Joe Mikhail
LinkedIn Crunchbase
Joe Mikhail, smiling, black and white portrait

Joe Mikhail Growth Catalyst. Scaling businesses one question at a time.

I work with founders who have a product, customers, and a business ready for scale but hasn't caught up. I build the go-to-market, the business model, the fundraising story and the team required for scale. I believe in fusing AI with human grit for outstanding results. I have done it as a founder, investor, CEO, and CRO.

Start a conversation See my work Who am I?
Value creatorBusiness architectGrowth specialist
Scroll
Featured in01
  • TechCrunch
  • Forbes
  • VentureBeat
  • PR Newswire
  • CMSWire
  • SD Times
  • Next Reality
  • TechCrunch
  • Forbes
  • VentureBeat
  • PR Newswire
  • CMSWire
  • SD Times
  • Next Reality

Companies I've worked with

  • Lenovo
  • Flex
  • Avery Dennison
  • Dell
  • Zoom
  • SolidWorks
  • SAP
  • FedEx
  • DHL
  • SoftBank
  • Airbus
  • Lenovo
  • Flex
  • Avery Dennison
  • Dell
  • Zoom
  • SolidWorks
  • SAP
  • FedEx
  • DHL
  • SoftBank
  • Airbus
Who am I?02

Curious, Structured, Passionate.

“The art of proposing a question must be held of higher value than solving it.”

Georg Cantor, mathematician

I enjoy the inquisitive journey of creating something new. And I thrive on building structure around creative pursuits.

As a young engineer obsessed with human advancement, I quickly learned to apply critical thinking to business challenges. I live by a simple philosophy: success hinges on identifying the most critical question to address now. Because what you focus on most grows the fastest.

Where I come in03

When a good product stops growing, look at the business around it.

I see the same pattern again and again. The product works. A few customers love it. Then growth stalls, and the team assumes the product needs another feature.

Usually, it doesn't. The operation that made sense at $3 million, breaks at $30 million. Deals only close when the founder is in the room. Customer profile has evolved. Nobody has tested the business model against the current market. That gap between a great product and a growing company is where I do my best work.

I obsess over business model innovation, while you focus on your craft.

What I bring04

Four things I do well, to help you scale up fast.

01

Go-to-market

I start with why your product exists, what problem it solves and for whom. Then I build the positioning, the sales motion and the channels, so growth is designed for the future, not stuck in the past.

02

Business model

Most companies have roughly the right model. But has it been stress tested for growth? Are profits equally optimized with top-line revenue? Gains usually hide in direct versus channel sales, margins, pricing and the cost of winning a customer.

03

Funding

As a founder, I have raised significant capital; as a corporate and venture investor, I have seen a lot of pitches and led sizable rounds. I'll help you tell a story investors can say yes to, and push for a fast answer when it's a no. Waiting on a maybe costs founders their scarcest resource: time.

04

Leadership team

A clear mission, clear roles and a leadership team primed for the next stage, so growth is not limited by the existing paradigm. And alignment around a shared vision is a key to successful outcomes.

One example05

The sale takes place in the buyer's mind, not the seller's.

The race

A specialty pharmacy competing like everyone in its category: on SLA and turnaround time. Forty-eight hours, then thirty-six. A race with no finish line.

The question

I'm not a pharmacist, and I didn't need to be: the product already worked well. When we asked its clinic customers what they needed, the answer had nothing to do with speed. Clinics were sending patients elsewhere to have drugs administered, and losing revenue opportunity and continued patient care.

The new model

So we changed the model. The pharmacy paid to convert a room in each clinic for drug administration, about $30,000 each, and set up new medical billing codes. The clinic earned new revenue and kept its patients in house. The pharmacy eliminated competitors and earned steady, recurring orders. Growing 2.4x in a single year.

$42M → $100M in one year
Proof06
Joe demoing an augmented reality headset
Business model
$100a month

    The same approach has worked far outside tech: a $70M jewelry brand, a commercial real estate firm, a nutrition retailer and a digital media company. None of them were tech companies. Each had a product that worked and a business that hadn't caught up.

    How I see growth07
    Joe Mikhail stacking a tower of balls, black and white

    I picture growth as a circle that has to expand on every side at once.

    Product, market, team, operations, revenue, and capital all have to stretch together, like a rubber band. When one falls behind, it sets the limit for everything else. You can pour money into marketing and stay exactly where you are, because the real limit lies elsewhere.

    I picture growth as a circle that has to expand on every side at once.

    So my first month with any company goes into finding that limit and telling you plainly what it is.

    I lead the go-to-market, business model and fundraising work myself. For the rest, from operations to AI automation, I bring in specialists I trust.

    Two ways to work with me08
    Senior Advisor

    Fueling your success.

    I work next to you one or two sessions a week on go-to-market, the business model and fundraising.

    Right for founders who want to lead, and want an operator who has already made the mistakes they're about to make.

    Contract Executive

    Looking for a ?

    You may not need to hire one yet. I take the title and lead the business side: investors, partners, key customers, and the leadership team. I get the company ready for its next round, then hand over to a permanent leader when you're ready.

    Right for founders with domain and technical expertise who want to stay focused on the product.

    How I work09
    01

    Assess

    Month one. I look at your product, your market, your go-to-market and your leadership team, with AI-assisted competitive analysis built in.

    02

    Plan

    A short list of objectives for the next two quarters, based on what's strong and what needs attention now.

    03

    Work

    I work inside your team on that plan, as your advisor or your interim CEO.

    04

    Reassess

    After two quarters, we decide together: continue, scale up, hand over or stop.

    I work with no more than three companies at a time.

    For studios, accelerators and investors10

    When a portfolio company is stuck between funding and traction, I can step in.

    The companies I help most have landed their first customers and need to reach the next level. That makes me a natural fit for programs that prepare startups for growth, and for investors with a company that needs hands-on help between rounds.

    Refer a company
    Is this a fit?11

    This works when

    • Your product is real and customers use it.
    • Revenue has hit a plateau.
    • You're a technical founder who wants a business partner at your side.
    • You're ready to be challenged, and to act on it.
    • You'll judge my work by the numbers.

    This doesn't work when

    • You want a market study or a strategy on paper; I'm not a management consultant.
    • You need slides for the board.
    • There's no budget; I don't take equity-only work.
    • You're still looking for product-market fit; zero to one is a different job.
    • You need a financial modeler, a project manager or a personal coach.
    And if you're not disagreeing with me, I'm not adding value.
    About me12
    Joe Mikhail laughing, black and white

    I've spent 30 years building businesses, from every seat at the table: operator, investor, consultant.

    I founded my first company, QualitySoft, in 1995 and sold it to Cigital. At Flex, I ran corporate ventures and launched a $25 million fund. As head of global innovation at Lenovo, I spent years being pitched by startups like yours. Then I crossed the table, where I led the Series B for Meta, the augmented reality company, and joined it as chief revenue officer and board member.

    Since then I've led YouVue, backed by SoftBank, Airbus and Bill Gates, and stepped in as interim CEO at Clapself and EveryKey, two companies going through major transformations. Today I'm a partner at Aptus Ventures and a venture partner at Erez Capital. I studied engineering at UC Irvine and venture capital and private equity at Columbia Business School.

    I believe business is all about people. Human grit and passion decide where a company goes, and machine intelligence helps it get there faster. I've helped lead several AI-native companies, and I use AI in every engagement.

    Let's talk13

    Let's start with a conversation.

    The first call is both of us deciding if this is a fit. I'll bring the wins and the scars, and I'll tell you plainly whether I can help.

    Book a call
    Joe Mikhail seated in an armchair in a coffee shop, black and white