Great from the Start

CareerCast - Life-long Career Development

John Montgomery Why do so few new ventures succeed when there are talent, resources, and great ideas? According to John Montgomery, Silicon Valley corporate attorney, entrepreneur, and coach to high-potential entrepreneurial teams, the gap is clear. In this CareerCast, John shares strategies from his book, Great from the Start, and his nearly three-decade career on how to translate business concepts into vibrant and successful companies.

Aired September 21, 2012

John Montgomery is a corporate attorney, entrepreneur, executive coach, and writer. He is the founder of Montgomery & Hansen, LLP, a Silicon Valley–based corporate law firm. He is also the founder of Startworks, a technology incubator. He works primarily with high-potential entrepreneurial teams to help them translate their visions into successful companies.

John recently received a California Lawyer of the Year award from California Lawyer magazine for his work as a cochair of the legal working group behind California’s new benefit corporation law. A frequent speaker on venture capital, he has produced professional education programs for SmartPros/Cognistar: Understanding the Venture Capital Term Sheet Process and Introduction to Venture Capital Financing Agreements.

Prior to founding Montgomery & Hansen in 2003, John was cochairman of the venture capital practice at Brobeck, Phleger & Harrison, LLP. John is a student of non-dual philosophical systems, neuroscience, developmental theory, and organizational development. In 2010, he cofounded Chrysallis, a human development company that aims to change the human development paradigm and support healthy, full, productive lives for billions of people.

Great from the Start: How Conscious Corporations Attract Success by John B. Montgomery (2012)

Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All by Jim Collins and Morten T. Hansen (2011)

The Lean Startup: How Today's Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries (2011)

How the Mighty Fall: And Why Some Companies Never Give In by Jim Collins (2009)

Firms of Endearment: How World-Class Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose by Rajendra S. Sisodia, David B. Wolfe, and Jaqdish N. Sheth (2007)

Purpose: The Starting Point of Great Companies by Nikos Mourkogiannis and Roger Fisher (2006)

Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras (2002)

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap ... and Others Don’t by Jim Collins (2001)

John Montgomery Great from the State

Read an excerpt of Great from the Start by John Montgomery. 

Read the Excerpt