Why This Matters to You

I've built what you're automating. Two decades leading infrastructure and platform engineering at companies like Intel, Western Digital, and a current AI inference hardware company gives me direct, hands-on fluency in the problems deep-tech and infrastructure startups are solving — not a consultant's secondhand read on the space.

I've sat in the seat you're selling to. If your product is bought by IT leadership, network teams, or infrastructure engineering organizations, I've been that buyer — evaluating vendors, running procurement, managing budget cycles, and deciding what actually gets a pilot approved internally. That perspective is often the missing piece for technical founders who haven't sold into an enterprise IT org from the inside.

I bring governance literacy, not just operating experience. Alongside my operating background, I'm building formal governance credentials through the NACD (National Association of Corporate Directors), so the advice I give tracks with how a board and investors will eventually expect the company to be run.

Who I Work With

•    Early-stage AI infrastructure and AI tooling companies

•    Semiconductor and chip-design-adjacent startups

•    Companies building products sold into enterprise IT, network, or infrastructure teams

•    Founding teams that are strong technically but want a sounding board on enterprise go-to-market, IT buyer psychology, or scaling operations

What an Engagement Looks Like

I keep this simple and low-friction on purpose — founders shouldn't have to negotiate terms before finding out if an advisory relationship is useful.

Start small. Most engagements begin as an informal, unpaid trial — a few hours a month, focused on a specific need (enterprise GTM strategy, technical hiring panel, pilot customer positioning, infrastructure scaling review).

Formalize once it's proven useful. If the relationship is delivering real value, we move to a standard advisor arrangement — typically a small equity grant (often structured as a FAST-style agreement) or a paid retainer, depending on scope and stage.

Board observer or advisory board seats are also something I'm open to as companies mature and formalize governance.

I also occasionally invest in and advise early-stage companies in this space directly.

Let's Talk

If you're building something in this space and think an outside operator's perspective would help, reach out