16 CEO’s That Small Technology Business Owners Must Follow in 2016
, By With so many different facets of the technology industry breaking new ground, start-ups can easily skyrocket to billionaire status overnight. For those of you looking to take your idea to the next level, it makes sense to follow the Twitter feeds of those who have made headway—they have a lot to say about what is trending. It’s not enough just to focus on your particular niche, you have to look at the whole picture, from marketing gurus to big time gamers, technology CEO’s can teach you a lot about making your venture successful.
1. Blake Irving, GoDaddy
“My passion in life is in building killer tools and experiences for individuals and business at a global scale, and in the process, helping people find greater success and deeper meaning in their own lives.”
Great article @Jonwestenberg “5 Reasons Why You Should Build A #SmallBiz– Not A Start-up” https://t.co/mNnTtoPSDZ
— Blake Irving (@Blakei) December 29, 2015
Blake Irving’s Twitter feed tops the list hands down! His daily Lunchtime Read eliminates my need to comb the web for quality blogs to stay cognizant on what’s trending in the tech scene. It saves me time, and I learn from him. Aside from Irving’s tweets drastically improving efficiency in my life, his vision of simplifying the small business digital experience makes what he has to say valuable. If you are looking for valuable resources to help your business, follow @Blakei.
2. Gail Goodman, Constant Contact
“The key to changing those internal metrics is by starting with the view from your customer looking at your business and your experience, not, by looking at your metrics and trying to change your customer behavior. We’ll see if it makes sense as I go.”
New Year’s Resolutions that Will Impact Your #SmallBusiness in 2016 https://t.co/fgC0numWez via @JulieMurphyPR @ConstantContact — Gail Goodman (@Gail_Goodman) January 4, 2016
Any small business owner looking to boost sales and marketing needs to pay attention to what Gail Goodman has to Tweet—she is, after all, the small business-marketing guru. Goodman has been revolutionizing small business marketing for years, and her retweets of informative marketing articles will make it easy for you to get reliable sales and marketing resources. If you want to stay abreast of the small business community happenings—especially with regard to #marketingtrends, @Gail_Goodman is the Twitter feed that will see to it.
3. Josh Reeves, Gusto
“I like to solve hard problems that have a positive impact on society. The harder the problem, the better.”
Proud to share that @ZenPayroll is now @GustoHQ! Our mission: empowering companies to put people first. http://t.co/jbasr1NOIl #WithGusto
— Joshua Reeves (@joshuareeves) September 17, 2015
Josh Reeves is definitely a people come first type of leader. This guy is firmly convicted in his beliefs that human beings are not capital. So much so that he redesigned how human resources tracks employees—they are no longer numbers! Anyone that can personalize numbers has a lot to teach business owners—people whose jobs are vested in numbers and statistics, as well as people. A valuable employee experience is the backbone of Reeve’s company, and his belief in people is what has led Gusto to earn the accolade of #1 Best Place to Work in San Francisco. If you are looking to hone in on your people skills and boost employee morale, @joshuareeves is definitely a Twitter feed you want to follow.
4. Rick Stollmeyer, MindBody
“MINDBODY’s and my personal mission is Leveraging Technology to Improve the Health and Wellness of the World.”
Combine the best Resolutions: live a healthier, happier life and buy local https://t.co/IUbVKkkI9b https://t.co/EtiyElcECX — Rick Stollmeyer (@stollmeyer) January 1, 2016
Rick Stollmeyer is unquestionably one that will keep you motivated. He’s got positive energy flowing at the office as well as on his Twitter feed. Stollmeyer genuinely is a man of purpose, and he truly believes that an encouraging work environment yields results. Not only does he put his beliefs into his wellness software, he actually practices what he preaches in his company. MindBody has landed itself on several “Top Tech Companies to Work For” lists. Stollmeyer’s daily muses and motivational quotes are certain to add a pick me up to your day and bring a little wellness to your life as well. If you are looking to stay positive in 2016, #PurposeDriven is trending with @stollmeyer.
