Mark McClain

Being successful is both a science and an art, whether in business or in your personal life. There are many well-defined approaches to strategy that I have learned from my reading, but increasingly, it is the human element that often separates the long-term winners from the long-term losers in both of these dimensions.  The books below address some of the...

Building a business can be exciting, full of coffee-fueled late nights in front of the whiteboard and light-bulb moments in the shower. But before you get caught up in the whirlwind of creating the next great tech company with visions of unicorns dancing in your head, it’s wise to take a look at your business idea from the outside in....

What makes a company a best place to work? In the tech industry, being a “best place to work” is sometimes equated with how much free food and craft beer is offered. Or a hearty “yes!” to questions like, “Does the office have a ping pong table and bring-your-dog-to-work policy?” What we’re finding day in and day out here at...

At SailPoint, we love Navigate because we get to spend time collaborating with our valuable customers, and even more importantly, give them a chance to shine. Identity governance often takes place behind the scenes, and while it greatly benefits the business overall (and its users), the spotlight isn’t often on the identity team itself. This is a big reason why...

For anyone who has followed high-tech for the last few decades, building a lasting company in this industry is not easy or common. As a longtime entrepreneur, I’ve seen many promising companies stumble and fall in my tenure. So few are built to stand the test of time. In fact, the failure rate is upwards of 70% for the average tech startup...

There’s a reason why people are often referred to as "human capital." People are invaluable assets in today’s business world. When those at the helm of your organization are running full speed ahead to meet and exceed business goals, you have no choice but to trust your people to get the job done. That trust in your people is often...

It’s become pretty well known that we have a winning team at SailPoint. We’re consistently voted one of Austin’s best places to work; we have exceptional employee retention (especially for the tech industry); and people just plain like working here. We strive to ensure each new employee we hire fits not only the job description but also our corporate culture....

Over the course of my career, I’ve learned a thing or two about a thing or two, and one of those things is that if you’re going to be successful, you have to commit yourself to never stop learning. Whether you’re in your first job out of college or the CEO, there is always a fountain of ideas to tap...

On the eve of Navigate ’17, which kicks off tomorrow morning in Austin, it seems especially fitting to shine the spotlight on our customers who are all working hard to develop identity centers of excellence at their respective organizations.  We take great pride in staying close to our customers to ensure their success from start to finish, and everywhere in...

In our industry, the word identity is thrown around a lot. At SailPoint, identity is not just an industry term, but a critical part of our core values as a company. SailPoint has gone from less than 100 employees to almost 700 around the world in a relatively short span of time. Our workforce is driven, diverse and talented. It...