Social Media Survivor
The Journey of the President and CEO of Involver
by
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When I walked into the offices of Involver as their new CEO in June of 2011 I had no idea what to expect. Rich with confidence but lacking experience both as a first time CEO and in an industry that was dynamically changing every day, the task was daunting but equally exciting. But this was not he only challenge that I had to be overcome. The social industry was just coming into the mainstream of corporate America and companies of all sizes were strategizing how to leverage this emerging technology wave. Although the company had great technology it was in desperate need of additional funding required to capitalize on the market demand for social marketing solutions.
As a seasoned fifty-five year old veteran of the high tech industry I also had to bridge the generation gap between the sixty employees who were young and extremely talented. And every one of them was under the age of thirty and had forgotten more about the social industry that I had learned.
Where would this journey end? Would this young employee base accept me?
Would I make a good team with the talented founders of Involver? Would we be able to secure funding? Will our efforts lead to a potential acquisition? What happens to Involver if these events don’t happen?
This is a story of the ultimate roller coaster ride of Involver that eventually led to its sales in July of 2012 to Oracle. And although I was hired to share my experience with this young workforce, I was the benefactor of the learning’s from the employees of Involver. I learned far more from them that they did from me.
It is a story of perseverance. It is a story of the life of a high tech entrepreneur. It is the story of Involver.
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About the Book
When author Don Beck walked into the offices of Involver, a social media startup, as their new CEO in June of 2011, he had no idea what to expect. He was rich with confidence, but lacked experience as a first-time CEO in a technology industry that was dynamically changing every day. For Beck, the task was daunting, but equally exciting.
In Social Media Survivor, Beck tells the roller coaster ride of running Involver, a tenure that led to its sale in July of 2012 to Oracle. As a seasoned fifty-five-year-old veteran of the high-tech industry, he had to bridge the generation gap between the sixty employees who were young and extremely talented; each one of them was under the age of thirty and had forgotten more about the social marketing industry than Beck had learned.
Beck shares the highs and lows of leading a small, but fast-growing social media marketing company in a competitive industry that changed quickly. Every day brought new challenges—not only within the company, but industry wide. Social Media Survivor tells the story of a high-tech entrepreneur and how his perseverance paid off. It provides keen insight into what it’s like to be the CEO of a hot, fast-growing social media startup.
About the Author
Don Beck joined Involver in June of 2011 as the President and Chief Executive Officer. Involver was a fast growing social media marketing company that eventually sold to Oracle in July 2012. Before Involver, Don held key executive positions in numerous companies including Postini (sold to Google in 2006), Adobe, JD Edwards and IBM. Beck has over thirty years of sales, marketing and senior operational experience in the high tech sector.
Don holds a B.A. in Marketing from Michigan State University and an M.B.A. from Miami University. He is an active mentor with Tech Starts in Boulder, Colorado.
He resides in Castle Pines, Colorado with his wife Susan and have three children; Lindsay, Danny and Ryan.