Amp It Up

Part I - Amping Up 1 Chapter 1 Introduction: The Power of Amping Up 3 Chapter 2 My Journey from Teenage Toilet Cleaner to Serial CEO 13 Part II - Raise Your Standards 33 Chapter 3 Make Your Organization Mission Driven 35 Chapter 4 Declare War on Your Competitors and on Incrementalism 45 Chapter 5 Put Execution Ahead of Strategy 55 Part III - Align Your People and Culture 63 Chapter 6 Hire Drivers, Not Passengers, and Get the Wrong People off the Bus 65 Chapter 7 Build a Strong Culture 73 Chapter 8 Teach Everyone to Go Direct and Build Mutual Trust 83 Part IV - Sharpen Your Focus 91 Chapter 9 Put Analysis Before Solutions 93 Chapter 10 Align Incentives for Customer Success 99 Part V - Pick Up the Pace 103 Chapter 11 Ramp Up Sales 105 Chapter 12 Grow Fast or Die Slow 113 Chapter 13 Stay Scrappy as You Scale Up 123 Part VI - Transform Your Strategy 131 Chapter 14 Materialize Your Opportunities--the Data Domain Growth Story 133 Chapter 15 Open the Aperture--the ServiceNow Expansion Story 143 Chapter 16 Swing for the Fences--the Snowflake Growth Story 151 Part VII - The Amped-Up Leader 157 Chapter 17 Amp Up Your Career 159 Chapter 18 Just for CEOs--Dealing with Founders and Boards 171 Chapter 19 Conclusion--Great Leaders Have Great Outcomes 181 Acknowledgments 183 Index 185

FRANK SLOOTMAN is the Chairman and CEO at Snowflake Inc. Frank has over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and executive in the enterprise software industry. Mr. Slootman served as CEO and President of ServiceNow from 2011 to 2017, taking the organization from around $100M in revenue, through an IPO, to $1.4B. Prior to that, Frank served as President of the Backup Recovery Systems Division at EMC following an acquisition of Data Domain Corporation/ Data Domain, Inc., where he served as the Chief Executive Officer and President, leading the company through an IPO to its acquisition by EMC for $2.4B. Slootman holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in economics from the Netherlands School of Economics, Erasmus University Rotterdam.

"In my 30+ year experience as a venture investor I have never seen anyone rival Frank's operating know-how. With Frank, it all starts and ends with hardcore and focused execution. 'Get comfortable with being uncomfortable', 'hope is not a strategy', and 'the best way to build a brand is to get more customers' are some of the mantras by which Frank has taught us to live. There is no doubt that he has made many of us better board members, as we assist other CEOs along their journeys."
--Doug Leone, Global Managing Partner, Sequoia Capital
 
"Frank Slootman is one of the best performing CEOs there is. This book is essential reading for every leader who aspires to motivate teams, inspire excellence, and deliver beyond expectations."
--Bill McDermott, President and CEO, ServiceNow
 
"Amp It Up is a terrific read for leaders and future leaders, whether they are at a start-up, an SMB, or a big company. As a CEO, Frank exudes total clarity on what to do, and equally as important what not to do...so if you are looking for a must-read about leadership, being focused on your mission, and executing at the highest levels, this is the book!"
--Joe Tucci, former Chairman and CEO, EMC
 
"Over the past 15 years, I've had a front-row seat to watch Frank Slootman's operational excellence on display at Data Domain, ServiceNow, and Snowflake. What makes Frank the best technology CEO on the planet: he sets and then beats unreasonably high expectations; he is a high-integrity people leader; he makes the strategy clear to all; and he is a fearless leader willing to do whatever it takes to win. Amp It Up is a must-read book for anyone looking to take their team and organization to the next level."
--Mike Speiser, Managing Director, Sutter Hill Ventures
 
"Frank worked for me as Data Domain became EMC and - wow! - what an incredible leader. He built an intensity around clear business priorities and the customer value proposition and drove it through the