Just two weeks ago, DocuSign named cloud tech veteran Dan Springer CEO after more than a year searching for the right candidate.
Springer founded cloud tech startup Responsys in 2004 and led the company for more than ten years before overseeing a $1.6 billion sale to Oracle in 2013.
After his exit, Springer decided to stay home for a few years with his sons. His new gig at DocuSign is Springer’s first formal return to the working world.
“Most of my time is spent with customers, developers, employees and partners to identify opportunities to further innovate our products and services to help customers achieve success,” said Springer. “I’m also highly focused on our culture and making DocuSign the best place each of our employees have ever worked.”
It was a long and arduous process, searching for the right person to replace Keith Krach, who led DocuSign for five years.
“People have been talking about this as the top software CEO search, and I think it is,” Springer told GeekWire when DocuSign announced he would take over. “It’s a fantastic company. It’s got a lot of scale. It’s growing very fast. It also feels, to me, like it’s fantastic grounds for innovation, and I’m really a product guy at heart.”
DocuSign is technically headquartered in San Francisco, where Springer is based, but he describes the company as more of a “two-city core, between San Francisco and Seattle.”
DocuSign was founded in the Emerald City and Springer is a Seattle native, himself.
We caught up with Springer for this installment of Working Geek, a regular GeekWire feature. Continue reading for his answers to our questionnaire.
Current Location: “San Francisco.”
Computer types: “Apple.”
Mobile devices: “iPhone.”
Favorite apps, cloud services, and software tools: “New York Times, OpenTable, and, of course, DocuSign.”
Describe your workspace. Why does it work for you? “All glass so I can see my colleagues and sense their energy. Plus, a nice-sized table for impromptu meetings.”
Your best advice for managing everyday work and life? “Work expands to fit the time allotted, so be disciplined in managing your calendar.”
Your preferred social network? How do you use it for business/work? “LinkedIn. Keeping in touch, finding resources within my contacts and expanding my network.”
Current number of unanswered emails in your inbox? “Very few. I try to go to bed with no unread email in my inbox.”
Number of appointments/meetings on your calendar this week? “Lots. Getting to know the DocuSign team, customers, and partners.”
How do you run meetings? “Aggressively, with a lot of energy. I like everyone to leave meetings with clear direction, a sense of accomplishment, and next steps.”
Everyday work uniform? “Jeans or slacks with a striped dress shirt. Sometimes a sweater.”
How do you make time for family? “I took the last several years off to raise my two sons as a single father, so work is a bigger focus now – though I’d prefer not to miss a single lacrosse game.”
Best stress reliever? How do you unplug? “Playing basketball and pretending I’m younger.”
What are you listening to? “Mostly new stuff like theStones, Springsteen and The Who.”
Daily reads? Favorite sites and newsletters? “TechCrunch, NYT, and The New Yorker.”
Book on your nightstand (or e-reader)? “The Undoing Project, by Michael Lewis.”
Night owl or early riser? What are your sleep patterns? “A little bit of both. Generally, sleep from 12 a.m.-ish to 6 a.m.-ish.”
Where do you get your best ideas? “Marvin Bower, former managing director of McKinsey & Company.”
Whose work style would you want to learn more about or emulate? “Safra Catz or Sheryl Sandberg. Safra has the ability to be effective with so many leadership styles and Sheryl can lead effectively across so many different disciplines and functions.”
