David’s super power is finding product-market fit and scalable, repeatable business models

I am an experienced 10x entrepreneur and 5x intrapreneur. I founded Maverick Direct Marketing Holdings, one of the first startup studios in the U.S. We created five profitable startups in a row with $5K of invested capital, a feat that has a one in 32 quadrillion probability of success (1/(2000^5) = 32x10^15). Our startups were in direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing, adtech, marketing tech, e-commerce, consumer data, machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Collectively, these startups generated a 1,460x cash-over-cash return. I formalized the studio model by founding InsightStudios, a second startup studio, with a small team of supportive investors. We developed five startups in consumer data, in-real-life social media, transportation, education and innovation services. As a team, we identified meaningful Customer problems, solved them with technology and built scalable businesses around them. Through the ups and downs of the startup journey, I’ve developed an intuitive ability to understand what Customers want and provide it in a compelling product or service that generates profitable growth.

In addition to my startup adventures, I’m also an experienced product visionary and product leader with a proven track record of innovation success at five Fortune 500 companies including Amazon, Experian, AT&T Wireless, P&G and Yesmail. Most recently, I worked as a Senior Leader in Amazon’s e-commerce business where I led the creation and launch of a new business to address a multi-billion dollar B2B market opportunity. I created new $1.5 billion business in just 90 days at AT&T Wireless and transformed the wireless industry into what is it today. 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 to InfoUSA in 18 months creating $30 million in incremental enterprise value with no additional capital. I helped successfully turn around a $60 million division in less than 12 months at Experian by creating new engines of growth enabling our Customers to new levels of data integration across the enterprise. I started my career as an engineer in product development at Procter & Gamble which was a formative experience where I learned how to get insights from Customers and turn them into innovative products and business models.

My background combines startup experience together with a proven track record of growing business units within large companies. My obsession with Customers and ability to develop innovative business models that scale helps make me an effective leader and innovator.

STARTUPS DAVID FOUNDED:

FounderDojo (2023 to present) we help talented, educated professionals go from a corporate job they dislike to a successful entrepreneurial career so they can experience financial independence, freedom and prosperity and realize their dreams of creating a flourishing and profitable business.

ComeWith (2021 to present) is a IRL (In Real Life) network that helps expand your network of real friends.

InsightStudios (2021 to present) is a startup studio. We are building 150 startups using a proven method for finding product-market fit and scalable paths to Customers.

Datalove (2019 to present) is a life event data company. We use life event data to improve marketing performance.

Disruptive Innovation Services (2016 to 2017) was a product development consultancy that helped large enterprises learn how to innovate like a startup. David shuttered the business so he could focus on independent startups.

FounderSensei (2013 to 2015) is a new kind of school and startup accelerator. It was created in 2013 as FounderSensei in partnership with Techstars Chicago to create a farm team of entrepreneurs who weren’t quite ready for the Techstars accelerator. David continues to mentor entrepreneurs today while improving the Insight-Driven Iteration methodology to increase startup success rates.

LegitLead (2013 - 2015) was a lead scoring company focused on the for-profit education market. Successful exit in 2016.

Life Phase Media (2008 to 2011) was a technology consulting firm that helped established ad tech businesses create disruptive innovations and increased growth. Created successful ad tech business units for established corporations.

Maverick Direct Marketing (2003 - 2019) was a startup studio that created five successful startups and a 100% startup success rate. We focused on direct marketing and ad tech businesses.

BargainDepot (2003 - 2008) was a an e-commerce business in the fashion accessories market. David bootstrapped the business to profitability and successfully exited in 2008.

e360Insight (2001 - 2008) was an email marketing company focused on the affiliate marketing space. David bootstrapped the business to profitability. Successful exit in 2008.

e360Data (2002 to 2019) was a consumer data company. David bootstrapped the business to profitability. e360 was a cash cow for 17 years and helped fund eight additional startup projects. David shuttered the business in 2019 to focus on other opportunities.

Brandango (1998) was an enterprise data integration company founded within Divine Interventures. Divine was one of the first startup studios created and the first of its kind in Chicago. Divine failed during the dot com bust in 1999 and took Brandango with it.

CORPORATE INNOVATION PROJECTS:

Amazon Senior Leader & Entrepreneur-In-Residence - David’s primary responsibility was developing a new business strategy and launch plan for entering a $82 billion market segment by leveraging Amazon’s on-demand, apparel manufacturing capabilities.

Created an intensive, off-site training program for corporations that wanted to innovate at startup speed. Clients included P&G, John Deere, American Family Insurance, CUNA Mutual Company, SC Johnson and others.

Yesmail, General Manager & Senior Vice President of Data Services - David led the turnaround effort and achieved profitability for the first time in company history. Successfully sold the business to Infogroup in 18 months from start of project.

Experian, Vice President of Marketing & Strategy for TEC business unit - David led the turnaround and successfully turned around a shrinking business unit by listening to Customers, discovering meaningful problems to solve and solving them with new products.

AT&T Wireless, Director Marketing Consumer and Small Business - David led the product, pricing and go-to-market strategy that created a $1.5BN product in 90 days.