Kasriel grew up around computers and started writing programs when he
was 12. In a way, he says, he was like one of today’s typical Silicon
Valley kids, but for him it was Paris in the 1980s. He recognized in
high school that he prefers to be with small numbers of people or to be
alone. Getting by in a crowd doesn’t come naturally—but as a CEO he now
has to mingle at huge networking events or conferences. To manage that,
he sets goals: Talk to at least 30 people, get 10 business cards,
arrange five follow-up meetings. For 10 years Kasriel has worked to
overcome the perception that engineers don’t make great leaders. He
sought projects and talked his way into jobs that were outside his
comfort zone. He read widely to burnish his skills in strategy,
leadership, and managing people. (The article includes a list of titles
the author deems most influential.) He spent hundreds of hours taking
online courses. He got an MBA at INSEAD not because he wanted to make a
career change or expand his network but so that he could avoid the
mistakes he’d seen other entrepreneurs make. Since assuming his role, in
April 2015, he’s learned that a lot of the job comes down to helping
employees feel excited about their work, empowering them, and giving
them the resources they require. When people come to him with
difficulties, he must listen first and not see every situation the way
an engineer would: as a problem that needs a solution.