A wealth of knowledge

Sarasota executive Rob Campbell considers himself “Forrest Gump” kind of lucky — for good reasons.

Campbell is the rare person who has worked for both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, back before Apple and Microsoft were iconic global brands. Campbell, who spoke recently at a breakfast meeting sponsored by GrowFL and the Economic Development Corp. of Sarasota County, went on to launch a company that created two landmark products, FileMaker and PowerPoint. He has since held executive posts at two of the fastest-growing firms in the Sarasota-Bradenton region: Voalte, which uses smartphone apps to help nurses communicate, and IT consulting firm Datum Corp.

Campbell, who lives in Sarasota, spoke at the GrowFl meeting to help promote the organization's CEO roundtables. GrowFL is a statewide economic development program with a focus on second-stage companies.

Campbell talked about the first time he met Jobs. It was in 1979 in a Cupertino, Calif. coffee shop, says Campbell, the type of place that caters to hippies. Jobs, recalls Campbell, had hair down past his shoulders, was rather unkempt and barefoot. But Campbell believed Jobs had an uncanny vision for the future of computing, an industry Campbell wanted to get into. “Steve was a brilliant entrepreneur,” says Campbell. “He could see things none of us could see at the time.”
Campbell also offered some advice for entrepreneurs and business owners. Among the nuggets:

Starting vs. scaling: The difference between a startup and a second-phase growth business is big and can sometimes surprise an entrepreneur, especially one used to doing things on
his or her own. One key is to have repeatable, consistent, easy-to-understand procedures in place. “It takes more people than you think it does to get things done,” says Campbell when you start to grow. “It takes process.”

Failing is an option: Create an environment where taking chances is OK. “If you make it unhealthy to make mistakes in your company, Campbell says, “then people will quit trying to move the boat faster.”

Always concentrate: Campbell likens second-stage growth companies to teenagers, in that the business is no longer a startup/baby but also isn't yet an adult. Campbell says that's prime time for a CEO to get distracted on going in directions that deviate from the company's mission. Just like a lost teen. Says Campbell: “Don't overspend and go to the shiny objects.”