Published inThe Startup·May 21, 2018Thoroughbreds and Roller-Coasters: How a VC Looks at Consumer Startup Growth Rates“How does my growth rate compare to other companies?” That’s a question I get asked often in the course of my job as a growth advisor working at a VC firm and until now lacked specific benchmarks to answer objectively. Many times, I had to resort to anecdotal feedback. …Startup6 min readStartup6 min read
Published inMadrona Review·Nov 14, 2017Why Podcasts Should be Your Next Marketing ChannelAs a growth advisor to over 70 startups at Madrona Venture Group, I’m involved in discussions like this all the time: “Facebook and Google are too expensive and it’s doing horrible things to my CAC — what other channels are working for people?” In many cases, I bring up podcasts…Podcast4 min readPodcast4 min read
Published inStartup Grind·Jul 14, 2017A 3-step Process to Test your Startup IdeaOver a Weekend and for Under $1000 — Most startups fail. Debates about why are nearly as old as Silicon Valley itself. Some argue it was the team and its inability to execute, while others point to the lack of a market for an idea. Both are critical in achieving ‘product market fit’, but a CB Insights post-mortem…Startup8 min readStartup8 min read
Published inMadrona Review·Jun 8, 2017Why Sun Basket is the Investment I’m Hungriest for in the Meal Kit SpaceMeal Kits are one of the fastest-growing consumer categories lately and one that I have looked at both as a customer and as part of a venture firm. I’m clearly not the only one paying attention. …Startup7 min readStartup7 min read
Published inMadrona Review·May 16, 2017Data Resource Benchmarks for High-Growth StartupsMost startups understand the importance of customer data, but few believe they have enough people working in data-related roles. I see this with startups I work with and also in studies that point to a data engineering shortage. Though I can’t solve this shortage, I did gather some benchmark data…Data Science6 min readData Science6 min read
Published inMadrona Review·Feb 16, 20175 Things I Learned from Studying Facebook Benchmark DataThrough my role at Madrona Venture Group advising startups on growth, I meet a lot of marketers using Facebook to acquire and engage with customers. It’s a powerful platform. Unfortunately, many companies are falling short of their goals and are left frustrated with what they see as unrealized potential. Recently…Marketing4 min readMarketing4 min read
Published inMadrona Review·Sep 28, 201610 Lessons from 1-Year in a VC Growth RoleOne year ago I took advantage of a rare opportunity by accepting a ‘growth role’ at a venture firm. …Growth9 min readGrowth9 min read
Apr 27, 2015Putting Blue Apron to the TestFood tech is one of the hottest sectors around. Nearly every week, I am reading about a new company getting funding with many of them getting traction in the market. …Startup8 min readStartup8 min read
Dec 10, 2014Gathered Table: A New Way to Plan Meals and Grocery ShopIntroduction One of the tasks in my life most in need for a new technology is meal planning. Each week my wife or I figure out how many meals we are going to make, sort through our growing collection of cookbooks or bookmarked recipes for meals that week, and then…Food7 min readFood7 min read
Mar 17, 2014My Experience Buying a Custom Suit with IndochinoIntroduction Past readers of this blog will recognize my affection for ecommerce companies trying to disrupt and improve the ways retailers have long sold to customers. From buying glasses at Warby Parker, to selling diamonds and jewelry online at Blue Nile, to publishing a new website every day customized to…Ecommerce6 min readEcommerce6 min read