In this episode of the Startup Ignition Podcast, Tyler and John are joined by Cydni Tetro, a serial entrepreneur, tech executive, and absolute legend in the Utah tech scene. Cydni takes us through her remarkable career journey, from balancing a computer science degree while hex editing networks at Novell, to leading innovation at Disney Imagineering’s Blue Sky Group. She shares fascinating stories about creating immersive customer experiences, founding and selling companies like 3D Plus Me and ForgeDX, and her time leading Brandless. We also discuss the importance of tenacity over talent, the risks of building on third-party platforms, and her impact as the founder of the Women Tech Council.

(00:00:00) Introduction and welcoming Cydni Tetro

(00:02:06) Cydni’s bio: CS grad, Disney Imagineer, and serial entrepreneur

(00:04:07) Icebreaker: Rapid fire “This or That”

(00:05:52) The risk/reward equation of Equity vs. Salary

(00:10:24) In-person vs. Zoom: Reading the room and building relationships

(00:11:00) Why tenacity beats talent in founders

(00:15:21) Cydni’s origin story: Novell and the power of a technical background

(00:20:34) Moving to startups: The NextPage years

(00:24:36) How a technical degree gets you a seat at the decision-making table

(00:28:37) Family Link, the Facebook API, and the dangers of platform dependency

(00:31:20) The “Utah Tech Web” and connections to VidAngel and Angel Studios

(00:33:57) Joining Disney Imagineering: Innovation with no constraints

(00:38:07) Creating the “Glow with the Show” Mickey ears for Cars Land

(00:41:12) Disney’s ecosystem: Steamboat Ventures and internal innovation

(00:43:11) Leaving the Mouse to capture the upside: Founding 3D Plus Me

(00:47:42) How 3D Plus Me turned fans into Iron Man action figures

(00:49:42) The tech behind full-color 3D printing and scaling with Hasbro

(00:51:58) Selling 3D Plus Me and founding ForgeDX

(00:53:20) The origin and economic impact of the Women Tech Council

(00:55:03) ForgeDX: Visualizing digital transformation for Fortune 500s

(00:59:55) Brandless: Strategies behind the consolidation and acquisition model

(01:01:19) The economic shifts of 2021 and their impact on CPG

(01:02:08) Digital transformation and AI at Swire Coca-Cola

(01:06:52) The current state of women in entrepreneurship and funding

(01:12:47) Final advice: Leave every place better than you found it

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