For 18 years I have been mastering bootstrapping hi-tech product startups & pivoting through multiple business models in a unique way - by founding ridesharing / carpooling startups: eCarpool (web & software:1999-2001), Commuter Station (software & social: 2004-08), & Ride Station (social:2012-13 & mobile: 2015-). eCarpool was able to get a customer (Sun) & angel funding commitment, Commuter Station got validation from multiple customers (Oracle, eBay, IBM, Kaiser, Boeing, Santa Barbara county) & angel investors, and RideStation was able to attract angel funding in 2015. Many future VC-funded startups died trying: ZimRide (2007-13, $15M) & Goose (2006-08) - enterprise software, YC-funded RideJoy (consumer, long-distance: 2011 -13, $1.3M). In 2005, I founded Agile Entrepreneurs (AE) to get founders to share lessons & resources to reduce risk & cost, pioneering pay-by-productivity Agile contracts to minimize burn-rate & maximizi
The Agile Entrepreneur - Make Your Own Mistakes, Learn From Mine!
Through this blog, I share my individual entrepreneurial journey from the last day of the dotcom days to when I first founded: 1. eCarpool.com: 1999-2001, pivoting from Dotcom to Enterprise 2. RideStation 2004-2008, pivoting from Enterprise to Social business model 3. Crystal Ball: 2005-2007; a global Agile Product development team for startups; 4. Agile Entrepreneurs: 2005-now, helping entrepreneurs help each other with weekly strategy sessions and resources.