Building a Better Mousetrap: CEOs of Smartsheet, Chainalysis, Future Shape +More
Mark Mader of Smartsheet, Tony Fadell of Future Shape, Michael Gronager of Chainalysis
The stock market action is sobering these days, with prices tumbling from lofty heights; so is the mainstream economy, as soaring inflation stifles consumer buying power. How do the best companies push through these times? By building something better and essential.
As we look ahead to what's sure to be another challenging week, here are some insights from leaders who believe they're building something better. Smartsheet has a $5.6 billion market cap in productivity software for enterprises. Chainalysis is working to make blockchain technology reliable and legally compliant. And Tony Fadell, the product innovator who led work on the iPod, iPhone, Nest thermostat and more, talked to me about his book on ... what else? Building better things. I also spoke with Google Cloud Chief Technology Officer Will Grannis about how he believes his company can gain on other tech giants in the cloud.
Read on:
Will Unions Sap Tech's Growth? On the Other Hand
Employees at an Apple retail store in Maryland this week filed a request to hold a union election, after a store in Atlanta last month became the first to file. It comes as Amazon warehouse workers have organized several union votes, with mixed results. Will this union push sap tech's growth? I argued both sides in the latest On the Other Hand, on CNBC's Squawk Box:
Smartsheet CEO Mark Mader: Need for Productivity Driving Growth
How did Smartsheet manage to grow a business in a space Microsoft dominates, and how can it thrive in a consolidating enterprise software environment? I spoke with CEO Mark Mader about what he thinks sets the company apart, and how he'll focus the strategy in difficult times:
BUILD: From General Magic to the iPod and Nest, Tony Fadell Shares Lessons on Making Things Well
I probably met Tony Fadell about 20 years ago, when the iPod first came out. That's when I first became aware of him, anyway — he was an engineer Apple CEO Steve Jobs had brought in to solve what turned out to be some of the most consequential product challenges of the mobile technology era: How do you build connected computers that work intuitively, without huge screens and clunky keyboards? Fadell's personal journey prepared him to tackle that, and he has written a book full of lessons. It's called Build: An Unorthodox Guide to Making Things Worth Making.
Making Blockchain Reliable for Business and Safe for Government: Chainalysis CEO Michael Gronager
I'm wary of what's happening in the cryptocurrency market because I can't get a straight answer on what causes various currencies to go up and down. But I recognize the value of blockchain technology and what it can do for digital transactions. I spoke with Chainalysis CEO Michael Gronager about where he sees value in blockchain, and what he's building to support it:
Google Cloud CTO Will Grannis in a Deep Dive on Cloud Competition
The Fortt Knox Deep Dive is a format I use to talk to expert executives about their focus area. I recently spoke with Google Cloud CTO Will Grannis about competition among the hyperscalers. CNBC's Frank Holland joined us for the conversation:
Check out The Black Experience in America: The Course, an online educational resource I researched, designed and built. A free PDF download is available to bring the material to kids, and the online interactive experience is made for young people and adults. You can also take interactive courses at your own pace:
