Building Things From Scratch
I’ve always been drawn to creating things of my own. Some started as simple ideas. Some became products. Some became businesses. Some exceeded expectations. Others provided expensive lessons. Every one of them taught me something valuable.
Board Butler®
An accessory for tabletop board games.
Inventor
Flattening a Frustrating Problem
Sometimes the best innovations come from the simplest observations. As a lifelong board gamer, I noticed a problem nearly every gamer had experienced: game boards that refused to lay flat. While countless people had accepted the problem as unavoidable, I saw an opportunity to solve it.
Highlights
- Invented Board Butler and took it from early prototypes through manufacturing and commercial launch.
- Designed, tested, and refined multiple prototypes through iterative development.
- Launched through Kickstarter with support from more than 4,500 backers worldwide.
- Secured two U.S. patents and a registered trademark protecting the product and underlying innovations.
- Built the business around the product, including manufacturing, e-commerce, logistics, fulfillment, customer support, and global distribution.
- Expanded beyond direct sales through online retail partners and specialty game retailers.
- Approaching 100,000 individual clips shipped worldwide.
What I learned
Having a great idea is only the beginning. Manufacturing, fulfillment, distribution, customer support, marketing, intellectual property protection, and cash flow management are where products ultimately succeed or fail.
Sideshow Swap™
A social deduction card game.
Co-Creator & Creative Director
Creating, Funding & Licensing an Original Game
Sideshow Swap combined my interests in product design, user experience, game design, storytelling, and entrepreneurship into a single project. We approached the game much like I would any other product—build a prototype, put it in front of people, learn what worked and what didn’t, and keep refining it until it’s perfect.
Highlights
- Created the original game concept and gameplay mechanics.
- Directed the overall creative vision, including art direction, character development, product design, packaging, and brand.
- Applied user experience principles throughout development, using extensive playtesting and iteration to improve gameplay, accessibility, and replayability.
- Managed refinement, manufacturing coordination, and production from prototype through finished product.
- Funded on Kickstarter within 24 hours and ultimately reached 281% of the original funding goal.
- Oversaw fulfillment, marketing, and community engagement following launch.
- Licensed the complete intellectual property to The United States Playing Card Company / Bicycle Games and worked with their team as they brought their version of the game to market.
What I learned
The same principles that create great digital experiences also create great physical products. Understanding users, testing assumptions, and continuously iterating often matter more than the original idea itself.
REFLEX Control™
An evolution of the video game controller.
Co-Inventor
Gaming Hardware Innovation
REFLEX began as an attempt to rethink how players interacted with console games. The concept replaced one traditional joystick with a trackball, creating a fundamentally different control experience for competitive gaming.
Highlights
- Co-invented REFLEX Control and helped take the concept from prototype through product strategy, branding, marketing, and industry outreach.
- Presented REFLEX directly to Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, Activision, and other major companies across the gaming industry.
- Earned First Runner-Up for Hardware / Peripheral of the Year at E3, finishing behind Microsoft’s newly launched Xbox 360.
- Built relationships with industry leaders, distributors, retailers, and gaming media while exploring paths to bring the product to market.
- Helped shape the product strategy, brand, positioning, and go-to-market approach.
What I learned
A great product doesn’t guarantee a successful business. REFLEX Control earned industry recognition and opened doors I never imagined we’d walk through, but turning an innovative product into a viable business requires the right manufacturing, distribution, timing, partnerships, and capital to come together.
Greet-o-matic®
A light-activated audio message player.
Mentor, Product Developer & Co-Creator
Helping a Young Inventor Bring an Idea to Life
One of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever worked on didn’t begin with me. It began with my son. He was 10 years old at the time, and rather than simply helping him execute an idea, I wanted him to experience the entire innovation process—from concept to commercialization.
Highlights
- Mentored my son through the process of turning his idea into a real product, from early concept and development through commercialization.
- Helped secure a design patent and registered trademark protecting his invention.
- Guided the Kickstarter campaign, manufacturing, fulfillment, marketing, online sales, and retail distribution.
- Helped him prepare for and make multiple television appearances promoting the product.
- Appeared together on the Steve Harvey Show, where the invention won a $5,000 prize.
What I learned
One of the most rewarding aspects of innovation is helping other people discover their own ability to create, build, and bring ideas to life.
Independent iPhone Applications
Some dating way back to iPhone 3.
Designer, Developer & Publisher
Building Products Before Mobile Was Mainstream
Long before mobile apps became commonplace, I spent nights and weekends designing, developing, launching, and marketing my own applications. These projects provided a crash course in product management, software development, marketing, monetization, customer acquisition, and continuous improvement.
Highlights
- Designed, developed, and launched eight independent iPhone applications.
- Generated nearly 100,000 combined downloads.
- Licensed source code that was used to create apps for Latin Grammy-nominated singer and actress Anahí, comic book property Lady Death, and Judy Moody from the popular book series and movie.
- Created Insert-A-Zombie, which generated more than 10,000 sales in a two-month period surrounding Halloween 2011.
- Reached the Top 40 in the French App Store with Insert-A-Zombie.
What I learned
Building software independently teaches humility. Every success and every failure belongs to you, and every decision directly impacts the customer experience.
Still curious?
You’ve seen where I’ve worked and what I’ve built. If you’re wondering how I lead, what my philosophy on innovation is, or what I’m looking for next, read on.