Values
The values that guide my approach to building systems and businesses. I believe that empathy is critical in the role - if you can feel what the customer feels, want what the customer wants/needs - you are on a path to delivering true value. I offer safety. Know your team. Each team member is an individual. Let them think freely. Let them discover. Let them grow. And don’t manage them as if they’re all the same, as if they are interchangeable. I guarantee you, they are not.
I believe in being decisive and action-oriented. I prefer to move fast and back up when necessary rather than sit and think for too long. I believe in commitment, ownership and accountability. If it's yours to own, own it - if you succeed, great. If you fall short, learn from it, but either way, own it. Analysis, creativity, and flexibility drive my decision making. I prefer to think before I act. I prefer to collect and interpret information in order to make educated decisions. And I prefer to assess/measure outcomes to know how those decisions play out against the objectives. But all decisions are subject to change when new information or new learning suggests a better, more practical path.
I prefer influence over authority. There is great value in diversity of opinion and I value the discussion, the collaboration, the negotiation, the trial, and the error. I strive for perfection but I’m satisfied by excellence. To accept less might be a decision but it is never a goal.
My most central value is Trust. I cannot emphasize enough how important trust is in my professional relationships, team relationships, customer relationships, and personal life. If trust is not valued in an organization, I cannot be part of it.
Achievements
I've started two companies (one as founder and one as employee #3)
I've raised over $6 Million.
I've been involved in the sale of two companies ($10M and $100M)
I’ve supported two large acquisitions through due diligence and technical leadership.
I've worked through 2 company IPOs
I've been a consultant
I've been an employee
I've hired people
(and regrettably fired people.)