Jim Hornthal

Doer
DISC Type : sd

Co-Founder and Chairman at Launchpad Central

San Francisco, California, United States

Overview

Jim is a distinguished entrepreneur, educator, and angel investor who has co-founded AI companies like LaunchPad Central and Zignal Labs and led two startups to IPOs, including Preview Travel (which became Travelocity). He graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Business School and actively teaches entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley.

Outside of his direct entrepreneurial and investment work, Jim is passionate about mentoring the next generation of innovators. He serves as a Lester Center Fellow at UC Berkeleys Haas School of Business, where he teaches The Lean Launchpad course, and engages in philanthropic mentoring for social entrepreneurs.

Unique fact: Jim holds a patent for a system that provides alternative travel destination information, reflecting his early and continued impact on the travel technology industry.

Personality Overview

Fast-paced

Long-term Focused

Deliberate Doer

They exhibit a rare combination of being result-oriented but patient at the same time.  They might take some time to make their mind up but once they do, they don't change it easily. They are very professional in their approach and can weigh multiple perspectives together.

Topics They Care About

AI-Powered Innovation
As co-founder of AI-driven companies like LaunchPad Central and Zignal Labs, he is focused on using AI to accelerate innovation for a variety of clients.
Entrepreneurial Education
He teaches "The Lean Launchpad" course at UC Berkeley, Stanford, and Princeton, demonstrating a passion for mentoring students and fellow entrepreneurs.
Venture Investing
He is a prolific angel investor with over 50 direct investments in companies like Lyft and KIND Snacks, and holds stakes in numerous venture capital funds.

Media Appearances

Jim has no verified media appearances

Work History

10-2012
Co-Founder and Chairman at Launchpad Central
1-2002
Lester Center Fellow at University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business
5-2025
Co-Founder and Chairman at Zignal Labs
1-2014 - 12-2024
Chairman at M34 Capital, Inc.
1-2012 - 12-2016
DIRECTOR at KIND

Education

1976 - 1978
MBA from Harvard Business School
1972 - 1976
AB from Princeton University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 22 Location : San Francisco, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Co-Founder and Chairman at Launchpad Central
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Insights For Selling To Jim

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • You can spend time on BANT (or other qualification methodology) but keep it to the point
  • Focus on the results that your product produces, expect some strategic questions in return
  • Ask them at the end if they see a strong value prop in your product; expect an honest answer

DONT's

  • Don't focus too much on mutual contacts or bother about other stakeholders, focus on them
  • Don't get into pricing discussions early on, steer conversation towards proven results
  • Don't take their patience for granted, avoid long-winding sermons

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Jim is

  • Strong proof of impact and their conviction will matter the most, but they wouldn't want to act unilaterally either
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Jim

  • They will say no if they are not convinced but you will have to prompt them.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Jim move?

  • They will want to understand things well but can move fast once they have a clear picture.
  • Can Jim take some risk or not?

  • They have good risk tolerance but are likely to think it through once or twice.

You And Jim

Personality Compatibility


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