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John Roos

Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

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ETL Entrepreneurial Thought Leaders Podcast

John Roos, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Life Inside a Law Firm

John Roos, CEO of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich and Rosati, has represented many major Silicon Valley companies during mergers and acquisitions, initial public offerings, strategic alliances, and joint ventures. In this lecture, he describes many of the lessons he's learned since joining the firm in 1988, including building a brand, taking risks, and the importance of integrity.

Podcast 55 minutes

John Roos, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Focus on Building a Brand

Roos says that no matter what kind of industry you get into or the company you start, you should focus on building a brand because that is likely to pay off big time.

Video 2 minutes

John Roos, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

The Three Circle Strategy

Roos shares the Three Circle Strategy used at Wilson Sonsini. He says it is important for all great companies to start out and keep to fairly straightforward strategies yet remain flexible with the moving times.

Video 7 minutes

John Roos, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Silicon Valley: Changing with the times

Roos talks about how the industry in Silicon Valley keeps changing. From the 1970s, the era of the brick and mortar technology industry, the Valley has seen a boom in semiconductor companies and computer companies, followed by the era of information technology and the Internet in the 90s. In this transition, the Valley has become global, he adds.

Video 5 minutes

John Roos, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Simple Mission Statement

John Roos, chief executive officer of Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, recommends having a simple mission statement when thinking about a business. You have to know what you are good at, where your core strengths lie, have a game plan and then stick with it, he says.

Video 2 minutes

John Roos, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Career Advice: Five Takeaways

Roos gives five takeaways in his talk: 1) Take risks; 2) Don't be afraid to take a step back in your career if it will help you move forward in the long run; 3) Surround yourself with good people and give them credit; 4) Little things really matter; and 5) Integrity matters more than anything else.

Video 4 minutes

John Roos, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Silicon Valley: An Ecosystem

Roos talks about how Silicon Valley is an ecosystem where everyone knows each other and everyone feeds off of each other. It is important when you are starting a company that you want to tap into that ecosystem, he says.

Video 4 minutes

John Roos, Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati

Strengths of Silicon Valley

Roos strongly believes that the strength of Silicon Valley lies in the fact that it is built on merit and diversity. Additionally, the Valley is unique in that failure is not considered a stigma, he says.

Video 6 minutes

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