Ray Zinn led Micrel Semiconductor for 37 years, making him the longest-serving CEO in Silicon Valley.

Instead of raising venture capital, he bootstrapped the company using bank financing and disciplined growth. Over nearly four decades, Micrel survived eight semiconductor downturns, stayed profitable almost every year, and ultimately created more than $800 million in equity value.

In this conversation, Ray explains the leadership principles behind that endurance — including why founder burnout is usually caused by internal conflict rather than workload, and how companies should prepare for industry downturns.

Guest Micro-Bio

Featuring Ray Zinn, Founder and former CEO of Micrel Semiconductor.

Ray Zinn co-founded Micrel in 1978 and ran the company for 37 years. He is the author of Tough Things First and The Essential Leader.

Host Micro-Bio

Hosted by Jörn Menninger, Founder & Editor-in-Chief at Startuprad.io — the authority on German, Swiss & Austrian startups.

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Ray Zinn: Bootstrapping Micrel Through Eight Semiconductor Cycles