Loading...

Request a Call Free

Expert

Menu
The VIP code '30mins4free' has set the rate to free.

Jeff Ski Kinsey Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™

USA

Former CEO CFO CIO CTO COO EIR DBA | Serial & Parallel Entrepreneur | USMC Veteran | Marketing Mad Mad™ | Letter of Commendation from USMC for Process Improvement. Award-winning student in business management technology at Kent State University. Award-winning software developer. Author, Editor, Educator, Speaker, and Jonah’s Jonah in Goldratt’s TOC. Helped startup biz clients raise over $4 Million in working capital.

Jeff Ski Kinsey's video
Play Video

Areas of Expertise

  • Reviews 18
  • Answers 25

I worked with Jeff on the StartupBus partnership with Rackspace for 2012. He's creative, energetic and all-around good guy. His passion for entrepreneurship is humbling. I look for amazing things to come from Jeff and look forward to watching his ideas come to life! From a partner perspective, he kept me informed and connected - resulting in an awesome end-result.

Source: LinkedIn Tiffaney Fox Quintana Feb 12, 2013

Jeff Ski Kinsey consulted with me and the nonprofit for which I was Executive Director in 2008 and 2009. We worked together on developing a marketing plan and creating a new, cutting edge website. Jeff is knowledgeable, creative and is an enthusiastic go getter who helps insure results. I highly recommend Jeff.

Source: LinkedIn Harold Watson Feb 12, 2013

Jeff stays on the cutting edge of technology and is always ready to bring a new idea to life using what he has learned. He builds a team of people to accomplish the task, and we all learn from the experience. His ability to innovate and create new business ventures is astounding. Being associated with Jeff allows you to be challenged and grow in your field. The professionals he brings to the team are just as exciting to work with.

Source: LinkedIn Lana Hall Lewis Feb 12, 2013

Jeff is truly a TOC Enthusiast that envisions ways to improve business productivity by introducing TOC to anyone who will listen. His humor and energy are contagious which are critical skills needed in helping new entrepreneurs in the early startup phase of their business. His 90-day entrepreneurial boot camp combines the best concepts of Seth Godin and Eliyahu Goldratt.

Jeff is the sales and marketing sage with the ability to ask great questions that drive clients to figure out who is their payer source. You need to know that ducks eat corn and find out where your ducks go to eat their corn.

He is a great mentor and teacher. We in Northeast Ohio (Stark County) are lucky to have Jeff”Ski”Kinsey in our community as an entrepreneur and prophet.

Source: LinkedIn Tanya Ross-Lane, MSSL Feb 12, 2013

Jeff, or 'Ski' as he prefers, completely blew me away in his work with StartupBus. He was a proactive member of the community in various projects that were helping drive StartupBus, but then found a home in the sponsorship team which needed leadership to execute on one of the organisations biggest risk areas. In the space of a few short weeks, I decided to promote him as the team lead and his subsequent ability to raise funds is evidence of the things I observed of his ability.

He is a rare individual who is willing to put himself on the line for a great cause that he believes in. It's been a pleasure working with Ski and I look forward to working him in future -- his accomplishments understate him and he will be an asset to any organisation that has the privilege of engaging with his many talents.

Source: LinkedIn Elias Bizannes Feb 12, 2013

Jeff is one of the most genuine and consistent person I have come across. He has been mentoring me from the very beginning of my startup Giifa.com. He is proving to be my most valuable resource so far, and I definitely hope to have him as an important board member, even though I plan on establishing Giifa in California. His experience is extremely diverse and so has been his support. He not only helped in Giifa's conception, idea, marketing, and other business oriented needs, but his expertise as a programmer helped me with due diligence.
There is absolutely no reason to have second thoughts on considering him as a mentor, regardless of the role you want him to play. If you need any more info/specifics, feel free to contact me at prat@giifa.com, and I will be glad to be of help.

Source: LinkedIn Pratyush (Prat) Agarwal Feb 12, 2013

If you want to know SKI, just read his book. He puts in your hand a tool that allows you to fly. Alone. Just think a little bit. If you think with his method, you will find a simple way to succeed. Follow his steps and you will get what you want. Thanks SKI

Source: LinkedIn Ricardo Andorinho Feb 12, 2013

Jeff consulted for me in my previous business. His insight in determining the problem led to great solutions. He was generous with his time and made himself readily available.

I appreciate his wisdom and recommend him to others.

Source: LinkedIn Michael Scadden Feb 12, 2013

Jeff and I have worked together on several of Dr Goldratt's Viable Vision Offer Events. Currently we are working on global marketing for Goldratt Consulting. I am a huge fan of Jeff's! If you need to get something done and you want results, then Jeff is the right person for the job!

Source: LinkedIn Dr Lisa Lang Feb 12, 2013

SKI has been an invaluable resource for me over the past few years. His knowledge base is broad and he can make things happen. Its been a pleasure working with him on every occassion. Quality performance on all levels!

Source: LinkedIn Todd Canedy Feb 12, 2013
Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

Well done!

You now realize that it is not the idea alone that matters. Too many would-be entrepreneurs miss this understanding. Marketing is an art when done correctly. It must be rooted in the 4Ps as we say, but it MUST be uniquely inspired by the goods and/or services that need to be "Crossing the Chasm" as Geffrey Moore so clearly pointed out many moons ago in his landmark book, now in its 3rd Edition.

If this is your first venture into the startup space, I probably cannot be of much help. But if you have tried other adventures or worked for more than a year in someone else's startup, then I would be a great resource. And the first 30-minute call is free!

