Create, grow
and protect
your startup’s
success.

Hi. I’m Adam McGowan.
I help founders, leaders and investors build and operate winning startups.

Startups face a mix of risk, reward and resources unlike any other type of venture. To reach full potential and avoid common pitfalls, they require a special breed of execution. I’ve spent more than a decade developing and applying a system to do exactly that.

I am a seasoned startup operator who doesn’t simply advise or consult. I execute — helping others start, scale and secure their ventures. While my approach is unique — often challenging popular thinking — my audience, collaborators and clients get results.

My 25 year career has spanned finance and entrepreneurship. I’ve taken part in billions of dollars of investment decisions, launched and funded my own ventures, worked closely with hundreds of founders, and held C-Suite roles with numerous startups.

I’ve crafted that experience into a proven system for operating a startup — from idea to exit. This methodology is called The Startup COO.

Whether you are raising capital, seeking market fit, managing growth, or facing a critical opportunity or challenge, my approach and help will secure your venture’s success.

Learn more about me

I can help your venture in 3 ways.

Problem Solver

1

Hire me to design and execute plans that attack a specific opportunity or challenge for your venture.

Fractional COO

2

If you need to level up decision-making and execution across your venture, I’ll join you as an expert operator.

Execution Coach

3

If you or your team want to learn how to apply The Startup COO method directly, I will build and deliver a custom coaching program.

Explore what I offer

Not quite ready to engage?
No problem.

Whether via my free email list or my course material, I make my most valuable insights easy to access and apply. Check out my content and starting learning how to put my methods to work for your venture.

Hear from others who have experienced my work.

“Being a founder isn’t easy. Even surrounded by a great team, a lot of responsibility is on your shoulders and sometimes it gets heavy and complicated. Adam McGowan understands that because he’s been there and seen a bit of everything. Adam is my first call when a situation comes up that I don’t want to approach alone. His mix of empathy, perspective, and tactical advice is a game changer. You want Adam on your team on tough days as well as great ones.”
– Jess Lynch, Founder & CEO, Wishroute
“Adam knows entrepreneurship inside and out. I’ve worked in Silicon Valley and started and/or scaled five startups. I admit, I once believed entrepreneurship could not be taught – only learned through experience. I was wrong. Entrepreneurs gain invaluable insight from Adam because he has the know-how to evaluate complex cases and recommend smart decisions. Hiring him can be the best decision a startup makes.”
– Johnny Nguyen, Entrepreneur and serial founder
“If you're looking for a results-driven advisor, Adam is your guy. For us, we were struggling with our financial model and what levers were most important for our startup's growth. Adam's constructive and logical approach to our business helped us home in on what were the most crucial metrics for us at that point in time. That focus saved us from wasted time, energy, and money.”
– Nicole Phillips, Co-founder & CEO, Qatch
“Adam helped me build a strong foundation for our care tech business. He and I began as spirited co-"architects," evolved as true business partners, and became great friends. I'm honored to vouch for such a phenomenal mind, great guide, and even better human being.”
– Adam Goldberg, Founder & CEO, Torchlight
“Adam was just the partner we needed! When it was time for Supporting Strategies to scale, he helped us prioritize what mattered and build the product that would grow our top and bottom lines. When we introduced our solution, we had just a few locations; we’ve expanded to more than one hundred nationwide. Adam’s advice and execution helped us unlock that growth.”
– Leslie Jorgensen, Founder & CEO, Supporting Strategies
“When a leader wants to spark positive, lasting change in their venture, I send them to Adam. His background as a financier and founder makes him a uniquely valuable adviser and operator. And if he can't directly help, someone in his extensive network can. Simply put, call Adam first.”
– Steve Snyder, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Gesmer Updegrove
“I began working with Adam as our startup emerged from an accelerator and needed to scale. His vision and execution helped ListenWise make the early strides that have been critical to our continued success. If your product is taking shape, you need to talk to Adam.”
– Monica Brady-Myerov, Founder & CEO, Listenwise
“As entrepreneurs, it's nearly impossible to be truly objective about our own ideas. That's why Adam's contributions have been so valuable. Relying on his unique perspective and approach, he has helped me bring our products and audience into absolute alignment.”
– Mike Sweet, Founder & CEO, Nimblywise
There is a familiar adage, “A candle loses nothing by lighting another.” This simple but profound statement exemplifies Adam’s approach to supporting his clients, customers, and connections. Importantly, he underscores this approach with a substantive, analytic business experience that delivers outcomes.”
– Sarah Biller, Executive Director, Vantage Ventures
“It’s simple: Adam creates success – both for himself and those around him. For the better part of a decade, his counsel and execution have been critical to the growth and direction of Sagely Health. He’s one of my most trusted advisers.”
– Jason Sager, Founder & CEO, Sagely Health
“Adam offers solid advice, based on deep experience. Executive decisions at an early stage make or break a company. Adam helps companies make the wise decisions that help them succeed!”
– Yousif Touza, Co-founder & CEO, Flype
“At Babson’s WIN Lab accelerator for women entrepreneurs, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Adam. As an outstanding mentor with a passion for teaching, he’s inspired many founders of startups. It’s fun to see him in action!”
– Smaiyra Million, Director, Butler Institute at Babson College
“Time is not an entrepreneur's friend. There's never enough of it. Adam helps entrepreneurs make the most of their time with astute prioritizing and decisive action to get results.”
– Hakan Satiroglu, Co-founder & CEO, XR Terra
“Over the years, Adam has provided sound innovative advice and strategy across a wide range of topics while adopting many personas - from entrepreneur to community-builder to innovator to coach. His careful consideration of the question at hand, combined with experience and a proven approach to getting to the root of the issue has allowed us to innovate and pivot to success faster.”
– Dan Hess, Co-founder, Squark
“There's so much uncertaintly surrounding entrepreneurship, and founders need every advantage they can get. If you want to avoid missteps and maximize your chances for success, bring Adam in early. His ability to spot pitfalls and uncover opportunities is a huge asset.”
– Sean Iacobone, Founder & CEO, Holisticly
“Adam is an entrepreneur's entrepreneur. His ability to recognize and understand patterns that founders and start-ups go through comes from his own experiences running successful ventures. Adam also happens to be one of the kindest colleagues I have met in my journey. His unique ability to connect people is remarkable and his connections are some of the best and brightest in the business world.”
– Joe Zanca , Co-founder, OnDemandStorage
“As a leader in networking, Adam knows how to connect entrepreneurs with the talent and resources they need. And as an adviser, he knows how to connect the dots in business strategy – how to improve decision-making, raise funds, build teams, and perfect products.”
– Chris Donovan, Co-founder & Director, The Startup Coalition