Fifteen From Fifteen
Welcome!
Fifteen From Fifteen is a short, reflective e-book drawn from fifteen years inside ServiceNow. Through a series of brief essays, it explores moments, decisions, and lessons learned while helping build a company over time—what held, what broke, and what mattered more than expected. Part memoir and part field notes, this book offers valuable leadership insights and an honest look at business culture, as well as the human side of building something that lasts.
Wally Marx Jr.
About Me
Wallace Marx Jr., also known as Wally Marx, is a writer, speaker, and interviewer with extensive experience in technology leadership. His work delves into the intersection of business culture, strategy, and transformation in high-growth companies. During his impressive fifteen-year tenure at ServiceNow—spanning from its early startup days to its emergence as a multi-billion-dollar platform giant—he successfully built and led teams that launched innovative capabilities, established global partnerships, and contributed to the company’s unique business culture.
Before his journey in technology, Wally explored diverse paths in the guitar industry, coupon sector, and rock ’n’ roll, which have shaped his belief that such varied experiences lead to sharper insights. He authored Gibson Amplifiers, 1933–2008: 75 Years of the Gold Tone and has contributed to several prominent guitar magazines, including Premier Guitar, Vintage Guitar, and Guitar Player. As a seasoned interviewer, Wally has conducted numerous in-depth conversations for the NAMM Oral History Project with notable figures in the music industry. He frequently shares his leadership insights, focusing on culture and business, through essays on LinkedIn.
His upcoming book on the tech giant ServiceNow, titled Insurmountable Opportunity: How Code, Culture, and Customers Created a Multi-Billion-Dollar Cloud Giant, combines insider history with valuable lessons on leadership, operational execution, and the psychology of business at scale. An engaging storyteller with a keen understanding of the human side of business, Wally speaks to audiences about building resilient teams, navigating rapid change, and leveraging the cultural forces that drive performance. He resides in Encinitas, California, where he writes, gardens, and occasionally returns to the stage with his guitar.
What I Do
I help people and organizations see the big picture—and act on it.
Through my writing, I share leadership insights and tell the inside stories of how ideas become reality, how business culture shapes performance, and how leaders navigate the messy, human side of business. My talks and workshops draw on fifteen years at the front lines of hyper-growth, showing teams how to adapt, innovate, and maintain their edge when the pace feels impossible.
Whether on stage, on the page, or in conversation, I bring hard-earned insights, straight talk, and stories that stick, all while emphasizing the importance of a strong business culture.
My Vision
To spark ideas, share truths, and provide people with the tools to shape the future they desire.
I believe great work begins with clarity—understanding where you’re headed, why it matters, and how you’ll reach your goals. My vision is to assist leaders and teams in cultivating a positive business culture that rewards curiosity, execution, and integrity, while remaining adaptable in an ever-changing world.
Through books, talks, and workshops, I strive to share leadership insights that inspire action—not just applause.