Good In Practice
Building a company means constantly testing what you believe against what is actually happening.
The market shifts. A round that should have come together doesn’t. The strategy that got you here stops working. The company outgrows a leader. An opportunity appears that changes what might be possible.
I work with founders on the decisions and work that shape the company. I’m especially useful when the problem crosses boundaries and there isn’t an obvious functional person to call.
I help founders see the full picture, decide what to do, and carry the decision through the company.
It often starts here.
“This round isn’t coming together.”
“I can’t tell whether I’m holding the vision or refusing to face reality.”
“I don’t know if this person can take us where we’re going.”
“My board and I don’t agree on what happens next.”
“I think we’re fucked.”
Founders rarely come to me with a cleanly defined problem. The immediate question rarely stays in one part of the business.
A fundraise can expose a problem with the story. A leadership decision can change the strategy. A board conversation can reveal a deeper disagreement about where the company is going.
The work starts with what founders want to make happen: planning a fundraise, hiring a critical executive, setting strategy, or figuring out what the company needs next.
Capital and fundraising
Company strategy and narrative
Go-to-market
Board and leadership
Internal and external communications
Good judgment gets built in that tension. The founder makes the call and owns what follows.
I spent 10 years in advertising and communications before founding Catch+Release. I went on to lead the company for more than a decade, from bootstrapping it to raising more than $50m from Tier 1 venture investors. I built a new category and worked with companies including Google, Apple, Meta, TikTok, OpenAI, and Mastercard.
I’ve led through very different markets, changed leaders, changed strategy, changed the story, and kept leading while figuring out what came next.
I’ve lived the distance between understanding what needs to happen and being ready to do it.
That experience is at the center of my work with founders.
When there isn’t an obvious person to call.
Your team needs direction. Your investors have their own interests. Your board may see only part of the picture. Your family lives with the consequences without always having the context.
I give founders a place to think honestly with someone who understands both the company problem and the weight of carrying it.
I work closely with a small number of founders at a time.