about Bruce Warila
Best way to contact me…
please feel free to just call me @ 978.368.1424
or, brucewarila - on gmail, skype, facebook, twitter, or linkedin
or, use the contact form on this site
What I do…
As a fulltime entrepreneur, I have invested in and/or operated numerous startups (see list below) over the last fifteen years.
As of September 2009, I am looking for organizations where I can invest time (not cash) in exchange for equity.
Initially, I prefer to fill the roles of industry analyst and technology / strategy advisor.
In certain situations, I am willing, I am qualified, and I can execute the requirements of CEO, COO, a non-coding CTO, or I can fill any role related to product management.
Optionally, I also work on a contract basis (one month minimum).
My self-promotion…
I have been doing what I do (below) for over fifteen years. I am extremely productive. The substance and the presentation of my work are of the highest quality. In most of the situations I work in, I fill multiple essential roles simultaneously. I enjoy startups. I completely ‘get’ how to leverage the Internet. I’m also friendly.
What I am doing now and what I have done…
New Venture - about to join. Launching spring 2010.
For RockSource360 - (initial engagement)
Advised RockSource360 on creating and building a community site for online music education (rock genre). Advised the founders on creating a community where music education, artist exposure, and ultimately music discovery could be folded into one proposition.
For several investor groups
Business model analysis and strategic planning (music industry related).
For Audience
Advised the startup called Audience on technology, strategic planning and fundraising.
For Music Xray
Researched and documented numerous patents pertaining to music information retrieval technology.
Developed a strategy to enable Music Xray to bring a unique (scarce) music filtering and funneling product proposition (over time) into the marketplace.
Created financials and business plan documents.
Designed Music Xray logo and branding. (I have nothing to do with the website.)
Designed Music Xray’s unique Song Presentation Packaging (example) as a permanent home for Music Xray’s market demand analysis technology (the market demand analysis product has been temporarily withdrawn from the marketplace).
Designed Music Xray’s Interaction Engine as a component to Music Xray’s ‘freemium’ revenue model and as a unique method to collect meta-filtering information pertaining to songs and artists.
Designed Music Xray’s Song Survey module. This product (fall 2009) will enable the music industry professionals on Music Xray to interact with artists at numerous price points depending on the level of survey commitments offered by each professional.
For Platinum Blue Music Intelligence (PBMI)
Navigated PBMI into re-branding as Music Xray.
I am a current advisor to, and a part owner of, PBMI/Music Xray.
For Music Think Tank - (ongoing)
Co-creator of the Music Think Tank (MTT) brand and blog with Andrew Dubber.
I manage the online MTT community.
I maintain the MTT ownership structure between 20+ regular authors.
Designed and implemented the MTT site.
Recently designed and launched MTT Open, MTT Radio, MTT Stats.
I am also a weekly author on this site. (read my posts)
For The University of Massachusetts at Amherst - (ongoing)
For BDIC, I have created an online community (DesignMyMajor.com) for students enrolled in BDIC, for their advisors, and for engaged alumni. www.designmymajor.com will launch in November of 2009.
For SQGO - (ongoing)
Founder and CEO. SQGO currently exists to obtain patents pertaining to software development, application provisioning and application updating for wireless devices.
ongoing - I work with our legal team (Choate) to present compelling claim evidence to the US Patent Office.
Recruited a top-tier team (2001-2002) to identify, prototype and file patents on inventions that are going to be necessary to delivering today’s rich, interactive, wireless applications.
Designed SQGO’s thumb-driven interface.
Personally executed naming, branding and logo design.
Wrote SQGO’s business plan; created the funding presentations; managed the cap table and all the equity incentives offered by SQGO.
For SONGboost
Designed music promotion tools (SONGshot, SONGpages, SONGsurvey, SONGfolio). You can see the evolution of each of these products within Music Xray. These assets were sold to PBMI in 2009.
Designed a bundled, interactive, personalized digital music asset package for use within the music industry. This product is based upon SQGO’s patent pending technology.
For Jediah
Filled the roles of A&R, manager and coach for this popular New England-based band.
Designed a legal framework (2005) that enabled the business of Jediah to operate like a startup.
Offered Jediah’s legal documents online (2009) through Music Think Tank as a foundation to enable other artists and labels to create what is now known in the music industry as a 360 deal.
For Longview Recording Studios
Bridged (financially) this legendary recording studio during a difficult restructuring process.
Managed the effort to scale back and reposition the studio business.
Created a business plan to make Longview into an investment-backed song factory that would work with artists on a song-by-song basis.
For The Lancaster Marketplace
Positioned the largest indoor-outdoor ‘flea market’ in New England as an up-market destination where shoppers can find (treasure hunt for) unique and unusual items. Coined the term ‘pretiques’ (pre-antique).
Stocked and merchandised 12,000 sq feet (out of 60,000) of retail space with antiques and pretiques sourced from over one hundred auctions around New England.
Created a highly-successful, ongoing regional radio ad campaign and wrote all the sixty-second spots that helped this marketplace to attract record crowds and obtain profitability during year one of operation. This business has been sold to larger company.
For Yospace (London)
Investor and one of four founders of Yospace.
Wrote Yospace’s business plan; created the funding presentations; managed the cap table and all the equity incentives offered by Yospace.
I named Yospace, chose Yospace’s first successful product propositions, and managed the sales team that initially sold Yospace’s products to many of the wireless network operators around the world.
Yospace is now a Bauer Company (Germany).
For Crawford Group
Founder and CEO
Far prior to the ‘green movement’ (prior to 1998), I positioned and operated Crawford as a premier, environmentally conscious recycler.
Crawford was a US leader in many of the segments the company operated within.
Recruited and managed a staff of thirty sales and support/operations personnel that serviced approximately 20,000 customers annually.
Designed and developed a market intelligence and bidding application that enabled the company to source inventory through auctions at the highest possible return on investment.
Most of Crawford’s assets, including the software, became part of Ford Motor Company in 1999.