5. Avishai Abrahami, Wix
Avishai Abrahami is a true entrepreneur—this guy has been the go-getter behind 15 different software products that millions of people worldwide use! That’s a great deal of ideas managing to make it to a large number of people. Obviously, there’s quite a bit to be learned from what he feels is worth sharing. Abrahami’s Tweets are pretty educational. You are not going to get too much fluff following @Wix, but you will get a lot of schooling from the field. If you are hands on kind of leader, look at Abrahami’s feed for some great resources.
6. Wendy Tan White, Moonfruit
“We need to work harder to get rid of the stereotypes and highlight the huge variety of tech jobs there are available and the different routes into tech. Compared with the kind of technology career that was available when I was growing up, it’s almost limitless.”
Apply for Entrepreneur First @efldn March 2016. Deadline – 10 days. Want the best technical co-founder and start-up? https://t.co/pcYhhupLYh
— Wendy White (@wendytanwhite) December 21, 2015
Broaden your horizons and learn from an international business expert by following @wendytanwhite. White has been dubbed the UK’s first lady of technology, and her contributions to the global technology field can’t be topped. Simply put, she gets things done—just check out her resume and her contributions to tech start-ups across the globe! The cool thing about White’s Twitter feed is she takes the time to answer questions from people trying to catch a break in this business. Although she no Dear Abby, @wendytanwhite can absolutely teach you a few tricks of the trade.
7. David Rusenko, Weebly
“A Web site is the only medium of semipermanent communication where you can express yourself.”
Fun discussion at #launchscale with @roelofbotha. Thanks for having us @Jason pic.twitter.com/NSkNgsjyrh — David Rusenko (@drusenko) October 14, 2015
#startups is what you can frequently finding trending on David Ruskenko’s Twitter feed. Commitment to creating a quality product that gains success simply by word of mouth is what led Rusenko into the tech limelight. Weebly’s accomplishments can be largely attributed to Rusenko’s commitment to excellence. Approximately 80% of this guy’s referrals are strictly from word of mouth. Sounds like putting value at the top of the priority list has, without a doubt, yielded some great profit. If you are looking to improve quality @drusenko can provide respected insight.
8. Alex Bard, Campaign Monitor
“In the marketing cocktail, email is the alcohol.”
2015 Campaign Monitor Year in Review https://t.co/FhsjK1HcAk via @CampaignMonitor
— alex bard (@alexbard) December 16, 2015
Results for businesses is what Alex Bard promises Campaign Monitor’s customers, and he’s true to his word. Campaign Monitor boasts a 98% customer satisfaction rating. Experience has taught Bard what it takes to please people! And, Campaign Monitor’s marketing experts top the cake at making businesses happy. Bard’s motivational tweets along with his retweets of articles and blog posts that capture what is trending with #customerservice and #emailmarketing makes @alexbard a regarded source of information for anyone looking to succeed in the tech industry.
9. Sharon Rowlands, Reach Local
“I’m not sure that there’s such a thing as work/life balance, and everyone defines that differently. I think it’s just life.”
Call me idealistic, but anyone who dedicates her time to helping grow the small business economy is where it is at! Hands down! Sharon Rowlands has spent years paving the way for small community businesses to reap the benefits that the web has to offer, and her innovative all in one approach to marketing is helping local business complete against giant competitors. #RLNow @SharonRowlands will lead you to a wealth of information and tips for small business success.
10. Brandon Beck, Riot Games
“…in addition to providing a great experience and a great value, we are committed to building lasting relationships with our players who help us shape ever evolving games.”
Some folks quoting League Worlds viewership as 334M ppl. Misleading. 334M cumulative daily unique viewers globally over 15 days of broadcast
— Brandon Beck (@BrandonBeck) December 10, 2015
Not paying homage to game creators in a tech savvy universe is like peanut butter without jelly…it’s just not right. Riot Games contribution to online gaming is no drop in the bucket—especially since its guiding principle is creating games for gamers. The leadership style of Brandon Beck has a lot to do with Riot Games’s success. Another top ranked company to work for in 2016 makes @BrandonBeck a worthy source of information—especially if you are a gamer looking for #gamersgames.
