I am an M&A guy who has dedicated his career to working with technology bootstrappers.  Since the early 2000’s, I have closed dozens of transactions for bootstrapped software, mobile, and internet companies while getting to know hundreds (and probably into the thousands) of entrepreneurs and the compelling companies that they have built. I am also a husband, father, recovering snowboarder + wakeboarder, and a number of other things (though the list has dwindled after surgeries on each of my left shoulder [twice], lower back, and right knee).

In 2019, as part of teaching my son (Mike Jr, who we call “Micro” for mini-Mike) about life-long growth and goal setting, I decided to start writing about what I’ve learned through my journeys with the tech bootstrapper.  I came to this as an aspiration because it would 1) let me teach Micro about software + development and logic (and model doing things that matter but that are a bit daunting + less urgent); 2) respond to the many entrepreneur contacts who have asked me to put some of what I have learned “out there” for folks that I may never have the great pleasure of working with formally.   If things go well, I also intend to enlist some of my former clients and other friends in tech to contribute (one step at a time).

For now, I’ll stop with the “why” and get to the “what”.  I have no illusions that the info I share will reach far and wide (or that anyone will care all that much).  However, at a minimum, this will get some of what “dad” does for work out there for my children’s future access and should make a number of entrepreneur friends happy.  That’s good enough for me.