Startup Moves On - A Space Oddity

The journey of a startup is often described as a space odyssey often ending in disaster and sometimes in exultant triumph. Ten percent of all startups fail within the first year, with a cumulative twenty percent by end of year two and ninety percent failing by end of year five. For those who make it into year six and beyond, only a third of those with VC backing that have made it through a Series C reach a successful exit. Startups who reach an exit are five to ten times more likely to be acquired than to reach an initial public offering (IPO). This leaves only one to two percent of startups able to achieve the IPO goal. I have contributed to or lead as an executive companies with each of those outcomes from the first Indo-American founded company to reach an IPO on Nasdaq to Cisco Systems to startups that fell short of the ultimate success.

When I was asked to join WhiteStar as their CRO, they were 9 years into R&D with several failed launches. Lots of questions were asked about whether it was a technology seeking a problem to solve or whether they were ahead of the market needs. Turns out, as AI is reaching its stride of impact to the internet, it was a little of both and I decided to jump in.

David Bowie 1967 Space Oddity album cover 1972 RCA release

I am pleased to report that I successfully guided a launch out of "stealth mode" into an orbit of commercial market engagement for their revolutionary network security technology. This included generating a $6M sales funnel in 4 months with global Fortune 50 health care, US Fortune 500 banking, Legal, and US Government.  It also included exercising some savvy PR and media engagement to position WhiteStar in the top 3% on investor board, Crunchbase. 

Just as in some rare occasions some high school athletes can go directly to the professional level, WhiteStar was positioned for an investor exit. With suitors circling the sales and marketing boosters were shut down and WhiteStar exited the gravity of the commercial market floating into the space of acquisition where it will either thrive or be crushed in that unforgiving environment. "Ground control to Major Tom....Check ignition and may God's love be with you....."

I am returning to my C-Suite consulting and have been asked to add to my offerings that of "Event Speaker" which I enjoyed doing previously for several years throughout the US and Latin America. With such I am refreshing the book I authored, available on Amazon, The Six Strand Weave. The Weave provides stories, techniques, and tools to avoid disastrous impact of bad mergers and partnerships while ensuring that the organizational relationships a company or entity does enter into are synergistic and guaranteed to succeed.