Industry Experience

Management

---

While technology started my career, I’ve learned the same technical detailed understanding and focus on data that provides the means to excel in technology, also provides me an understanding of business. The combination of figuring out how to start my own companies and building a technical infrastructure are similar. This along with developing vision, mission, and management philosophies, has propelled me for most of my career.

As referenced in other parts of this site, I am an avid book reader, audible book listener, and podcast listener. I also spend time on Twitter, Reddit, and LinkedIn following current discussions. In the earlier days, it was CompuServe, Source, Genie, and local dial-up BBS’s.

My earliest business education came from my attorney who also was an investor and worked with a few of the billion dollar companies that came out of the ’80s and ’90s. A Stanford grad, his guidance gave me an early glimpse into where I am today. Luckily I was able to work off some of my bills providing computer support to the firm he was a partner in. He is one of my early mentors and business friends.

Early books that influenced me were those by Michael Gerber The E-Myth, Tom Peters In Search of Excellence, and Andy Grove High Output Management. During the 1980s and 1990s, my ratio of technical to business books was higher and likely 5 to 1. Whereas today that number is closer to 1 to 1 and likely 1 to 2.

I’ve also learned from the various partners I’ve worked with. Some I still bounce questions off of to this day even though we are no longer in the same business. While not all these relationships survived the business as I was told that nothing strains a business relationship like either making a lot of money or losing a lot of money. I’m still grateful for all the learning experiences, good and bad.

I’ve now founded, been a founding partner, or been an advisor in 9 businesses. Not all made money and only 6 had employees over 10 with one reaching over 200 employees. I’ve also been involved in the creation of several companies through angel investing or working with friends and business associates to create their companies. I’ve handled a variety of needs from ensuring registration with multiple government agencies, setting up accounting systems, and developing compensation plans. I tended to be the person who took on the misc projects and got them done which I’m also grateful for as it provided me a most varied set of experiences.

To take 30+ years of experience and write it down, would take a book. Though in summary, I believe in a written vision and mission that is taught religiously to everyone in the organization. There has to be a clear purpose or “why” in the vision for people to relate to. Also setting organization objectives and results and cascading them down throughout the organization lets departments and individuals own their contributions to the results. Though there is a science to prove this works, I still consider the act of doing this an art and something I’m still practicing and improving.