Designing Successful Startups

Guest Bio for Michael Petersen

Michael Petersen is a distinguished Founder, Engineer, and CXO who is recognized as a visionary Global High-Tech Product and Marketing Executive. His expertise lies in turning innovative ideas into profitable ventures.

Currently leading Raise a Hood, Petersen is spearheading the transformation of the automotive repair industry. His startup synergizes crowd-sourced insights, expert guidance, and machine learning to vastly improve vehicle maintenance for consumers and independent shops. A notable achievement is the creation of GUS, a patent-pending AI engine that blends traditional machine learning with the wisdom of veteran mechanics.

Petersen’s impressive career trajectory includes influential roles at Ford Motor Company, Dell Computer, Motorola Solutions, and Zebra Technologies, contributing significantly to specifically in the field of engineering, product design, and product management. He holds an MBA from the University of Michigan, an MS in Automotive Engineering from Purdue, and a Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota.

An individual of diverse interests, Petersen is passionate about teaching racing schools and adventure motorcycle riding. His active involvement in communities and non-profit organizations highlights his dynamic, all-encompassing approach to leadership and innovation

Summary

In this conversation, Michael Petersen discusses the motivation behind creating Raise A Hood, a platform that aims to improve the vehicle ownership experience. He highlights the challenges faced by average Americans who drive used vehicles and struggle with high maintenance and repair costs. Michael explains the need to connect customers with trustworthy repair shops and provide them with relevant information to make better decisions. He also shares insights into the funding process and the importance of grit and perseverance in building a successful startup. Overall, Michael's goal is to make vehicle ownership more affordable and convenient for everyone.

Takeaways

• The majority of Americans drive used vehicles and face high maintenance and repair costs.
• There is a need to connect customers with trustworthy repair shops and provide them with relevant information.
• Building a startup in the automotive industry is a complex problem that requires a deep understanding of technology, engineering, and commercial leadership.
• Grit and perseverance are essential qualities for startup founders to overcome challenges and achieve success.

Links

Link to Jothy's site: http://jothyrosenberg.com

Link to Raise a Hood site: https://www.raiseahood.com/

Link to Podchaser to leave a review: https://www.podchaser.com/AdventuresOnTheCanDo

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

00:45 The Problem with Vehicle Ownership

07:09 Funding and Investment Rounds

09:31 The Minimum Viable Product and B2B Strategy

13:02 The Average Age of Cars and Market Size

15:09 Company Size and Location

16:20 Investor Landscape and Geo-Location

40:20 Future Plans and Leadership

42:28 Closing Remarks

Link to Jothy's site: http://jothyrosenberg.com

Link to Podchaser to leave a review: https://www.podchaser.com

This episode of Adventures on the Can Do has as our guest Andrew Sutherland

Andrew is a veteran of 6 startups, starting with his first after school job as a kid growing up in silicon valley.  He is a software engineer that has always worked close to hardware. Working on embedded systems, medical devices and then joining a succession of semiconductor startups where he  worked on both hardware verification and the software toolchains for novel silicon architectures. More recently he worked for a cryptocurrency startup managing the development of the smart contract compiler & runtime infrastructure.

Summary

In this conversation, Jothy Rosenberg and Andrew Sutherland discuss their experiences as startup founders and the lessons they have learned along the way. They cover topics such as the challenges of multiple founders, the importance of market fit, and the role of a founder in problem-solving. They also discuss the need for a diverse founding team and the importance of communication and collaboration. Overall, they emphasize the joy and fulfillment of being a founder, despite the risks and challenges involved.

Takeaways

• A successful founding team often consists of a technical founder and a business founder, each bringing their unique skills and perspectives.
• Founders should be willing to take on the biggest problems facing the company and work together to find solutions.
• Communication and collaboration are key to a successful founding team, and founders should be open to sharing responsibilities and seeking outside help when needed.
• Choosing the right co-founder is crucial, and founders should look for someone who complements their skills and shares their passion and vision.
• Founders should be mindful of their egos and be willing to let go and delegate as the company grows.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Location

00:18 Startup Experience

01:21 Early Startups

03:43 Outcome at Ambric

04:25 Transition to Bigger Companies

05:50 Remote Work Experience

06:17 Current Focus on Government Contracts

14:17 Reflection on Startups

15:20 Lessons Learned and Mistakes

17:31 Founder Commitment and Long-Term Perspective

19:23 Challenges of Multiple Founders

21:13 Founder Intervention in Other Areas

26:43 Founder Disruption and Toxic Attitudes

29:47 Choosing a Good Co-Founder

35:16 Founder's Role in Problem-Solving

38:11 Founder Egos and Team Dynamics

40:37 Taking a Break from Startups

46:26 Advice for Founders

Link to Jothy's site: http://jothyrosenberg.com

Link to The Who Says I Can't Foundation (non-profit): https://whosaysicant.org

Link to Podchaser to leave a review: https://www.podchaser.com

This episode of Adventures on the Can Do is about those earliest days of formation when you have a small group of founders who have an idea that you all are certain will change the world. To do that you need to form a company which is a legal entity and there are lots of regulations and legal matters you need to get right without fail. So you really do need an attorney helping you at the start. You don't need to have one as a full-time employee but you need to find one at a law firm who has done this before. Make sure things having to do with founders are carefully buttoned up to avoid animosity or worse later when maybe one decides to leave. To cover all of that Jothy has Gary Christelis as his guest who knows of what he speaks when it comes to what you need a lawyer for at that formation point.

