SG: What brought you to Sightglass?

BR: I’ve spent seven years in PE and venture — and there are many fascinating opportunities for early-stage startups struggling to scale in a way that has a lasting impact. When I worked in venture, I enjoyed leveraging founders’ passion and aligning that passion with clear growth strategies. At Sightglass, I see the opportunity to present these firms with proven approaches, tools and in-house expertise to find scalable and long-term revenue.

I also have 15 years of experience implementing and scaling operations for growth for innovative companies like LegalZoom, TaskRabbit (acquired by IKEA), Tapingo (acquired by GrubHub) and gofor. As an operator, I’ve seen firsthand the complexities of building nascent programs and restructuring mature ones. 

SG: What challenges do you most often see early-stage founders experience?

BR: In terms of venture, I see many founders struggle with managing cash today and forecasting how they’re building revenue reserves over time. Their principles may be powerful and well-articulated, but their business model, path to revenue, and early product-market fit are often areas where portfolio companies may lack expertise. That’s what’s keeping them up at night, and that’s where Sightglass comes in to offer insight and perspective.

SG: Why do you think Sightglass can offer such a unique perspective?

BR: Because our shared expertise spans strategic design, delivery and operational management, we’re uniquely capable of uncovering ways to innovate, grow, and make an impact — even when it’s a difficult environment or when founders have something in mind but cannot figure out what’s next. Sightglass can provide step-by-step coaching toward your goals, whether going public or being acquired, which is the grand vision but not always the most suitable given macroeconomic trends they might not have control over.

Sightglass has carved a niche for bringing industry expertise to help launch growth. Too often, growth is bought or merged. At Sightglass, we can help organizations grow organically by uncovering the next investable opportunity for their technology company.