Coaching and fractional leadership for founders and tech leaders
Irrationally helpful
That’s what people who’ve worked with me call me. I’m the cofounder and CTO of Sprout Labs, and I make room to coach a small number of founders and tech executives. It’s the work I enjoy most.
Built and led product and engineering at
“What sets Sean apart is that he’s not coaching from the sidelines.”
Keith Bourgoin, VP of Engineering at CrayonEverything I know is yours
If I weren’t an engineer, I’d be a teacher. It runs in my family, and today I’m building an EdTech product for neurodiverse kids.
Early in my time as a CTO, I realized I could get far more done through my team than through my own code. So I made learning part of how every team I ran worked. I’d tell candidates I would teach them everything I knew about building tech companies. I meant it, and it turned out to be the best recruiting pitch I ever had.
That habit grew into Eager Labs, where I designed leadership programs serving more than 1,000 developing leaders, from first time managers to the C-suite. That’s where “irrationally helpful” comes from.
Outside work, I’m a huge NFL fan and an avid tabletop gamer. I’ve also officiated half a dozen weddings.
Coaching
Most clients come to me a few months or a few years into a job that turned out bigger than it looked. I’m running a company too, so you get someone dealing with the same kind of problems you are. We meet every other week for three months, you can email me in between, and everything we discuss stays between us.
When you need more than a coach
Coaching is most of what I do. Sometimes a company needs someone inside for a while.
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Fractional CTO
I step in to steady or reshape an engineering org. At Embark Veterinary I led engineering through a leadership transition, coached all seven managers, and identified my successor from within.
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Assessments and strategic projects
I look hard at how product and engineering really work, then lead the fix. At LinkSquares that started as an assessment of the product development function and became an AI first redesign of the product. At the end of the contract they offered me a full time role to come in and execute the plan.
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Advisory
I advise founders and boards on technology, teams, and scale. Seven companies I’ve advised have gone on to be acquired.
I work at a day rate and invoice monthly for the time I actually put in. We agree up front on how much time the work needs, from a few hours a week for a project to nearly full time for a bigger role.
“Sean’s breadth and depth of engineering management experience was a huge asset to me when I began my first VP Engineering position. He brings a genuine, warm approach to the coaching relationship along with a wealth of ‘been there, done that, got the t-shirt’ practical wisdom.”
Bo WilliamsVP of Engineering at Gamalon“Sean played a pivotal role in my career journey from Engineering Manager to Director to VP. Sessions with him allowed me to define my roles, focus my goals, better understand the interpersonal relationships in our organization and to grow the team from 20 to 75 people.”
Kitt CaffallVP of Engineering at Customer.io“As the CEO of a small business hit hard by the pandemic, having access to Sean as a resource and sounding board to talk through issues was near priceless.”
Mark PartinCofounder and CEO at B/SPOKE StudiosWhat I’ve built
- Sprout Labs
We’re building an AI reading app for the 12 million kids who learn differently. Two of them are mine.
- LinkSquares
Rebuilt the product on an AI native architecture and reshaped a 60 person engineering org, cutting $1M+ in costs while output rose 21%.
- Embark Veterinary
Steadied engineering through a leadership transition, coached all seven managers, then identified my successor from within and coached him through the handoff.
- Eager Labs
Leadership programs serving more than 1,000 developing leaders, and one on one coaching for executives.
- Tapjoy
Scaled engineering to 100 people on a platform with 500M+ monthly users. Later acquired by ironSource, then Unity.
- Viximo
A global social and mobile game platform, acquired by Tapjoy in 2012.
Board member at Talla. Advisor to Help Scout and Crystal, and to companies later acquired including Nimbit, Boundless, Weft, StarStreet, Draft, and TimeCredit. Mentor at Techstars, MassChallenge, and Founder Institute, and founder of the Founder Mentors program. Two computer engineering degrees from Boston University.
Got a problem that needs another set of hands?
Tell me what’s going on. I’ll tell you honestly whether I can help.
Run talent at a fund or accelerator? If someone in your portfolio needs this, send them my way.