Leader, reader, taco eater. Fly Eagles Fly. El-P impersonator. Founder. Onchain chef. Previously Addepar, LinkedIn. Building digital economies that increase human freedom.
Elsewhere
Fun Facts
- Born in NY, raised in the South, lived everywhere.
- Grew up on the Internet. Shout-out to mIRC and AOL.
- Double major degree from East Carolina: political science (concentration in security studies) and philosophy.
- Acted as a turnaround CEO from 2017 through 2019.
- Fascinated by economics, sports, blockchain.
- Live in Nashville: the sixth, Southern borough of NYC.
Beliefs
People first
Technology should assist its users, not hinder them. Leadership is an act of serving. Keeping people at the forefront of whatever it is you do is imperative.
Lead people, manage processes
High caliber talent doesn’t need to be babysat. Systems do.
Scalable leadership is key
Great companies do not only focus on shipping products, but they focus on developing leaders.
Joyful leadership
Do what you love. Love what you do. Work hard, play hard. Produce and party.
Work with integrity
What you do in private should match who you are in public. No secrets, no surprises.
Get things done
Talk is cheap. Lead well, make things happen, be direct when necessary.
Reverse engineer everything
Start with the vision, work backwards to now. Fill in the necessary steps in-between.
Values
Build for Freedom
Technology equips more people with more power, and the blockchain is no different. More creativity, more ownership, more freedom.
Win together
The chain is an extraordinary tool for aligning incentives, and I seek to build products that seek positive-sum outcomes for all involved.
All in, always
I value transparency by putting my real-world reputation, capital, and future on the line. I’m doxxed and expect those I work with to be the same.
Ship & iterate
Build with users, not just for users. Release early and often, learn fast, improve constantly, and choose shipped over perfect when necessary.
The Five Is
When recruiting, hiring, and evaluating potential investors or partners, I look for what I call the Five Is:
Integrity
integrity (n.) what you do, who you are, and how you act when no one is looking
Relationships are built on trust and trust is built on character. I value people who are dependable, fair, honest, and who try to assume good intent in others while modeling it themselves.
Intelligence
intelligence (n.) the ability to get to the right answer with a lot of data
I like to not only work with others, but also learn from others. I love working with people who can teach me new things not only about their craft, but about anything of interest. I’m an infovore and philomath.
Intuition
intuition (n.) the ability to often get to the right answer without a lot of data
While data is important, intuition is crucial when building. I track, follow, and optimize based on data, but I also listen to my intuition, learning from data but not depending entirely on it.
Intentionality
intentionality (n.) thinking and acting on, and with, purpose
I act with intention when it comes to building culture, products, processes, and my own development. I set goals and work tirelessly to achieve them at a high level of quality. I reverse-engineer outcomes, and take the time to do things the right way.
Intangibles
intangibles (n.) things that are hard to quantify or describe, but make you … you.
I like to celebrate the intangible qualities that folks possess. I value strong work ethics, a love of laughter and working with a sense of humor, and the ability to communicate openly and honestly.