Founders, we get you.
Building a startup is lonely.
Every decision feels make or break
… like jumping off a rock ledge
with no idea if there’s welcoming water below.
We’ve been there…
We’re a team of entrepreneurs and fractional leaders
with our own share of setbacks, hurdles and oh shit moments.
We’ve translated that experience into helping countless startup founders….
So they don’t feel alone.
So that hurdles are visible.
So that they can move forward with more confidence.
ExperienceHack is your strategic ally,
a platform that brings together expert, in-the-trenches
content, people and resources.
Welcome to experience hack(ing).
Experience hacking is the right insight at the right time from the right person.
Whether it’s guiding you through scaling challenges,
finding problem-solution and product-market fit,
refining your go-to-market strategy,
or optimizing your operations,
our platform is your competitive advantage.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
by Tomoko Yokoi and Amy Bonsall
As organizations look to reinvent themselves to spur growth, they often seek to acquire senior talent who can infuse new ideas, skills, and leadership within the organization. However, hiring and retaining senior talent is fraught with challenges. Furthermore, small and medium-sized organizations often struggle to access and afford the senior talent necessary for driving growth…
A new HBR article on fractionalism from ExperienceHack co-founder Amy Bonsall.
LATEST POSTS
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The two critical steps most startups miss
Read more: The two critical steps most startups missI’ve been helping build startups (or building startups myself) for most of my career. The first was just a few years into my career, and one of the most recent was an a16z-backed startup. At IDEO, I built and ran a practice called Venture Design, which helped corporations incubate successful startups. I’m currently building my…
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Why it’s so easy to fall into the assumptions trap as a founder
Read more: Why it’s so easy to fall into the assumptions trap as a founderWe’ve all heard the joke about what happens when you assume. If you haven’t heard it, consider yourself lucky… Actually, your luck just ran out because I’m going to explain it anyway. To assume is to make an ass out of you (u) and me. It’s a corny joke, complete with bad grammar. But it…
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The Eight Circles of a Great Startup
Read more: The Eight Circles of a Great StartupOr “Entrepreneurship Is A Team Sport” I’ve founded six companies and helped manage, create, and advise many more. When I decided to be an entrepreneur in my twenties, I was truly excited at the prospect as a creative endeavor (I had set my sights on being a writer/actor/director in college and even spent summers in…
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The First 90 Days: Leveraging Category Design for Startup Success
Read more: The First 90 Days: Leveraging Category Design for Startup SuccessWhether you are at the beginning of your startup journey or pivoting, doing the groundwork is key. Using category design methodologies in the first 60-90 days of that new journey is the best and fastest path to success.
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The Trap of Trappings
Read more: The Trap of TrappingsIf you have been involved in an early stage company, you know that time is a scarcest resource. There is urgency and a need to move quickly before competitors encroach, talent leaves, investors waver and customers tire. I am thinking particularly of the Seed to Series B phase when survival depends on a ruthless focus…
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Navigating The Sea of Product-Market Fit
Read more: Navigating The Sea of Product-Market FitAny market is like an ocean: It’s big and beyond your ability to control. It’s always changing. It doesn’t care how smart you are or how you want it to behave. And it always wins. So how do you make it work for you?
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Is It Time to Redefine Startup Marketing?
Read more: Is It Time to Redefine Startup Marketing?By embracing marketing as a strategic business function, startups can steer clear of the pitfalls associated with a purely tactical, ad-hoc approach to marketing and sales.
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The Startup Pivot: Balancing Agility with Vision and Scope
Read more: The Startup Pivot: Balancing Agility with Vision and ScopeOne of my favorite aspects of startups is their agility and the ability to pivot rapidly, free from burdensome bureaucracy, swiftly addressing market needs. There’s a unique thrill when everything clicks in a startup environment. The intense effort and risks taken become incredibly rewarding.
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Designing the right thing before designing the thing right
Read more: Designing the right thing before designing the thing rightThe wrong thing is something that doesn’t sufficiently solve a big enough problem for a big enough group of people who are willing and able to pay for it. A lot of founders focus on the thing part of it… but the crux of building something that scales well is actually getting super clear on…
COMING SUMMER 2024
DON’T RAISE MONEY
A Story of Startup Success Through Unconventional Wisdom
Don’t Raise Money leverages the wisdom of seasoned fractional executives in a compelling fictional narrative about a startup’s journey. This book infuses unconventional advice, presenting a story inspired by the diverse experiences of experts in early-stage growth startups.
Through the trials and triumphs of its characters, the book imparts strategies and insights, challenging some of the norms and assumptions prevalent in the startup world. It’s a rich blend of storytelling and practical wisdom, designed to guide entrepreneurs towards success.
Embracing the fractional executive trend, Don’t Raise Money offers a unique perspective on startup success. It’s an essential read for anyone looking to navigate the complexities of founding a startup with the seasoned insights of those who have already walked the path.
MEET US
THE FRACTIONAL SIX
We are a team of seasoned executives from different disciplines, each a veteran in our area and with a long history of nurturing both startups and established companies. We’ve seen a lot, made our mistakes, and learned the hard way what makes companies successful. With our own fractional practices underway, we wanted to find ways to spotlight the opportunities of fractionalism for organizations, help them work through the challenges, and compare notes on best practices that work in the real world.
Susan
Beans
Fractional Chief Financial Officer
Financial management executive with experience at Price Waterhouse and Bain & Company and more than 25 years in both permanent and fractional CFO roles, board membership and advisory roles.
Amy
Bonsall
Fractional Chief Design Officer
Former executive at Old Navy and IDEO, where she built and launched the Venture Design practice. Her work is infused innovation, making change, and what helps people thrive.
Bruce
Ericson
Fractional Chief Revenue Officer
A proven sales executive dedicated to igniting growth for high-tech start-up companies. Bruce’s relentless focus in on aligning technology to solve real business problems while achieving critical revenue milestones.
Min
Kim
Fractional Chief People Officer
Experienced senior people executive passionate about the power of aligning strategy, operations and people practices to create healthy and talent-dense organizations.
Michael
Sattler
Fractional Chief Product Officer
With a career spent in founding and technical leadership roles with new and enterprise-level organizations, Michael Sattler is a veteran in technology strategy, operations, and product management.
Michelle
Waite
Fractional Chief Marketing Officer
With over 20 years of experience in marketing, sales, business development, and product marketing, Michelle has a proven track record of driving growth and innovation for startups and established companies across various industries and markets.