We met with David A. Steinberg, the founder and CEO at Zeta Global, to understand what he thinks about Web Summit, entrepreneurship, and Trump becoming the US president.
Miguel Salvado: Hi David, welcome.
David Steinberg: Thank you for having me. What a great country you have. It’s so great to be here.
“Trump now has to be considered one of the greatest marketing geniuses in history”
David A. Steinberg
Thanks. What are you finding great about Portugal?
First of all, the weather. Second of all, it’s great to not be in the United States after the election. It’s good to be out of the country for a few days.
“Trump has done an exceptional job and he tapped into a part of America that’s disenfranchised, feeling left out, lost and not heard. He did an exceptional job of speaking to them.”
David A. Steinberg
Could you comment on the US elections result?
This is certainly the talk of the conference. I was literally in New York at the Javits Center at Hillary’s event. Hopefully it was going to be a celebration, but, obviously, it didn’t work out that way. It was a shocking happening for the United States.
“We got to get behind President Trump, because he’s our president and we hope he can be the best president he can be.”
David A. Steinberg
What do you think made Trump win the elections? Was it his marketing campaign or his ability to talk to the cameras?
Well, I don’t know about that. I think, first of all, Trump now has to be considered one of the greatest marketing geniuses in history. He’s done an exceptional job and he tapped into a part of America that’s disenfranchised, feeling left out, lost and not heard. He did an exceptional job of speaking to them. Now, we got to get behind President Trump because he’s our president and we hope he can be the best president he can be.
“The Web Summit is one of the very few places where you can find a blend of startups and massive corporations together.”
David A. Steinberg
Tell us about the Web Summit, how are you finding it so far?
Awesome. I love coming here. It’s one of the very few places where you can find a blend of startups and massive corporations together. It’s really fun to get that kind of energy.
I did a speech and some meetings, but then I was able to walk the floor and really get out to the startup area. I’m always energized by that.
“Zeta Global is one of the largest big data and analytics platforms in the world. What we do is we help very large companies create maintain and monetize customers by using our software platform and amass massive pools of data.”
David A. Steinberg
What’s your main objective here today, besides being a speaker?
Zeta Global is one of the largest big data and analytics platform in the world. What we do is we help very large companies create, maintain and monetize customers by using our software platform and amass massive pools of data.
For me, A: catching up with people I know, B: learning about new things coming down the pipe.
We’re based in the United States and we have 25 offices in 4 continents, so we’re a global organization. But as a Chairman and CEO, I don’t get out as much as I used to. This is where I can get away from my PR people, my assistants, where they can’t tell me what to do all day. And I can sneak out to the floor and kind of run around and learn stuff.
Do you agree with the sentence that being at the top can be lonely sometimes?
Well, I’m blessed. I have three amazing kids and a fiancée, who I don’t know why, but she loves me deeply. But professionally it can be. Because what happens is everybody is trying to manage you. The people who work with you are trying to manage up. Your board of directors is trying to manage you down; it becomes complicated. You surely don’t get direct access to new startup ideas. So I read a lot, but it’s different to go bump into a founder of a company here. You know, get out there and learn stuff right from the people. I love that about the Web Summit.
There’s this talk at the Web Summit that entrepreneurs should have a God complex. Do you agree with it?
I think my fiancée would tell you I do. Zeta is my fifth company, I sold three, took one public and then founded this. Surely I’m not short on confidence, but I definitely do not have a god complex. In my world, there is one God and he’s up there. I’m definitely not him, or her.
David Steinberg, It’s been really fun talking with you. Thank you very much for this interview.
It was my pleasure, really great to see you.