Eucalyptus Systems, MySQL AB
Marten Mickos builds global disruptive businesses. As CEO of MySQL AB for seven years, Mickos grew that company from a garage start-up to the second largest open source company in the world. After the acquisition by Sun Microsystems of MySQL AB for $1bn, he served as Senior Vice President of Sun's Database Group.
Previously, Mickos held multi-national CEO and senior executive positions in his native Finland. He is a member of the board of Electrosonic. Mickos holds a M.Sc. in technical physics from Helsinki University of Technology. In 2006 he received the Audemars Piguet "Changing Times Award: European Entrepreneur of the Year 2006" and the Nokia Foundation Award.
Related Links: http://www.eucalyptus.com/ http://www.twitter.com/martenmickos/
Last Updated: Thu, Nov 3, 2011
| Category | Title | Author/Speaker | Organization | Length | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Podcast | Believe In Something Bigger Than Yourself | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 59:11 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Believe in Something Bigger Than Yourself [Entire Talk] | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 57:57 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Entrepreneurialism is a Belief System | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 02:54 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Advice and Adversity | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 03:53 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Take Bold Action | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 04:02 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Fallouts With Founders | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 02:36 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Company Culture Can Drive Business | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 04:52 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Benefits of a Distributed Organization | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 04:40 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Commercialization of Open Source | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 03:28 | 11/2011 |
| Video | The Special Value of Individuals | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 01:31 | 11/2011 |
| Video | Inexperience as an Asset | Marten Mickos | Eucalyptus | 00:52 | 11/2011 |
In this lecture, Mårten Mickos shares the benefits and challenges involved in building businesses in the open source and cloud computing spaces. As the CEO of Eucalyptus Systems, Mickos identifies a vision for the future of his industry and shares entrepreneurial lessons gained from leading MySQL AB from its startup origins to becoming one of the largest open source companies in the world.
In this lecture, Mårten Mickos shares the benefits and challenges involved in building businesses in the open source and cloud computing spaces. As the CEO of Eucalyptus Systems, Mickos identifies a vision for the future of his industry and shares entrepreneurial lessons gained from leading MySQL AB from its startup origins to becoming one of the largest open source companies in the world.
"You have to believe in something bigger than the business you are trying to address," says Eucalyptus CEO Mårten Mickos. In this clip, Mickos explains why the foundation of an entrepreneurial mindset is a belief system that not only requires a belief in big ideas, but includes believing in oneself and working with others that believe in you.
"You must decide how you receive advice," says Mårten Mickos, CEO of Eucalyptus Systems. Mickos believes this simple, but important, concept is critical for young entrepreneurs who will be bombarded by input and challenges from all sides. Using a story from his experience at MySQL AB, Mickos illuminates the need to re-evaluate your position based on new information and adversities.
"If you're a disruptor, you must play a bold and fun game with the big guys," says Eucalyptus CEO Mårten Mickos. During his previous tenure as CEO of MySQL AB, the management team encouraged Mickos to take bold action when a large competitor outmaneuvered the company for a critical acquisition. Mickos tells the story of how MySQL AB turned this challenge into a successful marketing opportunity.
While serving as CEO of MySQL AB, Mårten Mickos had a falling out with a founder of the company. These types of situations are common in startups, says Mickos, especially between original founders and new management teams. Mickos explains why he made some tough choices out of dedication to the employees he had brought on board.
Eucalyptus Systems CEO Mårten Mickos is a devotee of management guru Peter Drucker. Mickos elaborates on Drucker's position that "company culture eats strategy for breakfast," by offering amusing examples of culture building from his time at MySQL AB.
As CEO of MySQL AB, Mårten Mickos saw advantages of utilizing a distributed organization model where seventy percent of the company's employees worked from home. According to Mickos, this cultural design actually put the focus on results and productivity, while still allowing colleagues to share their lives with one another.
Rather than having to choose between being an open source organization or a commercial software company, you can create a successful open source business, says Eucalyptus Systems CEO Mårten Mickos. Mickos also offers a telling insight on how to deal with detractors.
When it comes to management, Eucalyptus Systems CEO Mårten Mickos respects the value of individual human beings. His perspective grew out of earlier career experiences where employees were treated like machines, rather than people. "Can't we treat the human beings like human beings, and treat the machines like machines," says Mickos.
Eucalyptus Systems CEO Mårten Mickos loves the expression, "He was a great executive. All he lacked was inexperience." Mickos explains how inexperience can be a tremendous asset to an entrepreneur, and he shares his personal story of transformation from open source neophyte to being perceived as a "godfather" of open source business models.