Hi, I’m Eric and I provide resources for startups
I love helping founders push rocks up hills. I do this through coaching, operating, and investing. I believe in anyone that is building the machine in a company, whether a founder or otherwise, supporting their mission.Below are the resources to help you do it.
Executive Coaching
I believe in unlocking clients potential and serving their needs; 1:1 coaching with executives and CEOs, workshops with management teams, and offsite planning. I have been working with venture backed founders for years and focus on operational excellence and growth.
Fractional COO
Part-time COO work is great for teams that have founders setting the vision or technical founders with operational debt. I work directly with a handful of clients that need trusted help. I bring order to chaos. I cleanup situations. I help founders push rocks up hills. I love every minute of it. This work leverages my operational excellence, when you may not need full time help or be able to bring in a seasoned operator.
Startup Resources
Over the past 10 years I have compiled and organized resources that I have used with clients when they have questions or want to go deep on a topic. Opening this up is a dream come true to serve more builders - instead of 1:1 I can now finally bring these resources 1:N.
Portfolio
I have been investing in founders for over 10 years with first belief capital in the form of angel, pre-seed, seed, Series A, and later stage investments. I have been working with founders operationally as an advisor, coach, and fractional COO (part-time COO). This portfolio is a collection of those companies I have invested in and a bit more about each project, founder, and journey.
Building the Machine Podcast
A show about people building the "machine" inside organizations to help grow their businesses. Whether a founder solving a need, an operator focusing on the fundamentals of a company, or employees scaling product, design, engineering, and other machines - we interview great people on their journeys and lessons learned.
Coaching
I help founders & executives unlock their potential
I have been executive coaching founders and executives, unlocking their potential and working towards their goals for years. Investing in companies at VC firms, personally, and building alongside great teams, i have a unique ability at the intersection of investing and operating that I impart on clients. I build a space for clients in a 1:1 virtual environment.
Working 1:1 with Executives and Founders on their journey
Benefits of coaching
01
Communication
Founders and Exec. teams are quick to spend resources (time and money) on lots of things. However they rarely spend on interpersonal communications.
02
Personal ROI
Coaching is an investment in yourself, which pays dividends in how you work with others. Coaching is YOUR space that allows you to be you and not your company.
03
Management & Recruiting
If one of the jobs of a CEO or Manager is to attract and retain the best talent, then working on your communication skills and management techniques directly contributes to this goal.
04
Get and stay on track
Get motivated and stay motivated, get on track and create healthy habits. Create a space to stay accountability to your goals and responsibilities.
Coaching Overview
I work directly with a handful of clients in a 1:1 basis, usually remotely, on a bi-weekly basis. This provides a time and "place" that we can rely on and sets the foundation for a long term relationship.
1:1 "Space"
I setup a dedicated video space to go for our 1:1 sessions, meeting every other week.The Agenda is Yours
This is the one meeting you can prepare for with topics, or come in with a blank slate. The space is yours to create and through my experience and training I can promise that no session will be without self exploration.Compounding Results
Coaching shows compounding returns over time. My goal is to work with clients for at least 3 months, but have been working with some for years.
Coaching F.A.Q.
Q. How often do you meet with clients?
I meet with clients bi-weekly (every other week) and only work with a handful at a time because things come up.
Q. What are your qualifications as a coach?
I worked directly with founders on a 1:1 basis for 3 years meeting with them weekly to help them; achieve their goals, be better leaders, and unlock their potential in their venture backed businesses. It was my own coach that inspired me to do the same for other clients.
Q. What exactly do you do?
I typically work with the founding team on the list of things they haven't done yet but need too, don't know how to do, or have done incorrectly. I focus on deliverables and the needs of the business. Sometimes this is driven by the BOD and its cleaning things up. Sometimes it's driven by an upcoming fundraising event and things need to be in order. Teams recognize they need to be going faster, have operational debt, and need to bring order to chaos. I have a list of things I do, but usually this ends up being bespoke with each founder I work with.
Unlock your potential
I work directly with a handful of clients that need trusted help. I bring order to chaos. I cleanup situations. I help founders push rocks up hills. I love every minute of it.
FRACTIONAL COO
Trusted Executional Excellence
Part-time COO work is great for teams that have technical founders with operational debt. I work directly with a handful of clients that need trusted help. I bring order to chaos. I cleanup situations. I help founders push rocks up hills. I love every minute of it.
Companies I have worked with
Benefits of working with a Fractional COO
01
Communication
Founders and Exec. teams are quick to spend resources (time and money) on lots of things. However they rarely spend on interpersonal communications.
02
Personal ROI
Coaching is an investment in yourself, which pays dividends in how you work with others. Coaching is YOUR space that allows you to be you and not your company.
I love working with startups. Partnering with founders who need operational help is a great way to leverage my abilities, and help achieve the needs of a business. By leveraging experience and a bench of other operators I am able to zero in on a list of deliverables for a client. Typically startups have a list of things they need to do and we work through them, teaching the team the skills needed along the way. Having a fractional operator is a great way to move faster, while not worrying about the equity hit or team dynamics as each engagement is usually 1-2 quarters.
