When authorities transferred me from the federal prison in Florence to the facility in Lompoc, I knew it was time to reevaluate my preparations for life after incarceration. For the first 17 years of my imprisonment, my focus remained on education. From the beginning, I followed a three-pronged plan:
- Earn university degrees,
- Contribute to society in meaningful, measurable ways, and
- Build a strong support network.
These pillars gave me purpose and direction, but as I progressed, I recognized the truth of a lesson I learned from Marshall Goldsmith’s book: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There.
The strategies that had sustained me through my first decade and a half in prison would not suffice as I approached the next phase of my journey. I had to think more intentionally about how I would earn a living upon release. Although I didn’t know exactly when my release would come, I knew that, at worst, I would serve 26 years, leaving less than a decade to prepare for the next chapter of my life.
One day, while sitting in the visiting area at Lompoc with my wife, Carole, I told her about an article I’d read in The Wall Street Journal. The article described a government investigation into Greg Reyes, the CEO of Brocade Communications. It caught my attention immediately.
Several years earlier, during the rise of the internet, I devoted hundreds of hours each year reading to learn more about business. I read Investor’s Business Daily, books, magazines, and watched CNBC to learn from business leaders.
I wanted to understand the companies that were building the infrastructure of the digital age. Brocade Communications stood out as a critical player, specializing in networking solutions that allowed servers and storage systems to communicate efficiently. Greg Reyes, as the leader of Brocade, often appeared in financial media, and I admired his business acumen and leadership.
A front-page story in the Wall Street Journal story hinted at trouble. When such a high-profile figure becomes the subject of a government investigation, the fallout often escalates from civil scrutiny to criminal charges. During our visit, I told Carole that it was likely only a matter of time before prosecutors brought a case against Reyes.
“He’s the kind of person I need to learn from as I prepare for this final stretch,” I said to her. Since he lived in Silicon Valley, I anticipated that if prosecutors brought a case, they’d do anything to convict him, and he’d likely serve the sentence at Lompoc, so I looked forward to meeting him.
Later, I transferred to a federal prison near Bakersfield.
Meeting Greg Reyes
In 2010, while walking around the prison’s track, I noticed a man with a commanding presence. He carried himself like a general—someone accustomed to responsibility and leadership.
I introduced myself, and he told me his name was Greg. When I asked about his background, or what he did in the real world, he told me that he had been the CEO of a technology company. Instantly, I connected the dots.
“You’re Greg Reyes,” I said.
He stepped back, visibly skeptical about how someone in prison would know his name. I explained that I had followed his career for years, first through CNBC interviews and later through the Wall Street Journal articles chronicling his legal troubles. I also mentioned reading profiles in Forbes that described him as one of the youngest people to build a multi-billion dollar company, and a net worth of more than $1 billion before he turned 40.
That conversation marked the beginning of a friendship that deeply enriched my life. Greg shared his story with me—a narrative of remarkable achievements, tough lessons, and resilience. He spoke about his early career, how he strategically positioned himself to lead Brocade, and how he navigated the challenges of being its first professional CEO. He also shared how trusted advisers, including his father’s friend Larry Sonsini, played pivotal roles in shaping his approach to corporate governance—and later became central figures in his downfall.
Greg’s troubles began when Sonsini, along with other trusted colleagues like Mike Byrd, cooperated with prosecutors during an investigation into stock-option backdating. Greg described how the government’s case advanced despite the lack of malicious intent on his part. Ultimately, he was convicted, though the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals later overturned the verdict due to prosecutorial misconduct. Yet, the government pursued a second trial, and Greg received a 15-month sentence.
A Privilege to Learn
As it would be for anyone, the prison experience challenged Greg and his family. Yet I considered it a privilege to learn from someone who had such different experiences than me. While I’d spent my time incarcerated, he built a company that had a global influence. As the famous venture capitalists Marc Andreeson and Ben Horwitz later said, in many ways Greg played a role in founding cloud computing.
I urged Greg to document his story. “If you don’t write your story,” I told him, “the government’s version of events will become the only record. Let’s use this time to share the lessons you’ve learned—lessons about building a great company and navigating the betrayals that led to your conviction.”
As Greg recounted his journey, I took notes and helped draft the manuscript by hand. Together, we produced Undefeated, a memoir that reveals the influences that shaped his decisions, the leadership principles that drove Brocade’s meteoric rise, and the personal resilience he cultivated through adversity. Brocade grew from a startup to a company with a market capitalization of $25 billion, an extraordinary accomplishment during an era when few companies achieved such exponential growth.
Running the Race
Greg’s discipline and determination extended beyond his business achievements. During our time at Taft, he inspired me to run my first marathon-length distance with him. He inspired me to push myself physically, mentally, and emotionally. Whether through our runs, our conversations, or our collaborative writing, Greg consistently motivated me to strive for excellence.
Looking back, I feel fortunate to have called Greg a friend. He taught me invaluable lessons about leadership, resilience, and the importance of owning one’s narrative—lessons that continue to shape my approach to life and work today.
Self-Directed Learning Question:
- How are you using your time today to build relationships with people who inspire you to think bigger, work harder, and prepare more effectively for the future?
