Jay Steinfeld

Trailblazer
DISC Type : ID

Entrepreneur In Residence at Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business

Greater Houston, United States

Overview

Jay Steinfeld is the founder of Blinds. com, the worlds #1 online window coverings retailer, which he bootstrapped from his garage and sold to The Home Depot. A WSJ bestselling author and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, he now teaches entrepreneurship at Rice Universitys Jones Graduate School of Business. People often describe him as earnest, tenacious, honest, and smart.

Outside of his extensive business endeavors, Jay is a passionate advocate for personal growth and community involvement, supporting numerous charities. For over 40 years, he has been singing with the same college barbershop quartet from his time at The University of Texas. He has also been boxing for over two decades and enjoys spending time with his wife, children, and seven grandchildren.

Jay bootstrapped his e-commerce website for just $1500 in 1993, operating from his garage, and grew it into the world’s leading online window coverings retailer.

Personality Overview

Achievement-Oriented

Persuasive

Values Relationships

If they come to believe in your value proposition, they will be your champion.  They prefer to ensure that they are in control of the situation. They are more likely to accept new and exciting technologies.

Topics They Care About

Company Culture
Advocates for building businesses on authentic core values to drive growth and create an environment where employees can thrive, a key theme in his book and speaking engagements.
E-commerce Disruption
As an early mover in e-commerce in 1993, he frequently speaks on how to innovate, experiment without fear of failure, and prevent being disrupted in a competitive market.
Mentoring Entrepreneurs
Teaches entrepreneurship at Rice University and mentors students at The University of Texas, focusing on helping people become "better than they ever believed possible. "

Media Appearances

Jay has no verified media appearances

Work History

8-2019
Entrepreneur In Residence at Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business
2-2022
Board Chair at Datavations
6-2025
Governing Board at Greater Houston Community Foundation
6-2020
Advisory Council Member/Mentor at Herb Kelleher Entrepreneurship Center
4-2021
Member Of The Board Of Advisors at PreFix Inc.

Education

1972 - 1976
BBA from The University of Texas at Austin

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 6 Location : Greater Houston, United States Job Level : N/A Designation : Entrepreneur In Residence at Rice Business - Jones Graduate School of Business
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Insights For Selling To Jay

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Talk about yourself and some of your achievements at the start of the conversation
  • Address your competition clearly and confidently
  • Showcase existing customers and use case-studies to grab their attention

DONT's

  • Don’t force involvement of other stakeholders unless it is critical
  • Do not look like someone who doesn’t know what they are talking about
  • Don’t hesitate from asking questions or pushing them, but take a friendly approach

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Jay is

  • Relationship and product conviction matter equally, followed by a sense of achievement.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Jay

  • If they are not convinced, they will say no though in a friendly way.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Jay move?

  • If you earn their trust and they develop faith in the product, they can make decisions quickly.
  • Can Jay take some risk or not?

  • If necessary, they will be ready to take risks.

You And Jay

Personality Compatibility


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