I like to do new things
Entrepreneur. Maverick. Sensei.
What I Do
My super power is finding product-market fit, scalable, repeatable business models and leading high-performance teams to success
I am an entrepreneur and technology executive that created billions in enterprise value by leading cross-functional product, engineering, marketing, sales and innovation teams at some of the best companies in the world (Amazon, P&G, AT&T Wireless, Experian, Yesmail and eight startups). My deep operating experience combined with pattern recognition skills enable me to find success in challenging environments. I have a keen ability to find product-market fit and scalable business models that lead to businesses success. As a transformational leader, I inspire people and bring out the best in others. I have a passion for doing new things and for succeeding where others have failed.
As a multiple startup Founder, I bootstrapped our first five startups to profitability, a feat that had a one in 32 quadrillion probability of success (1/(2000^5) = 32x10^15). In my first startup studio, our startups created millions in value and generated a 1,460x cash-over-cash return. I’ve founded companies in direct/performance marketing, online marketing, consumer data, analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), e-commerce and in-real-life social media market segments. With all of our startups, we identified meaningful Customer problems, solved them with software or data technologies and built profitable businesses around them. Through the ups and downs of business cycles, I’ve developed an intuitive ability to understand what Customers need and provide it in a compelling technology product or service that scales profitably.
As a corporate executive, I led the creation and launch of a new business at Amazon as an entrepreneur-in-residence (EIR). I helped create a unicorn within AT&T Wireless by adding $1.5 billion in enterprise value in 90 days while re-inventing wireless service in the U.S. I helped turn around Yesmail, the first publicly-traded email marketing company, by developing breakthrough products, achieving profitability for the first time in company history and successfully selling the business creating $30 million in enterprise value in just 18 months. I designed a new information products which helped turnaround a $60 million division at Experian, turning negative into positive growth in less than 12 months. I started my career as an engineer in product development at Procter & Gamble where I developed a solid foundation of uncovering insights from customers and integrating them into product and business model design in a way that leads to higher growth.
My background is somewhat unique in that I combine deep startup operating experience together with a proven track record of growing business units within large and middle-market companies. I’ve been blessed with great experiences and I am grateful to have worked with some of the best and most-talented professionals in the world. If you have a new growth opportunity or if you are struggling to find success with an existing business, there’s a good chance I can be helpful.
“David has a unique ability to make you believe in what you are doing. He inspires me to do my best work. Under David’s leadership, I know my work matters. I always end up believing our plan is going to work because he makes me believe it’s possible.” - Karen Zhang, Data Scientist, PhD, Yesmail.
I collaborate with a team of experienced entrepreneurs who have generated over $4BN in startup exits. In addition to building startups in our studio based on our ideas, we also build startups and create new engines of growth for established businesses. Companies can hire us on a consulting basis or they can invest in a custom-made startup that we create and run with corporate sponsorship.
Education
Harvard Business School
Master’s of Business Administration (MBA) with a focus on General Management, information systems and disruptive Innovation.
Purdue University, School of Engineering
Bachelor’s of Science (BS) in Chemical Engineering. Completed four co-op sessions with Dow Chemical, 3M (x2) and Procter & Gamble while graduating in three years on campus.
Accomplishments
Summary
Founded eight startups over a 15-year period. Six startups were profitable and three generated exits. Our startup projects created millions in value and generated a 1,460x cash-over-cash return providing validation that a well-run startup studio outperforms the best venture funds.
Founded InsightStudios as a startup studio that leverages everything I’ve learned building startups. We build startups using a proven method of finding product-market fit and scalable business models called Insight-Driven Iteration.
Launched new products and created new engines of growth at Amazon, AT&T Wireless, Experian, Yesmail and Procter & Gamble resulting in over $3 billion of incremental enterprise value.
Startups I’ve Founded
e360Insight was a predictive email marketing company. We developed technology that could predict offer click-through rates at the Customer level enabling higher click-through rates, conversion rates and return-on-marketing-investment. The company was profitable in the first two months and grew 202% per year with 48 consecutive months of profitability. We grew the business to over 500 million email messages per month. Successful exit: We sold the company to DealGenius.
BargainDepot was a a discount, e-commerce company similar to Overstock.com. Founded the business with only $5K in startup capital and grew it to $3.0 million revenue in four years. After initial Customer validation, we developed a fully operational pick-pack-and-ship warehouse in Wheeling, IL to fulfill orders from our website. We build all of our e-commerce applications from scratch in order to optimize operational efficiency. Successful exit: We sold the company to DealGenius.
Acquisition Science (A16E.com) was a data company specializing in compiled online consumer omnichannel data. We created the first 250 million record consumer omnichannel database with 100% opt-in permission. Our data was used to connect online and offline data sources for data enhancement, predictive analytics and advanced targeting in online marketing applications. The business was profitable in its first year and was profitable for 11 consecutive years. Successful exit: The business was merged with Datalove in 2016.
LegitLead was a lead scoring SaaS (Software-As-A-Service) business designed to predict inquiry conversion rates from form to paying student in the for-profit education industry. We developed a predictive analytics application based on consumer big data from customer and third-party data sources and breakthrough data science technology and algorithms. Out technology created a 5x improvement in lead conversion efficiency versus Targus, the leading lead scoring service provider and a $4 billion public company. Successful exit: We sold the company to a strategic buy under confidential terms.
Innovation Outpost was a new kind of outsourced professional service designed to develop and scale new, disruptive business models for established business. Visionary CEOs hired us to create new engines of growth based on management team’s vision of where the market was going. We provided startup expertise and incremental management bandwidth which allowed our clients to do new things while continuing to stay focused on the core business. Our clients included Epic Advertising, Procter & Gamble, John Deere, American Family Insurance, Guaranteed Rate, CUNA Mutual Company and SC Johnson.
FounderSensei was a startup school for newbie founders who want to learn how to build profitable startups from scratch. FounderSensei was rated the #1 lean startup training program in the world by UP Global. I started the school as an in-person class and then expanded it to an online learning platform. I invented a scientific method called Insight-Driven Iteration for testing ideas with Customers. I created the school as a give back to the startup community. I suspended the school in 2019 and re-launched it in 2023 as a SaaS business called FounderDojo.
Datalove is a life event data company. We compile consumer data who are experiencing life event changes, like getting married, having babies, getting divorced. We identify consumers who are uniquely open to relevant products and services during these life event changes. We use data to create custom audiences on Facebook and other social media platforms to generate higher response rates, conversion rates and return-on-marketing-investment. The business is currently pivoting to a loyalty platform to create and leverage transactional data.
ComeWith is a cure for loneliness. It’s the best way to make new friends doing things you love. Customers can discover new friends, create and participate in shared experiences, and deepen relationships with friends in an IRL (In-Real-Life) social network. We grew the business to over 12K users in the first six months. We created and ran over 500 IRL experiences in 60 cities in 90 days. We learned a lot from these experiments and are in the process of splitting this startup into five different businesses focusing on larger, adjacent problems in the space.
FounderDojo is a startup school and software company (SaaS) that teaches founders a proven process for getting traction with Customers and cracking the code on their business models. FounderDojo is a refreshed iteration from FounderSensei, which was rated the #1 lean startup training program in the world by UP Global in 2013. Our roadmap includes a self-serve training program for founders, innovation software to help founders find PMF and a fundraising platform. You can learn more as a founder or investor at FounderDojo.com
Established Business Experience
Amazon, Senior Leader New Initiative & Entrepreneur-In-Residence (EIR). My primary responsibility was to develop a strategy and business plan for entering a $82 billion market by leveraging Amazon’s on-demand, apparel manufacturing capabilities. I identified the most attractive market segment, conducted in-depth Customer research to understand unmet needs, identified problems to be solved and jobs to be done and developed product requirements designed to earn Customer trust. In addition, I developed a cost-effective, go-to-market strategy and plan that generates $350MM in revenue at 35% contribution margin. I built a four-person startup launch team, secured funding and developed the first version of our product resulting in early Customer traction.
AT&T Wireless, Consumer & Small Business Marketing Leader. Launched a wireless startup to cover the remaining 50% of US population after acquiring McCaw Cellular. Ran marketing for consumer and small business franchise for Midwestern digital PCS region (Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Cincinnati) Acquired customers and achieved $20 million in revenue in the first 10 months. Created the AT &T Digital One Rate that became a unicorn business ($1.5BN increase in market cap) in 90 days. Digital One Rate fundamentally changed the entire wireless industry and created the structure that still exists today.
Experian, Vice President Marketing & Strategy. Developed strategic growth plan the $57 million TEC (Telecommunications, Energy and Cable) division of risk, direct marketing and directory assistance products; strategic plan included defining target customer set, priority application areas, product line up and product development strategy to turn business unit into a growth engine for the company. Successfully turned around top-line growth from negative 15% to positive 12% in less than 10 months.
Yesmail, Senior Vice President of Data Services. Turned around fledging email marketing company and achieved profitability for the first time in its history. Primarily responsible for improving operating margins and achieving profitability for a $15MM business. Within first 12 months, new products contributed 45% of total revenue and 60% of total operating income. Successfully turned around business from $6 million annual loss to $1.2 million EBITDA in 15 months with no capital expenditure.
Procter & Gamble, Product Development Engineer. P&G was a formative experience and my first job out of college. I developed new products for the health care consumer goods category under Crest, Scope, Peridex brand names. Projects include business development, global market opportunity assessment, competitive analysis, consumer & professional market research and direct response advertising.
Who I Am
If you’re not growing,
you’re dying
There’s no standing still in life. We are all in a stream of energy and well-being. If you resist the current, it’s going to be a rough ride. Instead, point your boat downstream and go with the flow. Follow your highest excitement and it will lead you to everything you need.
Where did I come from?
I grew up as a middle-class kid in Midland, Michigan. My dad was a Chemical Engineer, artist, painter, writer and creator. He was a genius. My mom stayed at home to raise five kids until my youngest brother was in school when she studied nursing and started working in the hospital to pay for our college education.
Money was tight and I was encouraged to work from an early age. I was a lawn mower, a house cleaner, a paperboy and a founded a successful painting business in high school. I also worked as a janitor at a printing press when I was 13. My parents had to authorize a special work permit for me to get the job. I was also a locker room attendant, a taco bell employee, and the waiter captain at Kappa Alpha Theta sorority in college. I’ve been working my entire life and I love the feeling of accomplishment from a job well done.
I was a good student and got mostly A’s in all my classes. I was a quarterback, a safety and captain of the football team. I’ve been in leadership roles my entire life. I typically lead by example with my intellect and a strong work ethic.
