Arete Coach 1141 Philippe Bouissou "From Startups to Apple: A Journey of Innovation and Customer Delight"

This is Arete Coach Podcast Episode 1141, with host Severin Sorensen bringing you an exciting episode with Dr. Philippe Bouissou. Philippe, is a man whose multifaceted journey through Silicon Valley is filled with invaluable insights. From being a best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and growth expert to an entrepreneur, CEO, venture capitalist, and board member, Philippe has donned many hats. His book "Aligning the Dots" presents a revolutionary approach to optimizing resource allocation for sustainable, profitable growth. As a managing partner and co-founder of Blue Dots Partners LLC, he focuses on accelerating top-line growth. In his years as a venture capitalist, Philippe evaluated over 2300 startups and witnessed firsthand the common pitfalls that led to their demise. A key realization he shares is the critical importance of focus and self-awareness for a startup's survival and success. This episode dives deep into Philippe's entrepreneurial journey, the eye-opening lessons he gleaned from Steve Jobs at Apple, and the profound understanding that, ultimately, every business is in the business of 'manufacturing and delivering delight' to its customers. We'll also discuss the lessons learned from failures, the humbling experience of studying physics, the crucial role of alignment within teams, the significance of having CEO experience before serving as a board member, and much more. Philippe's career began as the founder and CEO of G2I Incorporated, a UNIX software company later acquired by Matra. He then joined Apple as the director of the Worldwide Internet Commerce Group, where he founded and managed the online Apple Store, catapulting its revenue from zero to 350 million. Post-Apple, Philippe transitioned into venture capitalism and co-managed the Milestone Group, a management consulting firm serving over 220 clients. Throughout his career, he has led 120 management consulting projects with giants like Cisco, Microsoft, SAP, and VeriSign, and served on the board of directors of 20 companies, including the Association for Corporate Growth (ACG). Armed with degrees from Ecole Normale Supérieure in mathematics, a master's in physics, and a Ph.D. in nonlinear physics and chaos theory, Philippe brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Join us for a stimulating 60-minute cognitive stroll with two new friends, as we traverse through a multitude of topics, each more enlightening than the last. The Arete Coach Podcast aims to uncover the art and science of executive coaching. Learn more about the podcast at aretecoach.io. This Podcast interview was recorded on June 22, 2023. Copyright © 2023 by Arete Coach™ LLC. All rights reserved.