Patrice (Taylor) Barber

Weather delays. Compliance gaps. Lost days and lost dollars. Every contractor knows the pain. Pavewise, based in North Dakota and built by operators who’ve lived it, has just raised a $2.5M seed round led by C2 Ventures Fund II, alongside Connetic Ventures, Service Provider Capital, M25, gener8tor 1889, and Broadwater Capital. Their platform brings real-time compliance, weather, and production tracking to road construction, helping crews make better calls, cut rework, and keep projects on time. This is exactly what we mean when we talk about our thesis, Dirty, Dull, and Dangerous innovation: solving real operational problems in essential industries with durable tech. https://lnkd.in/eecPMHdN

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No board governance structure obviates the need for effective board governors. A core requirement of being an effective board member is being willing and able to productively disagree with the organizational leader. This is true for boards of public/private cos, schools, non-profits, churches, or any organization. It's not to say that a board member's contributions come only through disagreement - not at all. It's also not to say that disagreement should occur often - hopefully that's not the case. But, if a board member is unwilling to voice disagreement when it matters and the board is made up predominantly or entirely of such individuals, then the board isn't really playing any governing role at all. It's all cheerleading, no challenging. If you are the organizational leader, you can foster a productive board by doing something that is counterintuitive and often unnatural - elevating, listening to, and engaging with those on the board who disagree with you. And do that in front of the entire board. That sets the cultural tone that you value a range of opinions and believe in the value of different perspectives - even those that might challenge your own. If you are an organizational leader and your board always agrees with you and always rubber stamps what you're doing, consider the possibility that your board isn't functioning as a board at all, and the organization isn't therefore receiving the value of a well functioning board.

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How the Right Operators Transform Legacy Business Just visited a well drilling company that 2.5x'd revenue in 6 years. The previous owner ran it for three decades, worked incredibly hard, but never fully maximized the business potential. New owners brought manufacturing style operations, specialized services, and genuine care for employees. They pay field workers well and make them feel valued. Most investors would see "boring" infrastructure business with good margins. They'd miss the operational sophistication and local market understanding that drives the growth. The difference between working hard and working smart: operational excellence plus people first culture. Sometimes the best businesses are hiding in plain sight, waiting for the right operators to unlock their potential. #OperatorLedPE #BusinessTransformation #HiddenGems #PeopleFirst

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Culture isn’t something that just appears — it’s something you shape with intention. In his interview on The Greatness Machine, Dr. Geoff Smart, chairman and founder of ghSMART, explains how entrepreneurs can align their company culture with their core values by being deliberate about the way they hire, set expectations, reward behavior, train teams, and design internal systems. When leaders take the time to define what they stand for and ensure that every part of the business reflects those values, culture becomes a powerful force for growth and alignment. Don’t miss this insightful episode — check it out now!

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Your Ideal Investor Profile (IIP) is as important to your fundraising as your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) is to your sales process. If you don't know who you're selling to you're unlikely to be successful at it. This is true no matter what type of business you have or what type of product you are selling. When you are fundraising you are also selling a product: your equity. There is an ideal type of investor for your startup. These investors are: - Easier to convert - More likely to pay - Less likely to leave (or ask to leave) - More likely to refer other IIPs More in the article: https://lnkd.in/gAcNXwWj

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Finding product-market fit is simpler (but tougher) than you think. Rob Snyder dismantles conventional startup advice in his no-BS guide, emphasizing that ideas aren’t validated through hypothetical interest, interviews, or vague market needs—they're validated by real-world PULL. His advice: Find customers facing unavoidable priorities with clearly inadequate options. Don’t just interview—live your customer’s experience firsthand. Real validation only happens when customers actually buy—anything less is just a hypothesis. If you're serious about building something valuable, Snyder’s advice might sting—but it could save you months (or years) of pain. 👉 Have you ever built a product customers ripped out of your hands? How did you know you found true demand? Read more: https://lnkd.in/d9YPE3jC #Startups #ProductMarketFit #GTM

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What does it mean to be a growth oriented investor? Hear Permira Co-Managing Partner & Co-CEO Brian Ruder discuss the "growth oriented mindset versus the buyout mindset" on the latest Alt Goes Mainstream podcast. “We care about long-term profitability [in our portfolio companies]. That’s what generates compounding returns for us and for our investors.” Watch the entire conversation with Brian Ruder and his Co-Managing Partner & Co-CEO Dipan Patel on Alt Goes Mainstream here: https://lnkd.in/eeEJt-wQ

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Many founders delay assembling boards of advisors or directors, often waiting years. This foundational work is crucial from the start. Early guidance can provide invaluable insight and direction, helping to navigate challenges and capitalize on opportunities. Building a strong advisory board early on can set a company up for long-term success, offering expertise and strategic thinking when it's needed most. #startups #leadership #entrepreneurship #businessstrategy

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