Dan joined Madrona in 2015 and became a venture partner in 2021 when he co-founded Plus, a Madrona portfolio company that allows users to automate their reporting workflows using AI.
Journey to Madrona
Prior to joining Madrona, Dan worked at the Boston Consulting Group. At BCG, Daniel worked on strategy and technology projects, from developing go-to-market strategies for cloud vendors to deploying new technology systems to improve insurance claims processing.
Lessons learned
- Being a founder is hard. No one really sees the day-to-day data or feels the ups and downs the same way you do, but great investors can be a sounding board to help you zoom out and focus on the things that matter the most.
- Find the right environment to do great work. You’ll do your best work and be happiest when you work with people you enjoy working with, solve problems you are passionate about, and make sure you are always learning new things.
- Don’t waste your time on decisions everyone else has already made. There are plenty of exceptions to the rules, especially in the startup world. But you’ll save a lot of time trying conventional wisdom first (e.g., ship early, spend more time talking to customers, picking SaaS tools) and then identifying the key areas where you want to be different.
While he’s not in the office…
Dan loves trying new restaurants, playing with his infant son, and trying to stay fit on his bike. He is also active in the Seattle community and founded the Pacific Science Center’s Associate Board.
Noteworthy
Dan graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania with majors in finance, psychology, and international studies.
