Ron Gidron, CEO of xtype: “The cliché’s true. Get ready to be met with scepticism, disbelief, and disappointment”
We hope that Ron Gidron isn’t easily offended. In particular, we hope that he doesn’t mind if we suggest that xtype is one of the least sexy products we are covering in our TakeOff series of interviews with startup founders. No blockchain, no ridiculous claims, no glamorous offices. Instead, xtype does what so many less successful startups forget: it solves a clear, well-defined problem.
“I founded xtype to help customers unleash the full potential of ServiceNow, the most robust platform for managing IT and developing enterprise applications,” he told us. But only, as he explains later, after finding the right team to create it. One of Ron’s key messages to wannabe startup founders: you can’t go it alone.
It also helps to build up some experience. Before founding xtype, Ron spent over two decades working in enterprise technology. That included product and leadership roles in startups and global technology companies Symantec and CA Technologies. And he’s a good person to have around in a health emergency too, having volunteered as a night shift paramedic to support his local community.