02 — Entrepreneurship
Built from conviction, shaped by reality.
A record of ventures started, grown, and learned from — each one a different bet on what was possible.
The Mindset
Entrepreneurship has been the most demanding and most rewarding chapter of my career. Building something from nothing — with limited resources, incomplete information, and no guarantee of success — sharpens every instinct.
The ventures below span different industries and stages. Some scaled. Some pivoted. All of them taught me something I couldn't have learned any other way.
Ventures
MOBILOCITY - Minneapolis, MN Owner and Principal, 2007 to 2012 Developed concept of delivering readable bar codes on mobile devices. Oversaw development of programming which successfully rendered various forms of bar codes and QR codes which could be successfully scanned within one second with 99% effective rate. Successfully deployed in both retail and sports applications. ULTRA DIRECT, INC. – Minneapolis, MN Owner and Principal, 1995 to 2001 Founded and built this agency to an $8 million organization delivering direct marketing client services that included creative development, database management, media sourcing and production, and partnership development. Clients included MCI, Musicland, Purina, Northwest Airlines, and Midwest Express Airlines. Highlights include introduction of Purina Pet Credit Card. Created the concept, structured the business plan, and managed the RFP process relative to selection of issuing bank for the Purina Pet Credit Card. Received front-page coverage of USA TODAY for innovativeness in marketing concept. Exceeded card enrollment expectations by 50%.
What I've Learned
Timing is a strategy.
The best idea at the wrong moment fails. The right idea at the right moment compounds. Learning to read timing — market, team, capital — is the meta-skill.
Hire for judgment, not just skill.
Early teams need people who can operate in ambiguity. Skills can be learned; the ability to make good decisions with incomplete information is rare.
Conviction is a resource.
Building something new requires sustained belief in the face of doubt — from investors, from the market, from yourself. Protecting that conviction is part of the job.
Building something early-stage?
I work with a small number of founders each year — helping them think through the hardest early questions before they become expensive mistakes.