Most people would describe my path as a jump from sales into software. I don't see it that way. I see three careers that naturally built on one another.
Working with multinational companies including Samsung, Panasonic, and Wrangler taught me how businesses actually buy, how customers evaluate value, and how organizations make investment decisions.
Curiosity eventually pulled me into software development. As a backend developer, I learned enough to have real conversations with engineers — not just relay requirements to them.
Over time I gravitated toward working directly with founders. Managing timelines was never the favorite part. Helping people answer the harder questions was:
I don't believe successful software starts with features.
It starts with understanding people.
Whenever I work with a founder, I try to answer five questions before we talk about technology at all. Technology changes. These questions don't.
It's the combination — commercial experience, technical understanding, product discovery, and delivery leadership — that adds up to a founder partner.