Tien Tzuo

Evaluator
DISC Type : dsc

Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Zuora, Inc.

San Francisco, California, United States

Overview

Tien Tzuo is the Founder and CEO of Zuora, a company he established after being the 11th employee at Salesforce, where he served as CMO and Chief Strategy Officer. A graduate of Cornell and Stanfords GSB, he is a leading evangelist for the "Subscription Economy" and authored the bestseller "SUBSCRIBED. "

Originally from Taiwan and raised in Brooklyn, Tien developed a passion for software and problem-solving from a young age. Outside of his executive duties, he is a family man who finds that spending time with his daughter provides perspective. For stress relief, he enjoys playing the piano.

He holds a patent for a system enabling the sharing of on-demand applications in multi-tenant database environments, a foundational element from his early work.

Personality Overview

Fast But Analytical

Hard To Convince

Thorough Evaluator

They focus on the results, but can still be quite procedural and analytical about how to get there  They have a unique set of diverse traits where they are decisive and methodical but can sometimes be extra cautious and skeptical They are not very likely to become strong advocates of your product or service

Topics They Care About

Subscription Economy
He coined the phrase and is the world's foremost authority on the topic, having authored the book "SUBSCRIBED" to guide companies in this business model shift.
Business Transformation
His career is focused on helping companies shift from traditional product sales to recurring revenue models, emphasizing a customer-centric approach to drive growth.
Founder Leadership
He mentors early-stage founders and recently published a book, "Founders, Keepers, " detailing a roadmap for founders to navigate the challenges of startup growth.

Media Appearances

Tien has no verified media appearances

Work History

1-2008
Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Zuora, Inc.
2-2025
Member Board of Directors at Amplitude
Speaker at BigSpeak Speakers Bureau
Board of Directors at Network for Good
7-2020 - 7-2022
Board Member at Vonage

Education

1996 - 1998
MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business
1986 - 1990
BS from Cornell University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 15 Location : San Francisco, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Zuora, Inc.
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Insights For Selling To Tien

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Help them weigh the risks by sharing objective proof points instead of anecdotes and examples
  • Use phrases like ‘the ROI of this’, ‘X% more’ etc.
  • Showcase your competitive superiority clearly when possible or address it at the minimum

DONT's

  • Avoid inviting them for any social interactions until you have built some rapport with them
  • Avoid making strong statements, instead invite them to agree with you by asking them questions
  • Avoid too much small talk, just a few formal pleasantries should be fine

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Tien is

  • ROI matters the most to them, followed by process and finally proof of results
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Tien

  • They might hesitate a little, but will go ahead and say no when necessary (or asked)

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Tien move?

  • They are unlikely to move very fast, especially when it comes to new products or services
  • Can Tien take some risk or not?

  • They have relatively low risk-appetite and are not very likely to go for something unproven and risky

You And Tien

Personality Compatibility


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