Inside the Mind of the World’s Most Optimistic CEO
Grit
Sep 1, 2025
1 hr 9 min
For Bill McDermott, work has never been just a job.On this Labor Day rerun of Grit, first published Jan 9, 2023, the ServiceNow CEO reflects on what he learned from his earliest jobs and how he carried those lessons from a deli counter in Long Island to the boardroom of an $80B software company.We cover:Why Bill bought a deli when he was in high school — and how he competed against 7-Eleven ()Interviewing at Xerox and wanting it more than anyone else ()Unwavering optimism and being a source of strength for others ()How a love of work has shaped Bill as a person ()Facing challenges and keeping a promise to his father ()Enjoying the present and keeping an eye on the future ()Leaving Xerox for Gartner and learning from a tough experience ()Sloan Kettering and Father Michael Judge ()Following the “original dream” vs. building something new at ServiceNow ()Losing an eye and getting a pep talk from two Medal of Honor winners ()Why Bill started and ended his book with quotes from two Kennedys ()Connect with BillXLinkedInConnect with JoubinXLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.com Learn more about Kleiner Perkins
