Young and Profiting with Hala Taha (Entrepreneurship, Sales, Marketing)

Mike Seckler: How to Build a Business That Thrives When Others Fail | Entrepreneurship | E384

Feb 2, 2026
Guest
Mike Seckler
Mike Seckler, seasoned tech entrepreneur and CEO of Justworks, who scaled startups through market crashes. He recounts surviving the dot‑com collapse, building intellectual stamina to pivot quickly, and making customer obsession a leadership habit. He also covers building effective boards, preserving culture and values, and managing risk and growth with humility and speed.
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INSIGHT

The Edge Of The Balloon Is Customer Truth

  • As companies scale, senior leaders move away from the 'edge' where truth lives with customers.
  • Mike makes leaders talk to customers directly so decision-makers retain market context and conviction.
ADVICE

Pair Data With Customer Anecdotes

  • Stay deliberate: use advisory councils, research, events, and weekly customer escalations to collect qualitative and quantitative feedback.
  • Combine data with anecdotes to build conviction and guide product and strategy decisions.
INSIGHT

Ego Cracking Improves Leadership

  • Ego is the biggest enemy of customer connection; humility after failure turns leaders into better builders.
  • Mike says cracked ego led to deeper connection, better leadership, and willingness to do hands-on customer work.
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