How does it all work?
I think about the 3 factors of Time, Quality, and Price in what I do. I work in an always on model for a minimum of 3 months. I only work with a handful of clients at a time (all startups) and its an "always on" model. Where needed I tap into a vast bench of experts who we may bring on to help - think engineering, sales, marketing, etc...
Time
I setup a dedicated I can save you time directly by going fast. I can save you time indirectly by avoiding the pitfalls, mistakes, and landmines others have dealt with.Quality
Investing and working in some of the high growth companies over the past decade have enabled me to hone my craft and deliver results. I tend to underpromise and overdeliver.Price
It would take a Srs A - Srs B company 3-6 months to higher the right COO, pay them in equity, cash, and culture - I come onboard for 3 months with a set of deliverables you agree too that I deliver.
Fractional COO F.A.Q.
Q. How often do you meet with clients?
I meet with clients bi-weekly (every other week) and only work with a handful at a time because things come up.
Q. What are your qualifications as a coach?
I worked directly with founders on a 1:1 basis for 3 years meeting with them weekly to help them; achieve their goals, be better leaders, and unlock their potential in their venture backed businesses. It was my own coach that inspired me to do the same for other clients.I am currently working towards my first International Coaching Federation program certification.I have been working with founders and VC firms for the past 10 years, with unique insight on both sides of the table.
Q. What exactly do you do?
I typically work with the founding team on the list of things they haven't done yet but need too, don't know how to do, or have done incorrectly. I focus on deliverables and the needs of the business. Sometimes this is driven by the BOD and its cleaning things up. Sometimes it's driven by an upcoming fundraising event and things need to be in order. Teams recognize they need to be going faster, have operational debt, and need to bring order to chaos. I have a list of things I do, but usually this ends up being bespoke with each founder I work with.
Unlock your true potential
I work directly with a handful of clients that need trusted help. I bring order to chaos. I cleanup situations. I help founders push rocks up hills. I love every minute of it.
Companies I have worked with
Over the past 10 years I have compiled and organized resources that I have used with clients when they have questions or want to go deep on a topic. Opening this up is a dream come true to serve more builders - instead of 1:1 I can now finally bring these resources 1:N.
Web3
Soona Amhaz is a force of nature and the GP of Volt Capital - a crypto asset web3 venture capital firm. I first committed in 2019 as a small LP, and since grown to support Fund II. I am a big believe in the network effects of information, talent, and alpha edge through first principles thinking and Volt has them all.
Esports
An incredible domain and opportunity to seize on the wave of NFT interest and excitement around this space. I worked with the operational management team on setting up the entities, cleaning up the cap table of investors across multiple entities, and setting the initial strategy. This involved deck work, design and development of initial GTM, and operational organization.
Web3
Soona Amhaz is a force of nature and the GP of Volt Capital - a crypto asset web3 venture capital firm. I first committed in 2019 as a small LP, and since grown to support Fund II. I am a big believe in the network effects of information, talent, and alpha edge through first principles thinking and Volt has them all. They are extremely friendly to LPs who want to learn, have in house expertise and knowledge, and access to incredible founders and companies through the reputation they have built.
SAAS
ChartHop is an incredible people analytics tool that A16Z has invested in since inception that continues to grow and scale. I have been lucky enough to work with the CEO, Ian White, since he was solo building this platform. I am an investor, have helped with operations, and been an executive coach for the past 3 years. Helping with strategy and hiring on the executive team and helping them grow has been amazing.
Web3
An incredible domain and opportunity to seize on the wave of NFT interest and excitement around this space. I worked with the operational management team on setting up the entities, cleaning up the cap table of investors across multiple entities, and setting the initial strategy. This involved deck work, design and development of initial GTM, and operational organization.
SAAS
ChartHop is an incredible people analytics tool that A16Z has invested in since inception that continues to grow and scale. I have been lucky enough to work with the CEO, Ian White, since he was solo building this platform. I am an investor, have helped with operations, and been an executive coach for the past 3 years. Helping with strategy and hiring on the executive team and helping them grow has been amazing.
Startup Resources
Over the past 15 years I have compiled and organized resources that I have used with clients when they have questions or want to go deep on a topic. Opening this up is a dream come true to serve more builders - instead of 1:1 I can now finally bring these resources 1:N.
| Resource | Description |
|---|---|
| Reflecting on My Failure to Build a Billion-Dollar Company | Sahil Lavingia (CEO of Gumroad) write up his trials and tribulations of raising capital for Gumroad and how he eventually built the company back up to what it is today. |
| Measuring and benchmarking the four vital signs of SaaS | Rory goes through the 4 vital signs of a SaaS startup and what to look for. It it he outlines Revenue Growth, Sales Efficiency, Revenue |
| Standard Startup Financial Modeling Worksheet | Foresight.is is a treasure of resources for early stage teams looking to do financial modeling. There are many other things available, but this one focuses on financial modeling for startups. |
| Reflecting on My Failure to Build a Billion-Dollar Company | Sahil Lavingia (CEO of Gumroad) write up his trials and tribulations of raising capital for Gumroad and how he eventually built the company back up to what it is today. |
| Measuring and benchmarking the four vital signs of SaaS | Rory goes through the 4 vital signs of a SaaS startup and what to look for. It it he outlines Revenue Growth, Sales Efficiency, Revenue |
| Standard Startup Financial Modeling Worksheet | Foresight.is is a treasure of resources for early stage teams looking to do financial modeling. There are many other things available, but this one focuses on financial modeling for startups. |
Unlock your true potential
I work directly with a handful of clients that need trusted help. I bring order to chaos. I cleanup situations. I help founders push rocks up hills. I love every minute of it.
