David Bradford: The Master Connector, Wozniak, Jobs, Gates, Eric Schmidt, Sergey, Novell, Microsoft

In this episode of the Startup Ignition Podcast, we are honored to host David Bradford, a true OG of Utah tech. David takes us on a journey through his iconic career, from his early days as a Hollywood lawyer to becoming the General Counsel at Novell during its legendary battles with Microsoft. He shares the inside stories of taking Fusion-io public with a $1.2 billion valuation, recruiting Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and scaling HireVue from $1 million to over $30 million in revenue. David reveals his timeless principles of networking, the four pillars every great company needs, and his number one piece of advice for every entrepreneur: be a doer.(00:00:00) How Google's Eric Schmidt was introduced to Sergey Brin(00:02:16) Introducing David Bradford: The OG of OGs in Utah Tech(00:06:30) Utah Tech Era Trivia: Novell, WordPerfect, Iomega & more(00:15:00) The story of 1-800 Contacts' early days(00:21:42) David's journey from a small town in Montana to Hollywood lawyer(00:27:07) The legendary Microsoft vs. Novell battles(00:31:33) How one contract with Dell changed tech history(00:34:40) The Fusion-io story: From advisory board to CEO(00:38:14) How David recruited Steve Wozniak to Fusion-io's board(00:42:14) David's secret to building an incredible network: Be curious(00:48:39) The HireVue journey: From a leaky roof to a half-billion-dollar valuation(00:51:57) The 4 Pillars of a great company: People, Capital, Timing, and Innovation(00:57:53) Bringing on Larry King to the HireVue advisory board(01:01:38) What David is working on today with Fluent Worlds(01:02:45) David's #1 piece of advice: Be a dreamer that does(01:04:31) How a Steve Young signed football sealed a crucial executive hireLearn more about us:https://startupignition.com/linksApply to be a guest on the pod:https://startup-ignition-podcast.paperform.co/Follow John & Tyler:https://x.com/trich_https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnrichards/Subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@StartupIgnitionFollow on X:https://x.com/startupignitionFollow on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/startupignition/Follow on TikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@startupignitionFollow on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/school/6458758/admin/dashboard/Follow on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/startupignition/#UtahTech#DavidBradford#SiliconSlopes#Novell#FusionIO#HireVue#Microsoft#SteveWozniak#Entrepreneurship#StartupStory#TechHistory#Networking#VentureCapital#BusinessAdvice#Leadership#StartupIgnition#BillGates#EricSchmidt#Google#Apple