consulting

I tell stories with data. I’ve been a tech journalist for a decade, and I’ve been VP Research for VB Insight, Mobile Economist for TUNE, and VP Insights for Singular. I’ve also consulted with Fortune 500 companies and tech startups from Tel Aviv to Vancouver to San Francisco to China. And I’ve raised VC money from seed to multi-million rounds.

Here are a few of the specific services I deliver via my company Sparkplug9. If you’re interested in something long term, please scroll down to a contact form at the bottom of this page.

Brief engagements & “cup of coffee” meetings
Most of my client engagements are measured in years, not months. I generally don’t do one-offs. If you have something brief, I may consider it, but mostly I confine that sort of thing to speaking at a conference or event.

Strategy consulting
I’ve built sites, apps, development teams, and been in the tech space for decades. I’ve started three companies, raised VC twice, advised multiple startups. I’ve seen most of it, and been pitched the rest. I can help early-stage startups with strategy and tactics, and bigger, older companies with digital insight.
Story definition
Your success depends on a lot of things. One of them is a coherent and compelling story. I’ve been pitched on thousands of tech startups, products, and innovations. I know what flies and what crashes and burns, and I can help you craft a story that resonates.
Data-driven research reports
I research and write significant data-driven reports that can be used for:

  • Awareness
  • Thought leadership
  • Lead generation
  • Social media
  • Executive speeches
  • Blog posts
  • PR
  • AR
Live event hosting
I host and MC live events of all sizes, from intimate executive gatherings to 1000+ attendee events.
Webinar hosting
I host and moderate webinars on tech, marketing, advertising, and other topics. This includes essential pre-work: who should be on the panel, what is the topic, what areas should we cover, and so on.

What most people neglect: the post-webinar opportunities to share insights and generate more attention and leads. I hope you exploit every last opportunity.

Live social
I host and MC live social videos on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter (Periscope), and more. These can be casual and spontaneous, or planned, scheduled, and rehearsed.
Podcasting
I plan, host, and execute video and/or audio podcasts for myself and clients, often pairing them with live social streaming.

Most brands that do podcasts record, publish, and forget what they just did. That means they leave 90% of the value of podcasts untapped. I will show you how to unlock those missed opportunities.

Blog thought leadership
I write extensively-researched thought leadership blog posts that use data to generate insight and get attention.
Visual case studies
I tell stories with pictures and data, visually showing how clients are succeeding with your software, solutions, and services.
Videos
I host or script videos for a wide range of uses, including:

  • Explaining products or services
  • Executive or thought leader interviews
  • Promo videos
  • Demo videos
  • Webinars
  • Case studies
  • Company culture

Depending on needs and situations, I often build an integrated plan that incorporates multiple strategies. We usually starts with your data, and we may include surveying and interviewing. Once we have data, we can do long-form reports, short tactical extracts, supporting blog posts, and crafted social updates.

Startups, brands, enterprise

I help with branding and early story-telling for startups. As someone who’s written thousands of news articles and been pitched tens of thousands of times, I have a very good sense of when something is newsworthy, what is the most newsworthy part, and what might be missing from a press release.

How I work

I don’t do one-off consulting engagements, as these rarely provide the opportunity to make a significant and strategic impact. I generally do retainers, and most of my clients work with me for periods measured in years, not months.

From people that I’ve worked with …

Feel free to check out my LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations. Or, read a few words from people that I’ve worked with:

  • “He really understood our brand and strategy as our business partner.”
    • Jieun Kim, Product Development Manager, Disney
  • “John provided great inspiration for our team … his ability to talk about the future as if it was now challenged our team to think innovatively.”
  • “You are an incredibly talented journalist and panel moderator. I’ve always enjoyed working with you.”
    • Robert Brennan Hart, CEO, Canadian Cloud Council
  • “A lucid thinker and inspiring presenter.”
  • “He consistently produces awesome content (reports, articles, live presentations, webinars) leading to millions in new revenue.”
    • Aaron Golden, Head of Technology Partnerships and Sales, HERE Technology
  • “His depth of vision for the mobile tech landscape is, I think, quite unparalleled by anyone else I’ve worked with.”
  • “John is the ‘ne plus ultra’ … the real deal of old-school journalism combined with a keenly analytical mind as well as an encyclopedic knowledge of industry information.”
    • Jonathan Hirschon, Principal, Horizon Communications
  • “Equally adept on both the strategic and tactical levels, which is rare.”
  • “Extremely innovative and well read on the latest and greatest internet and mobile technologies.”
  • “It has always been a pleasure to work with John. I cannot remember a meeting with him where his trademarked laugh was not to be heard.”
    • Arie Veenendaal, Owner, Kik Associates
  • “John is the type of person who finds a way to turn a can’t into a can. He has tremendous energy and passion in helping others solve problems.”
  • “John is smart, business savvy, tech savvy, and has an inherent sense of social media that just blows me away.”

Want to work with me?

Let’s chat …