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Voted a "top ten Silicon Valley podcast" by both Startup Basecamp and The Six Fifty, and a "top 25 Silicon Valley podcast" by Urban Marketplace.
Ray Zinn, Silicon Valley's longest serving CEO, discusses entrepreneurship, leadership, executive management, humanistic business and more.
Zinn, a Silicon Valley legend, started Micrel Semiconductor without venture capital, and ran it for 37 years, 36 of those profitably. Zinn's insights in disciplined management, the value in all people, corporate culture and true leadership are guiding lights for anyone working for a better future.
Ray Zinn, Silicon Valley's longest serving CEO, discusses entrepreneurship, leadership, executive management, humanistic business and more.
Zinn, a Silicon Valley legend, started Micrel Semiconductor without venture capital, and ran it for 37 years, 36 of those profitably. Zinn's insights in disciplined management, the value in all people, corporate culture and true leadership are guiding lights for anyone working for a better future.
357 Episodes
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Fear of risk, fear of danger, fear of going it alone. Fear can be healthy, but it can also hold us back. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the most important factor in overcoming fear. Rob Artigo: Ray, many people are held back by fear. I know this personally, and I’ve had times in my life where […]
When you just start out in life, you may think very little about how you will be remembered. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses why that approach may lead to very little legacy at all. Rob Artigo: One thing you do at this podcast, and your books, and everything that you’re doing is you’re creating a lasting […]
Some people believe equality and equity are the same thing. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn dives into what equality really means. Rob Artigo: … We fairly recently did a podcast on so called equity and inclusion. So, let’s turn our attention to what it actually means to be equal. Are we talking about equal outcomes like wealth, status, […]
Workplace conflicts are going to happen and the word “yes” can produce remarkable results to help your teams grow. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the toughest workplace conflicts and the “Yes Principle.” Ray Zinn: Hi, Rob. Good to be with you today. Rob Artigo: Sure. Let’s talk about creative teams and managing conflict because there’ll be […]
You have your “bandwidths”, your “synergies” and your “lean-ins,” to name a few and what do they all have in common? They are cliche’ and overused. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn says you need to cultivate a growth mindset, not a worthless vocabulary. Ray Zinn: Hello, Rob. Good to be with you today. Rob Artigo: We’ve seen […]
The world of information is transforming at light speed, and getting sucked into a misinformation vortex is a constant problem. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn says, “Just the Facts, Ma’am.” Rob Artigo: Ray, looking at page 26 of your first Zen of Zinn book, Zen of Zinn one. It says, you wrote this, “Get it right and […]
Will Ai help develop a new generation of leaders or turn human brains off to the idea of decision-making with out it? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn explores the nature of this serious question. Rob Artigo: Got a good topic here, Ray. Let’s dive into how emerging technologies like AI are reshaping leadership roles like decision-making and […]
Work life balance. Is it a recipe for long term success, or a surefire way to fail? In the Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn counters the case made by some enormously successful CEOs. (Watch Now on YouTube) Ray Zinn: Hello, Rob. Good to be with you today. Rob Artigo: Well, Ray, this is a special edition of the Tough […]
Change is the one constant. Handling it is a skill in itself. Ray Zinn has seen his share and you can benefit from that experience. Ray Zinn: Hi Rob. Good to be here today. Rob Artigo: Great to be back, Ray. Job changes, industry shifts, entrepreneurial leaps, what do these all have in common? They’re all big changes, right. They’re […]
Leading with emotional intelligence is a major part of success in any leadership role. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn outlines what is at the heart of developing this difficult skill to master. Rob Artigo: We have talked at length on this show about your management style, walking around, getting to know employees, and you’ve written about it […]
Making timely, smart decisions can be an everyday occurrence. But what happens when the pressure is turned up and the stakes the highest you have ever faced? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn discusses the key elements of navigating decisions under pressure. Rob Artigo: Ray, as CEO of Micrel for nearly four decades, you have had to make […]
How do successful people master resilience for career and life success? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn says it comes down to mental toughness and the key to that comes from within you. Rob Artigo: Well, Ray, let’s talk about how we can develop mental toughness to adapt, to change, and overcome setbacks. This goes to mastering resilience […]
This isn’t politics, it’s madness. In this Tough Things First podcast Ray Zinn discussing the murder of Charlie Kirk and the sickness that plagues the American political landscape. (At the time of this post, no suspect had been arrested.) Ray Zinn: Hi Rob. How’s it going today? Rob Artigo: It’s a tough day because we had a 31-year-old conservative activist […]
If you had more than four decades of experience and knew all there was to know about hiring people for important positions, what would you say described a winning resume? Let’s ask Ray Zinn in this Tough Things First podcast. Rob Artigo: Ray as CEO of Micrel, I’m very interested in your take on this, and you were involved in […]
Some challenges are financial, others are personal, and some are life changing where only you can decide if you still want success badly enough. Ray Zinn discusses how to persevere through worst kinds of challenges. (Watch on YouTube) Ray Zinn: Hello, Rob. Good to be with you today. Rob Artigo: You may not, and others may not, immediately know the […]
It has been quite the ride on the stock market in 2025, but it hasn’t been the one many expected in January. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn talks about how the market tanked but came back in what seemed like record time. Ray Zinn: Hi, Rob. Good to be with you today. Rob Artigo: Well, it wasn’t […]
Tough Things First Podcast: Ray Zinn discusses his commencement speech at San Jose State. (Watch) Rob Artigo: Well, you have the honor to do the commencement speech at San José State recently, and you described it as a bucket list moment. What was it that you felt was so special about doing it? Ray Zinn: Well, if you think about […]
Do you often think of the words that exist within words and how they expand and deepen meaning? In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn talks an about the word inspiration. Rob Artigo: This is a good reading that we’re going to do here. This is from the Zen of Zinn 3, your third book in this series, inspirational […]
There are differing views on justifying dishonesty. Revenge or righting wrongs with more wrongs seems to be the default position of many these days. But in this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn says there is an honest answer to this question. Rob Artigo: Ray, you recently wrote a musing that caught my attention. I thought this is surely going to […]
It’s not enough to succeed at first. We must continue to excel. In this Tough Things First podcast, Ray Zinn talks about the need for constant self improvement and professional development. Rob Artigo: So I guess the question here is when is it okay to neglect skill building and updating knowledge, your knowledge of work or whether just self-improvement? I […]
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