Before sharing what's next, I find it helpful to occasionally trace your steps and reflect on where you have been.
For me, my career started at Pelion Venture Partners and Contrary where I was introduced to the world of venture investing and disruptive technology. It was eye opening to see how capital accelerated the impact of technology. As cool as I thought VC was, Blake Modersitzki reminded me after each board meeting that the management teams are the real stars.
Eager to learn from great operators, I lent a hand to the teams at Teal Drones, ObservePoint, and Xos Trucks and got small taste of the hard work required to raise money, launch a product, build a brand, and sell to customers. Truthfully, they provided much more value to me than I likely offered to them. The exposure was invaluable.
In joining McKinsey & Company, I was eager to continue learning from great operators. I carved out a niche helping PE-backed software and services businesses build out their growth strategy. Each study provided a new opportunity to put myself in the shoes of a CEO and consider how our answer would impact the whole business.
It was fulfilling to see our work often lead to a bold move for the business (e.g., enter a new market, acquire a business, sell to a strategic), but I always looked forward to an opportunity to be on the other side. I kept mental notes on how my clients led their teams and looked forward to an opportunity where I could help scale a business.
In choosing to leave McKinsey, I want to become a great operator. My search has been focused on investor-backed technology businesses with product market fit where I could help scale towards impact. A huge thanks to all who helped me explore opportunities in Utah over the last few months!