As Dr. Doom, a Chief Restructuring Officer, I’ve faced many challenges, but the case of this chair company was particularly intriguing. The founder, an eccentric and brilliant architect, had combined his passion for design with the unparalleled craftsmanship of Amish artisans. Yet, his pursuit of perfection was leading the company to financial peril. It was...
Early in my career, I was lucky enough to experience the rise of the PC in Silicon Valley. I worked for a company called Optimal Communications, a phone company being launched with the likes of The Macintosh. At the time, Kleiner Perkins and IVP had invested, eager to join the PC race. On the finance...
As a Chief Restructuring Officer, I’ve seen many startups face the harsh reality of extended sales cycles, especially in challenging market conditions. Understand this: the strategies that brought you here may not get you through the next cycle. In times of economic uncertainty, both large and small companies tend to deliberate longer before making purchasing...
In the rollercoaster world of startups, encountering unforeseen challenges that threaten the company’s existence is not uncommon. When such crises loom, enlisting a Chief Restructuring Officer (CRO) becomes not just a choice but a necessity. However, the role of a CRO is multifaceted, varying significantly based on whether they’re tasked with a company turnaround or...
As a Chief Restructuring Officer, I understand the panic that comes with a startup struggling to stay afloat when they’ve got six months left of runway and are unsure if they have product market fit. It’s natural to feel overwhelmed, but it’s crucial to recognize that the strategies that brought your startup to this point...
The Los Angeles skyline was a blend of sleek modernity and gritty realism, much like the business ventures it housed. In a nondescript warehouse in Downtown LA, luxury and ambition hung heavy in the air, alongside the scent of high-quality fabric. This was the domain of the Newtson Brothers, a pair of fashion entrepreneurs who...
As a Chief Restructuring Officer recently focused on turnarounds, I’ve worked with numerous startups grappling with the challenge of achieving and demonstrating product-market fit (PMF) to investors. For a struggling startup founder, this can seem like a daunting task. However, with the right approach and metrics, you can achieve PMF and effectively communicate this success...
In April 2009, amidst the echoes of an explosive financial crisis that left shrapnel over every industry, I found myself giving a presentation alongside Silicon Valley Bank and Lightspeed Ventures, delving into the stark reality of the times: the exorbitant cost of capital. Fast forward to today, and we’re seeing a headline that Spotify reduced...
As a startup founder, you’re constantly fundraising, deciding which bills to pay – and if you should even pay yourself. You spend countless hours building a startup only to chase the dream with little result – how do you stop the cycle of never having enough cash? Can you turnaround? Or should you wind-down? Here...
