Recent Work
Recent Work
CHIEF OF STAFF & Operations Support for startups
I have spent my career building companies and entrepreneurs in which I am personally or financially invested. I’m usually looking for people and ideas that push the envelope, challenging the prevailing norms of their industry.
See below for types of engagements that excite me these days.
CHIEF OF STAFF & Operations Support for startups
I have spent my entire career building companies and entrepreneurs in which I am personally or financially invested. I’m usually looking for people and ideas that push the envelope, challenging the prevailing norms of their industry.
See below for types of engagements that excite me these days.
Revenue-First, Fundraising-Lite Ventures
Having done the venture thing, I’m solidly in the camp of entrepreneurs who know the value of securing paid customers early and before investors find comfort in a business. The solid, profitable businesses run by people who know the value of their equity are very interesting to operators like me.
I write small checks (<$25K) and/or add value within the business.
Chief-of-Staff Engagements
Not only is it lonely as a founder, but you are functionally irreplaceable – the business dies without you. Many founders thrive with proxy expertise to run projects, meet strategic goals, manage a growing team and other demands on the executive(s).
I don’t do coaching – I’m allergic to the idea. It’s sleeves-up, in-the-business work or nothing for me.
A Chief of Staff is practical, applied, multi-disciplinary, and capacity-building for founders.
I enjoy this work immensely.
Spin-Outs / New MarketS / Major pivots
Many excellent companies struggle to replicate prior successes in emerging markets and products. The ingredients are often there, but a capable partner to translate the team and offering into a compelling innovation can be valuable. Examples include hardware companies creating a value-added software solution, a platform company creating an allied consulting practice, or a product company turning on ecommerce for the first time.
Embedding a practiced entrepreneur can unlock significant potential for emerging opportunities.
Add me to your team.
Existential Start-Up Mode
If a founder can avoid the faux-reality of “Shark Tank” entrepreneurialism, they might find themselves with the 99% of founders wanting to start a real business with personal or borrowed capital. The stakes couldn’t be higher for these people – avoidable mistakes can be deadly to these ventures. I refer to this stage as “existential” business-building – knowing and feeling the rhythm of your business, having to make ends meet to unlock the next incremental opportunity.
I help first-time entrepreneurs have enough confidence to make the “jump” by building operating models, validating their offerings (up front and over time) and giving them just enough operational support to avoid the common pitfalls.
Bring me on to support your venture.
