Dan Primack: 3 things a tech CEO should know

My wife and I left our home in San Francisco this morning and drove up to Napa Valley for the inaugural Bridge Bank Tech CEO Napa Retreat.

The retreat was hosted at The Estate Yountville and started with a verdant outdoor lunch. We enjoyed meeting new peers in a post-Covid setting.

After lunch, we went indoors to listen to a Keynote and VC Panel: Trends in Technology and Venture Capital.

The panel was moderated by Dan Primack of Axios and consisted of:

• Enrique Salem (Bain Capital Ventures)
• Venky Ganesan (Menlo Ventures)
  
  

See Also: Ajay Agarwal (Bain Capital): Sales Collider meetup

Dan started off by listing a few things a tech CEO should know about the press.

I thought his comments would be helpful to others, so here goes.

Dan Primack’s Three Things a Tech CEO Should Know About the Press

Here are Dan’s three things for startup CEOs to know about the media:

1. “We don’t care about you or your companies.” Instead, Dan and his peers care about good stories and being the first ones to say it. Reporters can have big egos and be narcissistic too. Remember: Tell a good story.
2. If there’s a bad story coming about you, get everything out in the open quickly. Admit to all the bad stuff quickly.
3. Develop relationships with one or two reporters. Niche trade publications are ok too. Younger reporters may be good resources here (they’re also trying to build their brand).

Bridge Bank Tech CEO Napa Retreat

Bridge Bank hosted a private, all-inclusive stay at The Estate Yountville for their client CEOs and significant others.

Activities include a VC panel moderated by Dan Primack of Axios, spa and massage treatments at the Meritage Resort, a private wine tasting and dinner at Far Niente Winery, and a tasting at Ram’s Gate Winery.

Bridge Bank also provided rapid antigen tests prior to arrival to ensure negative COVID results for all attendees. We tested negative 🙂

The Estate Yountville

Nestled in the charming town of Yountville in the renowned Napa Valley wine region, The Estate Yountville is a luxe, new lifestyle destination set on a lush and alluring 22-acre village-within-a-village.