What It Was Like to Be In the Room When All the Big Tech Decisions Were Made

What is it like to be “in the room where it happened” for some of the biggest moments in tech history like the launch of iTunes or a bid to buy Apple? I always wondered if all the participants knew it was a pivotal moment or they only realized it later.

On The Small Business Radio Show this week, I talked with Bill Raduchel who for more than half a century was at the forefront of the technology revolution. He encountered them all as a pioneering executive for McGraw-Hill, Xerox, Sun Microsystems, and AOL—where he was behind the scenes for the landmark merger with Time Warner. He not only had a front-row seat but was a key player in the birth of the digital age. He has been there with Scott McNealy to Steve Jobs to Steve Case to Steve Ballmer and Other Titans of Technology and Media.

He describes these experiences in his new book, “The Bleeding Edge: My Six Decades at the Forefront of the Tech Revolution (From Scott McNealy to Steve Jobs to Steve Case to Steve Ballmer to Steve Ballmer and More Titans of Technology).”

Here are the questions I asked during our interview:

1. Tells us those stories about being in the room where it happened. Did you think it was a big moment or just another business meeting?
2. What tips do you have for businesses from over half a century on the forefront of the tech revolution?
3. Your marketing materials call your new book a “mini MBA”. Do you agree with that? And why?
4. What was it like behind closed doors at some of technology’s most iconic brands—any stories you’d like the share?
5. You’ve also been called the “Zelig” of the tech world by Steve Case—how important do you think your relationships were in orchestrating your success in the business world?

Listen to the full interview on The Small Business Radio Show.

Image: Envato Elements

This article, "What It Was Like to Be In the Room When All the Big Tech Decisions Were Made" was first published on Small Business Trends