I provide what’s missing
Building something from scratch is complicated, and involves dozens of relational and personal challenges. Most of what’s offered for help to start ups, and written about startups, is formulaic and impersonal. That’s inadequate, most of the time.
My approach to helping starts with three steps:
- Get clarity on current status, to include your situation personally as it relates to all this. Our conversations are designed to provide insight, optimism, and energy.
- Identify strengths, weaknesses, and priorities. I both challenge and support your thinking.
- Figure out (together) how best to fill in the gaps and move forward.
Our work can end there. Or, my role can then be anywhere along this continuum:
| Role: | Examples of support for you: |
|---|---|
| Ongoing thinking partner / coach | Regular video chats for 6 months; up to launch |
| Board member | Build it, lead it, or just participate |
| Temporary or permanent role with functional responsibility | Lead strategy and funding while you develop product and markets |
I bring a unique strength in that I’m focused on the human dynamics while also understanding the “business side.” This is at the core of any startup and the most commonly overlooked dimension.
Our work together should leave you more confident, self-aware, and knowledgeable. If you were to finish with this startup and do another one, you wouldn’t need me in the same way again.
I’m not a lawyer, or MBA, or marketer, or web designer…etc. I do know enough about all of that to be very helpful as you sort through the impossible list of priorities and requirements you face. You’ll still need specialists, but you’ll be much clearer about why and when and for how long.
Compensation can be $$, or equity, or a combination. Every engagement is unique in this regard.
This is usually done confidentially and as opaquely as possible.
About Matt’s Focus on Start Up Organizations
In the mid-90’s, I joined a group of innovators in search of fresh business ideas (The Founders Group). This led to the invention of Microsoft Outlook through the internet, which became Microsoft Exchange and eventually Office 365. (Microsoft’s initial reaction was that it wasn’t possible to do Outlook through the internet.) This innovation was largely the brainchild of Hew Thomas, and the vision for The Founders Group provided by Chris McConnell.
This was embodied in Mi8 Corporation, in which I was an early investor and managed the Advisory Board. The 2000 tech crash led to Mi8 being rolled up into a larger hosting company. We all broke even financially, which was an accomplishment given the crash, and learned a ton.
In the last two decades, I’ve had involvements in a host of startups – technology, professional services, consumer products, travel, “sharing economy”, and social sector. At any given time, I’m likely to be involved in one or two. My roles are usually in a consulting/advisory capacity and a couple as a founder/principal. The focus of those contributions are the human and organizational dynamics, and how the initiative is envisioned and then structured to enable success. I’m skeptical of the traditional formulas for success in startups, as they’ve become a form of fundamentalism that serves investors more than founders and inventors. Instead, I believe in the power of a few smart people engaged in productive, healthy conversation, informed by (but not controlled by) technical and marketplace wisdom.
As of this writing (beginning of 2020), I’m engaged with three startups. My involvement ranges from founder to advisor to F&F investor:
- Truview, a dashboard of digital information for the managers of issue and political campaigns, to allow them to know “what’s going on out there” at a glance.
- A soon-to-be-named light bulb company that will bring affordable full spectrum lighting to the masses, in domestic and commercial settings.
- StayCircles, an app that builds a network of friends to replace paid lodging and enables it through AirBnB like functionality, for personal and business travel, and couples it with a cheap airfare notification that’s better than Scott’s Cheap Flights.
See What They’re Saying
Matt was quick to comprehend our situation. His questions and comments made it obvious that he was picking up and sorting through the key points. He sincerely wanted to know about us; what our goals were, what we were excited about, what scared us, etc. He was very effective in moving us to our decisions and conclusions without delay, but also without taking us off the necessary path. We are now well along the way in implementing our expansion.
We now call upon Matt when we feel “stuck” or when it seems like we could use another perspective on a situation.