Collaborating with Entrepreneurs and Elvis
Interviewed by Olivia Wolak

Interview with Geoff Sharp, Interim CEO, COO, CIO		 Date Interview: 05/03/2010
Date of Credentialing: 06/23/2010
Credential expiration: 07/01/2011
 

Tell me about growing Dialog to a $200 million-a-year business. 

When I came in, it was a very small project. There were only four or five of us. The notion was to develop interactive online information retrieval with remote access to large online databases of information covering a variety of subject areas, including business, science, technology and education. 

What was your role within the company? 

I did a little bit of everything from developing the software, to operating the system, to overseeing content. I created and built the business information product line. I would approach major business information publishers, evaluate their content and then negotiate licenses. I also had hands-on development of the database itself, which proved to be invaluable experience as I rose in the ranks of management because it helped me understand the fundamentals of the business.

I don’t necessarily look for people with a specific set of requirements, but they have to have the ability to learn on the job.

You were part of the senior management team when Knight-Ridder acquired the company for $353 million. What did you do after the acquisition? 

I was promoted to head up development for all content product lines, including business, science, technology, and so forth. I also served as vice president of marketing for a year, helped reorganize and reposition the marketing department, and then worked in business development, where I made a number of strategic acquisitions. I really learned all aspects of the business. 

Tell me a little more about your background. 

I was a math major in college and started out as a software engineer. I was actually between jobs and playing with the Woody Herman band when I met Roger Summit, the founder of Dialog. He invited me to join the group.

So you are also a musician?

I play the trombone. I’ve been in music since I was a kid and worked my way through college playing in bands. If you are a well-established musician, you have tremendous networks, so I met a lot of business colleagues through my music. When Elvis did a West Coast tour, they recruited an orchestra out of San Francisco and I was selected.

You played with Elvis Presley!

Yes, but the real highlight of my music career was playing with the Woody Herman Orchestra, “The Thundering Herd.” Woody Herman was one of the most successful swing and jazz band leaders and a good role model for how to manage talented people.

I have an entrepreneurial spirit. I’ve been through failures as well as successes so I know how to detect when the business is not focused right.

That is amazing. Okay, back to business. What happened after Dialog?

When I retired from Dialog in the ‘90s, I wanted to start an Internet company. I got in early on several start-ups—a couple that fizzled and one that succeeded, which we sold to Alta Vista. All of these were bootstrapped or funded by angel investors. I was involved with each of these companies for a year or two, so I really played an interim role.

Collaborating with Entrepreneurs and Elvis -- Geoff Sharp, Interim CEO, COO, CIO

Geoff Sharp has grown and led Internet businesses ranging from start-ups to large multi-national companies. He specializes in Internet services, content, and search, as well as social media and SaaS.

What company did you sell to Alta Vista?

Transium was an Internet search company. I leveraged my connections with the publishing world to negotiate licensing deals to put content on our information service and also to get service contracts with Microsoft, Consumer Reports, and others such as Office.com. After a couple years with growing revenues we sold the business.

What’s the key to making a start-up successful? 

To be competitive, you have to find the right market niche. And that plays into how you approach VC. It’s hard to make contact with VCs and when you finally do, you only have a few minutes to present your case, so you have to be able to tell a good story. Then it’s just executing to develop your product and get it out the door quickly.

A lot of founders of businesses don’t pay enough attention to the market. They are in love with their technology or brilliant idea. As a small company they often try to do too much – be all things to all people.

You have to execute.

I’ve been with companies that went through “analysis paralysis.” They never got their product done because they were always tinkering and trying to perfect it. I also think that business plans are only an initial roadmap, not gospel. They need to be modified quickly if needed in response to market feedback.

You’ve helped companies grow from scratch in quite a few cases. At Dialog, for example, you went from start-up to 700 employees. How do you find the right employees?  

I don’t necessarily look for people with a specific skill set, but they have to have the ability to learn on the job.  You should try to hire the best people—people with not only good academic backgrounds, requisite experiences, and a record of accomplishments, but who also have great attitudes. You want people who can collaborate with others—not prima donnas.  You want to keep the sour grapes out of the barrel.

And if you get a bad apple?

I ran into some problems when I inherited a team that had been hired by other managers. I found that I had to use more of a situational management style, which, in this case, meant that I needed to be more hands-on and authoritative. I’ve learned that it is important to gradually restructure and rebuild a team and, in the meantime, take a more controlling role.

What makes you good at working with entrepreneurs?

I have an entrepreneurial spirit. I’ve been through failures as well as successes so I know how to detect when a business does not have the right focus.

For startups “practical” is key – theory doesn’t help.

I also have a very collaborative management style. When I work with teams, I act more as a coach and inspirational leader, rather than a micromanager. I have always had a very open style of leadership which is now the trend as companies evolve to a more open, collaborative structure.

I think of profit is a constraint which enables you to stay in business. You need to understand where your current business model is on the growth curve and whether you need to have an exit strategy or move to Plan B to maintain growth.

Having wins and losses with early stage companies - how has your experience with the companies that went bust shaped your leadership style?

I think failure is one of the best kinds of experiences. Most people go through some failures, so it just depends how you react to them. I’ve learned that you have to be very careful how you work with a team of people or an organization. You have to understand their capabilities and limitations, and then adapt your management style accordingly. If an organization is dysfunctional, you have to be prepared to make changes so as not to waste any time.

What’s one of the biggest mistakes that business owners make?

A lot of owners don’t pay enough attention to the market. They are in love with their technology or brilliant idea. It’s important to keep them focused on positioning their company.

Do small businesses experience the same problems?

Small companies often try to do too much—be all things to all people. They have too many market segments and not enough focus. They haven’t simplified their brand image.

Give me an example.

We had an Internet start-up where we had great technology but failed to nail down the market niche. Despite that the company got VC funding, but the company was too slow in getting the right product to the right market at the right time. I learned the importance of focusing on the real market need right away. I think that’s one of the areas where I bring value because I’ve experienced the problems firsthand.

What types of insights has that given you?

I can see where companies need to focus and it’s not a case where I walk in and tell them what to do, but rather I ask the right questions--about their customers, market segment, and capabilities—and get them to focus.

How do you define a successful company?

All aspects of success come from satisfying the customer’s needs, both internal and external. You have to provide a measurable value, such as improving a customer’s productivity by 20 percent through use of a Social CRM service. You also need to meet internal needs by providing a fair work environment, motivating employees, and maintaining good relations with partners. I think of profit as a constraint that enables you to stay in business. You need to understand where your current business model is on the growth curve and whether you need to have an exit strategy or move to Plan B to maintain growth.

 

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