Ep.400 ~ Running a Profitable Tech Company 36 Out of 37 Years and Going Blind During an IPO ~ Ray Zinn

Ray Zinn ~ Longest Running CEO from Silicon Valley ~ Current Series ~ 100 Interviews with 100 Major Influencers Building a successful business requires focus on one important thing….profit!  Today’s guest is a master at focusing on profit. Ray Zinn is the longest running CEO from Silicon Valley, running a company for thirty-seven years and thirty-six of those years his company Micrel was profitable.   This isn’t the only astounding fact about Ray.  In 1994, Ray went legally blind during Micrel’s IPO on the stock market. He was torn on what to do, but ultimately decided to continue to run the company for another eighteen years. Throughout the show, we get to hear Ray’s story about building and running a company in Silicon Valley for almost four decades. We talk to Ray about his challenges being an influencer, how he prioritizes time, and what he is up to today with his newest project ZinnStarter. 02:30: Being a Polyglot? 06:10: Who is Ray Zinn? 15:30: Running a Profitable Business 36 Out of 37 Years 18:20: The Changes of Silicon Valley and Having a Significant Part of the Technological Revolution 26:30: Ray on Prioritizing Time 29:55: Going Legally Blind During an IPO 38:30: Thoughts on Being the Best in All Areas of Life 39:35: Ray on Influence   Contact Info: http://toughthingsfirst.com/