Show Notes
Most executives run from a company that's about to collapse. Phil Cox ran toward it. He was the COO of Silicon Valley Bank the day $42 billion left in a single afternoon, and the bank was gone by morning.
The former Silicon Valley Bank COO breaks down how a bank built on safe government bonds became the fastest bank failure in U.S. history, why 93% of its deposits were uninsured, and what it was actually like inside the building during the 40 hours nobody saw. He also reveals why executive bonuses got paid out the same morning regulators seized the bank, what it was like watching longtime employees show up to work the week their retirement savings hit zero, and the business he spent 10 years building that ended up selling for one pound. You'll also hear what he'd change if he could go back, and why he still doesn't tell most people where he used to work.
Watch to understand what really took down Silicon Valley Bank, and what nobody got right about it.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
How to protect your business if your bank suddenly can't move your money Why 93% of Silicon Valley Bank's deposits were uninsured when it collapsed Why bonuses were paid out the same morning regulators seized the bank
CHAPTERS 00:00 The $42 billion bank run that changed banking forever 01:21 What really caused Silicon Valley Bank to fail 05:00 Why the bank’s investment strategy made sense at the time 11:28 The announcement that triggered the panic 15:43 How social media accelerated the first digital bank run 18:14 Inside the operations room during the collapse 22:36 The moment the bank was taken over 25:06 What happened after regulators seized SVB 28:36 Why Phil Cox chose to stay 30:28 Leadership, accountability, and executive decisions 35:56 Did venture capital firms have another choice? 40:36 How crisis changed Phil’s leadership forever 43:57 Building a culture that survives adversity 48:32 What Phil would change with hindsight 50:47 Living with the SVB legacy 54:57 What every business owner can learn from high-growth companies 58:07 The most important rule for leading through a crisis
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