Put together a list of three (and only three) burning questions and book a time with me using this link:

https://clarity.fm/ski/30mins4free

^ski

Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

Interesting challenge.

You are saying some of the right things (like MVP) but your statements do not convey a true understanding. How could your budget be stretched already without having a marketing plan? Or two?

I am happy to jump on a call to better understand your needs and I do mentor startup founders [aka would be entrepreneurs].

In my world, you are not an entrepreneur without a few trials by fire. The good news is this: You have started taking action!

Never underestimate the value in moving towards one's dream.

^ski

Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

Indeed. Plans are almost everywhere.

May I suggest we frame your question a little to convey more detail (but not too much) in order to get you the help you need?

Allow me to assume that you have already "found a need" and wish to fill it. In fact, the best needs are the ones we face as individuals or professionals trying like everyone else to, "do more with less" and still be excited to go to work each day.

Let's call this Step One.

QuickNote: Have you found out the hard way that no one worth their weight in bitcoin will sign an NDA? Great. We can move to the next step...

Step Two: Is your "product" bought mostly by Consumers (as in a B2C, where your business sells to the end consumer of a good or service)? Or is your approach a B2B where you sell to other businesses? In a few cases it might be a variation or combination of these models.

Step Three: What industry will you serve? For example, I don't do food or beverage startups and rarely mentor founders in those spaces. Plus, as a result of my industry focus, I mostly work with B2B or B2B2C models. Are you beginning to see how it all fits together? Perfect!

Step Four: For now, this is the last question... Do you have experience in the industry you are building a "product" for, and if so, how long and how many roles have you filled inside that industry? We will ask later how well you are connected to other professionals in your target market.

Get the idea? Most of us on Clarity would like to focus on the areas and people we can help the most.

Reach out with any questions you might have... once you have written down the answers to my queries.

—ski

P.S. I put Product in quotes because it may be a good or service. Or both. Or neither. {grin}

Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

Wow. I too would love to find people that would be willing to handle all these matters and work on a commissions basis.

With the wheels back on the economy for the first time since the meltdown of August 2008, there is some hope that once again enough experts are doing well enough to take such roles.

However, may I offer a better approach? Let's assume for a moment that you are on LinkedIn and have at least 500 connections. If not, that should be your focus in your spare time. If so, reach out to your connections only, and tell them you are looking for a partner to take your business to the next level.

Tell us your strengths in two or three bullet points with a little detail, maybe 60 or 70 words for each, and remind them what your business does.

Then, when some recommendations come in, they have already been vetted to a degree by people you "know, like, and trust" and so reach out to each of the candidates.

Yes, there is more to it and I would be happy to talk with you. Reach out.

~ski

P.S. My last hire took a whole five minutes. If it is taking you longer, you are doing a number of things wrong.

Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

First, I must have a need. aka "Find a need and fill it."

Second, I must have a reason to act sooner rather than later. Reminder: the fear of failure is greater than the need to succeed. So tell me how I am failing today by not acting.

Third, I must have resources that I can direct or redirect to purchase your good(s) and/or service(s).

Finally, and this is key for most people, you have to show me a vision of how you "make it all happen" for and with me. Tell me a story. A compelling one where I become the hero.

Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

Good Day Prabodh, I am Ski, a tech maven of over 30 years with hands-on roles in numerous roles including CEO, CTO, DBA, and developer for over 12 startups and a "recovering" consultant to organizations that include the State of Ohio, The Town of Hilton Head Island, SC, LexisNexis, and Goldratt Consulting.

If you have ever watched the movie, Moneyball, or know of the work of the late Dr. Eli Goldratt, then you understand that mastering constraints is the shortest path to the success you seek. Please do not spend money you don't have and must raise to reinvent the wheel.

Let's talk.

Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

That is a great question with a lot of potential answers, however, as is rarely the case, just one right answer. You need the one, best Real Estate maven on planet earth. Someone that has been there, done that, and sold out for millions of dollars. Sadly, I am not that person, but I do know him. And happy to point you in the right direction. Give me a shout. A ten minute call should be sufficient.

P.S. He was one of the largest RE/MAX franchisee and franchisors in the 1990s and continues to consult with anyone in the space willing to listen.

Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

I wish I had known that Steve Jobs would die early and any vision he had for the iPad and the re-birth of magazine publishing would die with him. It is an amazing device but iTunes sucks as a platform. Plus, as long as Medium lacks paywalls (or something similar) and lacks an embedded payment mechanism, there is no good solution.

But if you want to cry over spilt milk, schedule a few minutes and we can sit on the ground and share sad tales. {grin}

Jeff Ski Kinsey, Entrepreneur & Retired Marketing Mad Man™ answered:

Sounds like you know most of the important pieces but lack the confidence to jump back into the fray. For more than a few years I have been in love with the Lean Startup approach and the MVP. There will always be pros and cons to any approach, but this methodology still packs a lot of horsepower. I have built several companies in just 90 days. My efforts are turbocharged now with this simple approach. More thorough plans are possible than otherwise might be the case.

I use the Lean Canvas by Ash Maurya as my template for any new idea or project that I need to explore in detail before deciding to jump. Then I live in it and share it with others as needed. Those nine blocks in the canvas are pure gold if approached with a few pieces of common sense in hand and if (very big IF) you are willing to take some direction. Look it up at leancanvas dot com and if you want some insight, schedule some time and let's make it happen.

Related experts

the startups.com platform

Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.