Gary Christelis has over 30 years experience with start-ups in both legal and business capacities. He currently leads the commercial contracts practice as Senior Counsel at Feinberg Hanson, LLP, a Boston, MA based boutique corporate law firm. Previously, he served in CEO, COO, and General Counsel roles with several high tech start-ups and emerging technology companies. He is also active in the Boston start-up community as an angel investor and has advisory roles with several high tech start-ups in New England and New York. Drawing on being on the frontlines with start-ups and high-tech companies, Gary brings a wealth of practical business and legal experience to a wide diversity of commercial and contractual issues confronting both early and later stage companies, particularly in the areas of technology licensing, development, distribution, and sales. 

Gary and Jothy were introduced by a mutual friend who is now his boss. Jothy hired him early on to be in-house counsel for Dover Microsystems.

Guest: Steve McCarthy

Steve McCarthy is an Emmy Award winning network TV news producer and documentary filmmaker. A former staff producer for 60 Minutes, Dateline and CNN, he formed McCarthy Productions, Inc in 2001 and produced projects for 60 Minutes, Dateline, Charlie Rose, MSNBC, PBS, BBC America, Reuters and others. In 2006 he directed an independent documentary film Finding Paddy, a documentary about 9/11 which aired in more than 20 countries. In 2016 he co-produced the documentary The One That Got Away which aired on PBS. In 2019 he co-directed and co-produced an HBO documentary about journalism through the life stories of Pete Hamill and Jimmy Breslin called Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists. (Winner 2019 National Emmy) In 2019 he also co-produced the documentary feature “Life with Layla” about a New Jersey family caught in the grips of the opioid epidemic. In 2022, he directed and co-produced Eva’s Promise, about a Holocaust survivor’s promise to her brother to share his art should he not survive the concentration camps. Eva’s Promise is being distributed on PBS stations in the spring of 2024 by American Public Television.

McCarthy teaches documentary film and journalism at Montclair State University.

Steve and Jothy met when Steve was the producer of a piece for the Today Show about Jonathan Alter’s dealing with a cancer diagnosis and deciding to join Jothy in doing the 192-mile Pan-Mass Challenge bike-a-thon for the Data Farber Cancer Institute. They have been friends since then and decided to create a TV show based on the Who Says I Can’t concept which they filmed 3 full episodes of and tried to sell to the major networks. They did not bite and those three episodes live on on YouTube.

In this conversation, Jothy Rosenberg interviews Steve, the founder of McCarthy Productions. They discuss Steve's love for the Grateful Dead, the positive atmosphere at Dead shows, and the involvement of Steve's children in the family business. They also talk about the production of Eva's Promise, the challenges of independent filmmaking, and the importance of authentic storytelling. The conversation touches on the difficulties of selling a show, the potential for reviving their previous show, and the significance of the Holocaust Museum. They also discuss the editing process and the importance of preparation in presentations and talks.

Sound Bites

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Personal Background

00:11 Steve's Love for the Grateful Dead

01:16 McCarthy Productions as a Family Business

03:22 The Production of Eva's Promise

04:12 Doing Corporate Videos

05:09 Passion for Journalism

06:29 Journalism Trip to the Border

08:01 Collaboration on Can Do Productions

08:58 Participating in the Sports of the Show's Subjects

09:07 The Fun and Challenges of Filming

11:07 The Difficulty of Selling the Show

17:40 The Importance of Authentic Storytelling

19:55 The Potential for Reviving the Show

23:44 The Story of Eva's Promise

27:25 The Holocaust Museum and the Importance of Remembering

31:05 The Editing Process

Links

Link to Jothy's site: http://jothyrosenberg.com

Link to Steve's McCarthy Productions site: https://www.facebook.com/mccarthyproductions/

Link to Podchaser to leave a review: https://www.podchaser.com/AdventuresOnTheCanDo

Link to Who Says I Can't TV channel: https://www.youtube.com/@WSICTV

Link to Jothy's site: http://jothyrosenberg.com

Link to Lindy's Up in a Day site: https://upinaday.co/

Link to Podchaser to leave a review: https://www.podchaser.com

This episode of Adventures on the Can Do has as our guest Lindy Nowak

Lindy Nowak is the founder of Up in a Day, a company building professional websites for small businesses without the headache. After a corporate career as a creative director at renowned brands like Women's Health Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, and L'Oréal in New York City, she pursued her entrepreneurial dream five years ago. Recognizing an unmet need, Lindy launched Up in a Day to help small businesses and solo entrepreneurs get professional websites built quickly creating a process that makes it effortless for busy people..

Takeaways

• Identify a market need and create a productized service to meet that need
• Set short-term and long-term goals for business growth
• Build a referral-based business through excellent service and customer satisfaction
• Choose the right platform and develop frameworks and processes to streamline operations
• Cultivate grit and resilience to overcome challenges and achieve success

Chapters

00:00 Starting Up in a Day

03:05 Meeting the Market Need

08:22 Building a Sustainable Business

09:26 Short-Term and Long-Term Goals

11:21 Navigating Challenges and Slow Times

12:40 Generating Leads and Referrals

16:19 Choosing the Right Website Platform

21:45 Proving the Success of the Business Model

25:30 Grit and Resilience

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