I’ve spent my entire career helping software companies grow fast and build something that lasts. I tend to live at the intersection of product and go-to-market, which means I’m usually happiest digging in with founders on the hard questions: Who is this really for? Why will anyone care? How do we turn early traction into a repeatable business? And who does the founder need to become to lead the company through its next stage?

I started my software career at Siebel Systems, helping build its alliances and marketing organizations during the on-premise era. From there, I joined Salesforce, where I spent 12 years doing what I like to call “failing upward.” I ran Revenue Operations, moved into product, and eventually led several of our larger acquired business units. It gave me a front-row seat to what it looks like to build a category-defining software company, including the parts that are far less tidy than they appear from the outside.

I then decided to test my own pre-revenue entrepreneurial mettle as COO of SmartRecruiters. That experience gave me an entirely different appreciation for the “hard things about hard things.” It is much easier to give advice about building a company than it is to sit in the chair and make decisions when the answers are not obvious, the resources are limited, and everything feels urgent. SmartRecruiters went on to become a unicorn, but I still remember what those earliest days felt like.

That operating experience shapes how I work with founders today. I’m direct, I ask a lot of questions, and I’m not afraid to push when I think there is a harder but better answer. I care deeply about product strategy, positioning, go-to-market, leadership, and building the systems that allow a company to scale. I also know that the company and the founder are evolving at the same time. Helping someone grow into the leader their company needs is one of the most rewarding parts of this job.

I’m especially excited by founders with audacious visions for how AI can change the way businesses operate. I care less about fitting a company into a perfectly defined box and more about whether the founder is exceptional, the problem matters, and the vision is big enough to pull everyone forward.

When I’m not visiting founders, I live in Santa Barbara with my wife, Lisa, and our dogs, Gigi and Poppy. My children have flown the coop but promise to visit a lot. In my downtime, you’ll find me messing around with AI, crushing my Tonal, obsessing over Warriors basketball and 49ers football, making Rhône-style wine, or stealing away a few hours to play Japanese RPGs.