Greg Coticchia is a Partner and Coach at CEO Coaching International, bringing a formidable 30-year career defined by his leadership in the tech sector. As a six-time CEO, two-time COO, and award-winning entrepreneur, his experience spans founding companies from the ground up to leading them to successful exits. A testament to his strategic vision is his work at the public company, Sopheon. There, he masterfully guided a complete transformation from a legacy consulting-centric business to a cutting-edge, cloud-native SaaS powerhouse, culminating in a highly successful exit to a private equity firm.
Greg’s entrepreneurial spirit is further highlighted by his involvement in 14 startups (founding four), having raised over $73M in venture capital, and participating in more than 17 mergers and acquisitions. His hands-on experience extends to product innovation, where he has been directly involved in the launch of over 100 products and solutions. He has also served on numerous for-profit and non-profit boards.
A respected academic, Greg is the founding executive director of Carnegie Mellon University’s Master’s Program in Product Management, a pioneering program that was the first of its kind in the world. He holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA from the University of Pittsburgh and teaches at the University of Pittsburgh Katz School of Business. As a coach, he leverages this vast operational and academic background to guide CEOs in mastering innovation and achieving exponential growth.
What is your typical day, and how do you make it productive?
My day starts with a few moments of quiet reflection and strategic planning before the world gets moving. As a CEO and executive coach, my schedule is a blend of client calls, operational meetings for my companies, and time blocked for deep work on key initiatives. I make it productive by prioritizing the single most impactful task for the next 30 minutes, a technique I call the “next 30 minutes” rule. It keeps me from getting bogged down and ensures I’m always moving the needle on the most critical projects.
How do you bring ideas to life?
Bringing an idea to life begins with a simple, yet critical, step: validation. I always ask, “Is this a real problem that people are willing to pay to solve?” Once that’s confirmed, I assemble a diverse team and we embrace a culture of rapid prototyping and learning. The goal is to get a minimum viable product in the hands of users as quickly as possible, fail fast, and iterate based on feedback. It’s a process of relentless execution and continuous improvement, where every team member is empowered to contribute.
What’s one trend that excites you?
The trend that most excites me is the growing role of AI in analyzing unstructured data to generate actionable insights. At SE Healthcare, for example, we’re using AI to analyze free-text feedback from clinicians to identify burnout stressors that might otherwise be missed. This isn’t about replacing human intuition, but augmenting it with deeper insights to solve critical, large-scale problems. The ability to find hidden patterns and intelligence in vast datasets is a game-changer for every industry and a powerful tool for leaders.
What is one habit that helps you be productive?
My most powerful productivity habit is what I call the “next 30 minutes” rule. At the end of each meeting or task, I immediately decide what the single most important action is for the next 30 minutes. This prevents me from getting lost in a long to-do list and ensures constant forward momentum. It’s a simple mental trick that keeps me focused on impact and avoids procrastination, making sure I am always working on what truly matters to the business and my clients.
What advice would you give your younger self?
I’d tell my younger self to embrace failure as a key part of the learning process. Early in my career, I was sometimes too risk-averse, fearing the mistakes that inevitably come with innovation. I’ve since learned that the most valuable lessons are often born from things that didn’t go as planned. I would also emphasize the importance of building and nurturing a strong network. It’s not just about what you know, but who you know and how you support them.
Tell us something you believe that almost nobody agrees with you on?
I believe that the best time to start a company is during a market downturn. Most people think it’s too risky. However, I’ve found that recessions force a level of discipline, focus, and efficiency that is difficult to replicate in a bull market. During these periods, talent is more accessible, competition is less fierce, and you can build a solid foundation that allows for explosive growth when the economy rebounds. It’s a counterintuitive but highly effective approach to building a resilient business.
What is the one thing you repeatedly do and recommend everyone else do?
I consistently recommend that everyone dedicate time each week to proactively connecting with their network, not just when they need something. This could be a quick email, a coffee, or a short phone call. It’s a habit that builds trust and strengthens relationships over the long term. Your network is your safety net, your sounding board, and your greatest source of opportunity. Nurturing it is a non-negotiable part of career growth and personal fulfillment.
When you feel overwhelmed or unfocused, what do you do?
When I feel overwhelmed, I force myself to step away and get some physical activity, usually a quick walk. It’s an immediate way to break the cycle of stress and gain perspective. During that time, I’ll try to reframe the problem from “everything is a priority” to identifying the single most critical task that will have the biggest impact. Getting clear on that one thing makes the rest of the noise fade away and allows me to regain focus and return to the work with renewed energy.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business or advance in your career?
A key strategy that has helped me grow businesses and advance my career is mastering product-led transformation. This means shifting an organization’s focus from being service-centric to building scalable, innovative products. My work at Sopheon, where we transitioned from a consulting model to a SaaS powerhouse, is a prime example. This approach creates a more defensible business model, unlocks new revenue streams, and fundamentally changes how a company creates value for its customers. It’s the difference between selling hours and selling a solution.
What is one failure in your career, how did you overcome it, and what lessons did you take away from it?
Early in my career, I was involved in a product launch that failed to gain traction despite significant investment. The lesson I learned was about the importance of market validation. We were so confident in our technology that we didn’t sufficiently test our assumptions about customer needs. We built what we thought was a perfect solution without first confirming if it was the right problem to solve. I overcame it by integrating a “fail-fast” and continuous feedback culture into every future project, ensuring we always build with the customer at the center.
What is one business idea you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I would give away the idea for a “Product Management as a Service” platform. Many small and medium-sized businesses lack the resources for a full-time product team but need to bring new ideas to market. This platform would provide on-demand, fractional product management expertise, from market research to go-to-market strategy. It would be a subscription-based service, offering different tiers of support based on the complexity and scale of the client’s needs.
What is one piece of software that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
My most used productivity software is Microsoft OneNote. I use it as a digital workspace to capture everything from meeting notes and client ideas to personal to-do lists. It’s powerful because it syncs across all my devices, allowing me to access information instantly whether I’m in a meeting or on the go. Its flexibility helps me stay organiz
Do you have a favorite book or podcast you’ve gotten a ton of value from and why?
I’ve gotten a ton of value from the podcast “How I Built This” with Guy Raz. The show is a masterclass in entrepreneurship, offering an honest look at the highs and lows of building a successful business. What I love most is how it demystifies the process. It proves that behind every billion-dollar idea is a series of setbacks, pivots, and relentless perseverance. It’s a powerful reminder that success is rarely a straight line.
What’s a movie or series you recently enjoyed and why?
I recently re-watched the series “Ted Lasso” and enjoyed it immensely. Beyond the humor and feel-good story, it’s a profound lesson in leadership and empathy. Ted’s commitment to building a positive culture, inspiring his team to be their best selves, and leading with kindness is a powerful counter-narrative to traditional leadership models. It’s a great reminder that the best leaders prioritize the well-being and growth of their people, which in turn drives success.
Key learnings
- Success is not a result of avoiding failure, but rather learning from it. True innovation requires the willingness to experiment, fail fast, and iterate based on continuous feedback.
- The most effective leaders use technology to augment human intuition and understanding, rather than replacing it. Data-driven insights from platforms like SE Healthcare’s enable proactive and empathetic decision-making.
- Strategic career growth is fueled by a strong, nurtured network. It is important to invest in relationships and view a network as a source of support, collaboration, and opportunity.
- Proactive, disciplined habits, such as focusing on the next most impactful task, are essential for maintaining productivity and ensuring forward momentum, even in a complex environment.