DiscoverStartup Ignition PodcastDavid Bradford: The Master Connector, Wozniak, Jobs, Gates, Eric Schmidt, Sergey, Novell, Microsoft
David Bradford: The Master Connector, Wozniak, Jobs, Gates, Eric Schmidt, Sergey, Novell, Microsoft

David Bradford: The Master Connector, Wozniak, Jobs, Gates, Eric Schmidt, Sergey, Novell, Microsoft

Update: 2025-10-16
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In this episode of the Startup Ignition Podcast, we are honored to host David Bradford, a true OG of Utah tech. David takes us on a journey through his iconic career, from his early days as a Hollywood lawyer to becoming the General Counsel at Novell during its legendary battles with Microsoft. He shares the inside stories of taking Fusion-io public with a $1.2 billion valuation, recruiting Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and scaling HireVue from $1 million to over $30 million in revenue. David reveals his timeless principles of networking, the four pillars every great company needs, and his number one piece of advice for every entrepreneur: be a doer.

(00:00:00 ) How Google's Eric Schmidt was introduced to Sergey Brin
(00:02:16 ) Introducing David Bradford: The OG of OGs in Utah Tech
(00:06:30 ) Utah Tech Era Trivia: Novell, WordPerfect, Iomega & more
(00:15:00 ) The story of 1-800 Contacts' early days
(00:21:42 ) David's journey from a small town in Montana to Hollywood lawyer
(00:27:07 ) The legendary Microsoft vs. Novell battles
(00:31:33 ) How one contract with Dell changed tech history
(00:34:40 ) The Fusion-io story: From advisory board to CEO
(00:38:14 ) How David recruited Steve Wozniak to Fusion-io's board
(00:42:14 ) David's secret to building an incredible network: Be curious
(00:48:39 ) The HireVue journey: From a leaky roof to a half-billion-dollar valuation
(00:51:57 ) The 4 Pillars of a great company: People, Capital, Timing, and Innovation
(00:57:53 ) Bringing on Larry King to the HireVue advisory board
(01:01:38 ) What David is working on today with Fluent Worlds
(01:02:45 ) David's #1 piece of advice: Be a dreamer that does
(01:04:31 ) How a Steve Young signed football sealed a crucial executive hire

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#UtahTech
#DavidBradford
#SiliconSlopes
#Novell
#FusionIO
#HireVue
#Microsoft
#SteveWozniak
#Entrepreneurship
#StartupStory
#TechHistory
#Networking
#VentureCapital
#BusinessAdvice
#Leadership
#StartupIgnition
#BillGates
#EricSchmidt
#Google
#Apple

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David Bradford: The Master Connector, Wozniak, Jobs, Gates, Eric Schmidt, Sergey, Novell, Microsoft

David Bradford: The Master Connector, Wozniak, Jobs, Gates, Eric Schmidt, Sergey, Novell, Microsoft

John & Tyler Richards