:40:54) - The importance of M&A in building the business

(00:44:30) - What drove ZoomInfo’s efficiency advantage over competitors

(00:47:01) - The story of how ZoomInfo was acquired

(00:48:37) - How their acquisition was funded

(00:50:06) - The ever-shifting goal posts of mergers and acquisitions

(00:53:15) - Anecdotes of hustling in the early days

(00:59:34) - Another story from the early days of selling

(00:59:42) - His pitch to Clearslide

(01:03:40) - Using information to influence a potential lead into a sale

(01:04:57) - How companies can prepare for the advent of generative AI

(01:09:02) - The anatomy of a great sales motion today

(01:12:10) - The stages of what it means to be a CEO

(01:13:15) - Learning how to execute M&A

(01:16:43) - What it means for a company to work in unison at scale

(01:18:26) - His advice on M&A, company core values, and corporate communication

(01:19:48) - The next chapter for Zoom Info

(01:21:46) - Advice for a fledgling DJ trying to build a career

(01:22:26) - Henry’s advice for Patrick in landing some big names for his podcast

(01:26:57) - Tips for going public with a company

(01:28:33) - Lessons learned from leading a public company

(01:32:24) - His read on the level of control he has over his company

(01:34:47) - The kindest thing anyone has ever done for him