Portfolio
Over the past 10 years I have compiled and organized resources that I have used with clients when they have questions or want to go deep on a topic. Opening this up is a dream come true to serve more builders - instead of 1:1 I can now finally bring these resources 1:N.
Web3
Soona Amhaz is a force of nature and the GP of Volt Capital - a crypto asset web3 venture capital firm. I first committed in 2019 as a small LP, and since grown to support Fund II. I am a big believe in the network effects of information, talent, and alpha edge through first principles thinking and Volt has them all.
Esports
An incredible domain and opportunity to seize on the wave of NFT interest and excitement around this space. I worked with the operational management team on setting up the entities, cleaning up the cap table of investors across multiple entities, and setting the initial strategy. This involved deck work, design and development of initial GTM, and operational organization.
Web3
Soona Amhaz is a force of nature and the GP of Volt Capital - a crypto asset web3 venture capital firm. I first committed in 2019 as a small LP, and since grown to support Fund II. I am a big believe in the network effects of information, talent, and alpha edge through first principles thinking and Volt has them all. They are extremely friendly to LPs who want to learn, have in house expertise and knowledge, and access to incredible founders and companies through the reputation they have built.
SAAS
ChartHop is an incredible people analytics tool that A16Z has invested in since inception that continues to grow and scale. I have been lucky enough to work with the CEO, Ian White, since he was solo building this platform. I am an investor, have helped with operations, and been an executive coach for the past 3 years. Helping with strategy and hiring on the executive team and helping them grow has been amazing.
Web3
An incredible domain and opportunity to seize on the wave of NFT interest and excitement around this space. I worked with the operational management team on setting up the entities, cleaning up the cap table of investors across multiple entities, and setting the initial strategy. This involved deck work, design and development of initial GTM, and operational organization.
SAAS
ChartHop is an incredible people analytics tool that A16Z has invested in since inception that continues to grow and scale. I have been lucky enough to work with the CEO, Ian White, since he was solo building this platform. I am an investor, have helped with operations, and been an executive coach for the past 3 years. Helping with strategy and hiring on the executive team and helping them grow has been amazing.
SAAS
ChartHop is an incredible people analytics tool that A16Z has invested in since inception that continues to grow and scale. I have been lucky enough to work with the CEO, Ian White, since he was solo building this platform. I am an investor, have helped with operations, and been an executive coach for the past 3 years. Helping with strategy and hiring on the executive team and helping them grow has been amazing.
Web3
An incredible domain and opportunity to seize on the wave of NFT interest and excitement around this space. I worked with the operational management team on setting up the entities, cleaning up the cap table of investors across multiple entities, and setting the initial strategy. This involved deck work, design and development of initial GTM, and operational organization.
Web3
Soona Amhaz is a force of nature and the GP of Volt Capital - a crypto asset web3 venture capital firm. I first committed in 2019 as a small LP, and since grown to support Fund II. I am a big believe in the network effects of information, talent, and alpha edge through first principles thinking and Volt has them all. They are extremely friendly to LPs who want to learn, have in house expertise and knowledge, and access to incredible founders and companies through the reputation they have built.
Education
ChartHop is an incredible people analytics tool that A16Z has invested in since inception that continues to grow and scale. I have been lucky enough to work with the CEO, Ian White, since he was solo building this platform. I am an investor, have helped with operations, and been an executive coach for the past 3 years. Helping with strategy and hiring on the executive team and helping them grow has been amazing.
Food tech
An incredible domain and opportunity to seize on the wave of NFT interest and excitement around this space. I worked with the operational management team on setting up the entities, cleaning up the cap table of investors across multiple entities, and setting the initial strategy. This involved deck work, design and development of initial GTM, and operational organization.
Coaching
Soona Amhaz is a force of nature and the GP of Volt Capital - a crypto asset web3 venture capital firm. I first committed in 2019 as a small LP, and since grown to support Fund II. I am a big believe in the network effects of information, talent, and alpha edge through first principles thinking and Volt has them all.
Podcasts
This is my show about people building the "machine" inside organizations to help grow their businesses. Whether a founder solving a need, an operator focusing on the fundamentals of a company, or employees scaling product, design, engineering, and other machines - we interview great people on their journeys and lessons learned.
Resources
Over the past 15 years I have compiled and organized resources that I have used with clients when they have questions or want to go deep on a topic. Opening this up is a dream come true to serve more builders - instead of 1:1 I can now finally bring these resources 1:N.
Contact me
Please use the form below to reach out