Core capabilities

Since GrowthRoute is my trade name as an independent partner of growth companies and product innovators, the capabilities described below are primarily mine. But they don't stop here, because Growthroute is built on a platform model, with virtual "APIs" through which new capabilities can be easily added. Having developed a network of contributors and experts, if I don't have the required skill in-house, I know where to find it.

My main industries of expertise are web applications and renewable energies. I have been involved for close to 15 years in both fields and have worked with several companies in those sectors. My earlier career span a number of other sectors. Whichever the field, I seek to weave industry characteristics deeply into all actions in order to maximize results.

When you build a new company or launch a product, having a partner who has been there and done that can help accelerate the process and reduce the risk. I have commercialized numerous technologies and launch several companies, set up lead generation processes and sales teams, spec'ed out products based on both technical possibilities and market requirements, helped businesses raise money and get acquired, developed partnerships between start-ups and large corporations, and generally positioned the companies I worked with effectively to meet ambitious, make-or-break objectives.

Having implemented the entire Pragmatic Marketing framework in past roles, I also systematically developed best practices for each of Growthroute's missions and as a result can craft and execute entire strategies with unmatched efficiency.

With two graduate degrees in business and past experience as a B2B sales assistant, product manager, strategy consultant, director for market strategy, VP of marketing, and company co-founder, I build on solid foundations.

In innovative sectors, keeping your eyes on the prize is half the battle. The opportunity cost of working on the wrong tasks through the wrong methods is higher than ever. In my previous role as a consultant for the Boston Consulting Group, I got deeply exposed to strategy work and learnt to identify the tasks that make a real difference, and focus on those. So when I work with you I always go for the "big wins" and "low-hanging fruits" first, because if we don't your competitors will.

In past work I have generally been recognized for my ability to think ahead and anticipate market trends and reactions. That capability is not intuitive but anchored in deep data analysis and pattern recognition skills.

I routinely use excel's advanced functions and macros, have conducted statistical analysis such as clustering hundreds of thousands of accounts for a large Canadian bank using SPSS, and enjoy turning data into information and actions.

While studying at Stanford I was hired by the business school to teach financial modeling, and I also took and topped advanced classes to learn about neural networks, monte-carlo simulation, market basket analysis, memory-based reasoning, OLAP, genetic algorithms and other data mining techniques.

A lot of my previous work has consisted in building end-to-end product and financial models involving complex financial and technical calculations. My models are actively used by salesforces to put together complete client proposals, and by product management teams to drive decisions and set the company apart.

Beyond pure analysis, I can present results in an intuitive manner to extract insights that change opinions and open up new avenues for growth. I have learnt to master Powerpoint obviously, and express complex ideas in approachable, engaging terms.

There are lots of engineers and programmers with some business skills, but not a lot of business people who can code and match an engineer's analytical rigor. Having owned a computer since age 10, and dove deep into technology, I do.

I have personally handcoded several websites including this one, using HTML, PHP and CSS (all in notepad only - no cheat sheet!). I have architected and dissected large databases in Access and, more often, MySQL. Through the computer models I built, I also organically drove technical specifications for new products.

Having received training for and implemented Agile Programming, I am a certified "scrummaster" and as such work through quick iterations leading each time to deliverable products. I have also contracted and supervised a number of developers and technical workers, both remotely and onsite.

Ultimately all the high-level capabilities in the world don't trump fundamental skills such as delivering on what you promised in a timely fashion, and working to support the company's goals. I do what I said I would do. I do not promise what I cannot deliver. A self-made grandfather passed those traditional values to me and so those are dear to my heart.

While striving to respect the sensitivities of everyone, I say it as it is, especially if it is important to the business success. I do not "sugarcoat" you, nor do I darken the picture for my benefit. In past projects, I have always chosen the ethical way even when it was not in my own interest, and anyone who knows me knows I will again whenever faced with such tough choices.

All of GrowthRoute projects involved distance collaboration and coordination. Using state-of-the-art collaboration tools made it look like we were in adjacent cubicles. In fact I heard more than once from partnering organizations that responsiveness is a key benefit of working with GrowthRoute.

Taking it one step further, I love whenever possible to "crowdsource" work and involve a company's customers and potential customers in offering solutions. It simply magnifies the creative power manyfold. And of course, through GrowthRoute I also involve select experts as needed. In a good number of the missions undertaken to date, I enrolled other specialists to help ace some highly-specific tasks. In order to pick the best, I usually disregard location. In this day and age, it does not matter whether someone is local or not as long as we speak the same language and are both available and professional.

The corollary of global collaboration is the ability to create productive, respectful work environments. Having lived and worked for several years in each of all three northern continents, I am ready to help you with international needs, be it to open up the north-american market to your products, interface effectively with a diverse workforce, or set up global partnerships and operations.