11. Drew Houston, Dropbox
“Don’t worry about failure, you only have to be right once.”
Congrats to the Paper team on their beta launch! http://t.co/DyUPYOdkTf via @engadget — Drew Houston (@drewhouston) October 15, 2015
The art of simplicity is not as easy to achieve as you may think. Finding that simple idea may lead you through several failing ventures, but Drew Houston, founder of Dropbox, sees failure as part of the journey. Those who follow him on Twitter seem to agree. What makes Houston’s feed even more inspiring is his commitment to community. His retweets of community outreach and impact can set a great example of what it truly means to contribute. Follow @drewhouston, to see what impacting your community can do!
12. Adam Neumann, WeWork
“Financial success can never be the goal, only a byproduct of living with purpose.”
Start the year strong. Helping your team plan for a productive year, via @Biz_Collective: https://t.co/bxKWicv23K pic.twitter.com/zCG1XfxUx8
— WeWork (@WeWork) January 4, 2016
Between tending to his 30,000 customers including American Express, Microsoft, and Merk, and raising a family with four children, Adam Newmann has a lot of grand guidance to share on his @WeWork Twitter feed. If you follow closely enough, you might get lucky and hear some advice from his wise wife. In an interview with Fortune, Neumann credited his wife with giving him the counsel that led to his success. Clearly, it worked, and his reframed thinking offers a lot of insight into finding attainment. Check out @WeWork to see the newest ideas in the start up industry.
13. Brian Halligan, Hubspot
“Solve for the customers.”
“The No. 1 Predictor Of Career Success According To Network Science” by @michaeldsimmons https://t.co/ws82V6mZ7w — Brian Halligan (@bhalligan) December 22, 2015
A revolutionary who has literally changed the outbound marketing approach to an inbound look at what is best for the customers, Brian Halligan has a lot to share. He and his start up team have plainly revamped the entire concept of marketing. The first thing we all need to do is thank him for stopping the dinnertime telemarketing calls, and the second thing we all need to do is subscribe to @bhalligan. He will show you how to “..leave behind more than you take.” #visionary!
14. Brian Chesky, Airbnb
“Build something 100 people love, not something 1 million people kind of like.”
Tonight, 45,000 @airbnb guests are staying in Paris.
— Brian Chesky (@bchesky) December 31, 2015
Ok, Brain Chesky doesn’t just tweet about work, he lives his work! And who can blame him when his job is travel, right? Chesky’s innovative thinking and persistence has landed him several accolades over the past few years, and his presence in the tech industry is by far one to pay close attention to. If you would like to see a strong work ethic and what it takes to be driven to find success, @bchesky is a great resource to find that motivation to keep going.
15. Tim Cook, Apple
“Creativity and innovation are something you can’t flowchart out.”
#HappyNewYear to every corner of the world? Wishing everyone more music, less noise ?. — Tim Cook (@tim_cook) January 1, 2016
Sorry, you just can’t overlook Apple when it comes to an idealistic approach to business. These guys breed visionaries, and they have cornered the market on trying new concepts. Creativity and innovation are inspired largely by the leadership of Tim Cook. Cook’s global approach to business, and his commitment to a greater good can open your eyes to the additional responsibilities that come with being a major influence in the industry. You have to stay informed with the ins and outs of Apple if you want to be an force in the technology business; there’s no way around it. You can get all the latest and greatest by following @tim_cook.
16. Jeff Weiner, Linkedin
“Connecting talent with opportunity at a massive scale.”
What Makes a Good Life? Lessons From the Longest Study on Happiness via David Rothenberg https://t.co/9Rb0QUT8Dp
— Jeff Weiner (@jeffweiner) December 24, 2015
A clear vision is what makes great leadership, and Jeff Weiner at Linkedin knows his goal. He wants, “To create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce.” From how he runs his business to launching new ideas, Weiner’s clear outlook helps inspire his employees on the path to production. Weiner’s Twitter feed, @jeffweiner, is full of great resources for both established companies as well as start-ups, #cleargoals!
