Mentoring Social Entrepreneurs

Spike is an outstanding business consultant. We worked with him to find a new direction for a medium-sized non-profit organization called 'Sferracavalli' based in Southern Italy. His insights and his work on the field with us helped us focus on the important assets of our organization, on the core values that inspired us to create it, on our business model and on the definition of a set of rules/tools we need to keep the organization going. As a startupper I worked with a couple of consultants in the past. No one provided the kind of value Spike provided to us. Spike was generous, transparent, inspiring, precise. I'll definitely work with him again in the near future.

― Francesca Cavallo, Timbuktu (500 Startups)

Spike is an amazing person. Not only is he one of the most experienced Lean Startup advisers around, he is also genuinely committed to helping people learn and apply Lean Startup techniques. When was the last time you spoke to someone who listened empathetically to your situation and helped you identify your options? Someone who did so without judgement? Lots of people can give you snap advice or a quick answer to your question. Spike is different - he invests in you and makes you more capable of achieving your dreams. I recommend him unconditionally.

― Kevin Dewalt, SoHelpful

Spike was able to identify specific and actionable things I need to do as I startup. Things that I had not thought of before. That's real value-add. The areas where he contributed with great ideas ranged from how to select a target market, pricing considerations and models, and trialing strategies. All extremely useful and practical. On top of all this, he followed-up our conversation with a summary outlining a recommended strategy I could immediately start to work on and see results from. I can whole heartedly recommend talking with Spike.

― Steve Bennett, Six Degrees Of Data

Spike is a super-articulate, clear thinker who understands the psychology behind effective community building, both online and offline. His connections and experience in the startup world make him a powerful resource. His knowledge about Lean Startup methodology runs deep: Not only can he articulate the facts, but also the behaviors and psychology shaping the facts. He is your go-to guy for startup advice, and was very helpful to me.

― Lee Schneider, Red Cup Agency

In a little more than 30 minutes Spike enlightened us on best practices to find our early adopters, reach out to them, and figure out pricing. We also discussed strategies to grandfather testers and scale out, looked at life time value, and what metrics to measure (and how to measure them) to make sure we're headed in the right direction. It was quite an informative and helpful session for my partner and I - Spike really made us feel like he was there to help and make a positive difference. Thanks Spike!

― Sebastien Le Tuan, UX Consulting

Spike's advice provided an unbelievably refreshing perspective on many of the dilemma's I've been faced with while starting my first venture. He understands investors, customers, and most importantly entrepreneurs, and is able to pinpoint the critical flaws that many times get overlooked. He goes above and beyond what you'd normally expect from a mentor. He truly cares about the internal value of entrepreneurship and continues to stay in contact and follow up with me on my company's progress. I hope that anyone seeking quality advice or direction regarding their venture will reach out to Spike so that you can gain the same benefits that I was able too.

― Will Sanders, e-Electricity

Spike did an amazing job of giving me information and advice that I needed to know, but didn't know to ask about. From a simple question like, 'Should I have a third pricing option on my landing page?', he took the time to explain pricing psychology, gave examples of how different companies approached the topic and their results, and talked through how to bring up pricing in a customer interview. He understood the intent of my question, and gave me great context and background that led to better questions and a richer conversation. I wish more people did that.

― Saron Yitbarek, CodeNewbie

We're a scrappy nonprofit trying to use Lean Startup principles, particularly regarding how to effectively measure our impact. Spike helped us break down some really tricky aspects we want to measure and figure out ways to track them. He also helped us identify a realistic timeframe for establishing these new metrics as our standards. Also, he's super cool and easy to talk things out with ! Thanks Spike!

― Spencer Perry, Community Technology Network, San Francisco