Free Innovation Audit
Innovation Audit: Next Steps
We may suggest interactive async sessions before our meeting, making the most of any sync time together.
Innovation Advisor to Strategic Social Impact Executives
I look forward to my discussions with Dan more than any other. After each interaction, I come away with tangible work products that we can immediately apply.
Dan Wu is incredible. His CEO coaching has been transformative for me. He adeptly, patiently, and carefully facilitates conversations so that we both come away with new insights, to which he immediately follows up with strategies and practical steps. While we started work on product managing, Dan uncovered that my priorities shifted to go-to-market, sales, fundraising, and operations, and was able to step in all these other domains to provide support.
I look forward to my calls with Dan more than any other. After each call, I come away with tangible work products that we can immediately apply. His questions, content, and templates elegantly clarify problems, break them down into smaller pieces, and generate new experiments to test. Our work together has resulted in faster learning and growth across these critical and diverse domains. Maybe most importantly, our work has instilled a new sense of progress, hope, and energy that is so valuable in the ups and downs of being a startup CEO. His capacity to distill challenges, unlock creative solutions, and his keen ability to make individuals feel heard and valued has been a major reason for our productive sessions.
He’s a light, helping me see with more clarity where to spend my energy and how to move us forward. I highly recommend Dan to others seeking coaching for their startup, in GTM, product, sales, or all of the above!
- CEO, Brightlines (women-own/led) & former Partner, Truman National Security Project
Dan showed me the power of an excellent advisor and coach, introducing me to fresh models, novel approaches, and assuming the roles of both thought partner and accountability advocate.
I've always approached coaching with a certain skepticism, believing that the value lies in someone who has outperformed me by tenfold. My work with Dan as a CEO coach has dramatically altered this perspective. Dan showed me the power of an excellent coach, introducing me to fresh models, novel approaches, and assuming the roles of both thought partner and accountability advocate. His guidance has been pivotal in driving me towards strategic objectives that often slip down the priority list, but with his insights, are now achieved more swiftly and thoughtfully.
For instance, Dan’s coaching has been invaluable in accelerating our fundraising and recruiting process. His proactive approach in identifying our most pressing priorities, prioritizing our top jobs-to-be-done, and linking them to our success criteria to our hiring process has already made a significant impact. With his assistance, we not only pinpointed an exceptional candidate but also nimbly steered away from potential pitfalls.
Furthermore, what sets Dan apart as an CEO coach compared to others I’ve worked with is his ability to translate blockers and priorities into action in real time. The artifacts we craft together in our sessions build upon prior work, setting us up for immediate impact and continuous progress and learning. I highly recommend him and am grateful for his expertise. I’m excited to refer him to my portfolio companies.
- Managing Partner & Co-founder at Third Sphere VC (formerly Urban Us)
Innovation Advisor Field Notes
How your innovation advisor empowers you to drive community impact
Gallery view
Getting Your First Customers in Five Hours a Week
How to Break Your Growth Ceiling While Bootstrapping a SaaS
3 Innovation Leadership Challenges: The Root Causes of Failure
Fast Follower Strategy: 4 Startup Idea Shortcuts
How to Talk So Kids Can Learn: A Simple Roadmap
Courage to be Disliked: A Practical Roadmap
A Guide to the Good Life: A 5-Step Roadmap
Thanks for the Feedback Summary: An Actionable Roadmap
How to Be a Supercommunicator: A 5-Step Roadmap
What is the Oh Crap Potty Training Method?
Generalist vs Specialist: The Overlooked Path to an AI-resilient Career
The Ultimate Good Inside Summary: A 5-Step Roadmap for Parents
The 5-Step Roadmap to Empty Out the Negative
A Practical Roadmap for Finding Your Why
How to Master Nonprofit Capacity Building: A Practical Roadmap
The Crossroads
Hold Onto Your Kids: A Guide to Parental Attachment in a Peer-Oriented World
The Ultimate Connect Book Summary: Your 5-Step Guide
The Montessori Toddler: A Step-by-Step Guide
Effortless Healthy Instant Pot Meal Prep: Cook Once, Eat All Week
How to Use No Drama Discipline to Transform Your Family
Referral Links
Hunt, Gather, Parent: A Guide to Calmer, Happier Families
The Top 3 Ways to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others at Work
Medical Advice from ChatGPT: Your Guide to Spotting Errors
Three Lessons from Emergent Tokyo for Your City
What The Lord of the Rings Teaches Us: 3 Powerful Strategy Lessons
The Ultimate Guide to 1-2-3 Magic: Your Path to a Calmer Home
Relationship Accountability: The 3-Step Guide to Deeper Connection
How to Scale a Nonprofit: A Member-Led Strategy
The Top 5 Green Flags in a Friendship to Look For
A Parent's Guide to Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child
The 3-Hour Warm Contact Finder: Your Guide to a First Prospect List
Job Security vs Entrepreneurship: 3 Truths to Help You Decide
Solving the Passion vs Paycheck Dilemma: A Step-by-Step Guide
A Proven Method for How to Find Your First Client, Fast
✔️ Validation Script
Nailed It: How to Answer "Tell Me About Yourself" with Confidence
How to Quit Your Job to Start a Business Without Regrets
Problem Validation: Solve a Real Problem Before It’s Too Late
Market Validation for Startups: From Hypothesis to Sale in 3 Steps
How to Write a Funding Request Letter That Gets a "Yes"
Your Value Proposition Checklist Results
Book Your Strategy Call
Message Not Landing? Use Our Value Proposition Checklist

Innovation for Social Change: A Handy Walkthrough
A Founder's Guide to Validate a Product Idea
Your Reading Guide to The Smart Nonprofit
The Product Validation Process: From Idea to Evidence
Strategic Roadmap Template: The Secret to Staying Ahead
The Only PRD Template You'll Ever Need
Workback Plan Template: A Tool to Prevent the Last-Minute Scramble
Feeling Overwhelmed? Here's How to Prioritize Strategic Initiatives
How to Productize Your Service (And Build a Scalable Business)
Meet In the Middle: Fair Fighting Rules for Couples
A Simple & Practical Business Idea Evaluation Framework
Service to Product: A Founder's Guide
Why 'Just Asking' Fails: Setting Expectations in a Relationship
Assumption Testing: A Strategic Framework for Success
Streamlining Project Initiation: An Essential Checklist
Project Knowledge Management: How to Avert Project Failure
Employer Engagement Strategies That Work
Unlock Sustainable Funding: Your Guide to Nonprofit Earned Income
AI Strategy: Case Study of How We Helped a $6 Billion Foundation
What is a Calculated Risk? An Essential Guide
AI in Service Delivery: Supercharging Client Value
From Theory to Action: Your Personal Guide to Outlive
The Regret Minimization Framework: A Practical Checklist
4 Must-Have Customer Needs Analysis Questions (Quick Start)
Customer Needs Analysis Questions for Channel Partners
Customer Needs Analysis Through Channel Partners
How to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market: A Strategic Approach
The Smart Way: Collecting Customer Feedback
Don’t Make this Common Customer Validation Mistake
How to Identify Customer Needs and Wants
Copy Testing: 5 Steps to Avoid This Critical Mistake
SaaS Transformation: 4 Steps to Profitable Growth
Philanthropic Strategy: Three Easy-to-Miss Tips for Impact (One Pager)
Strategic Giving: How to Avoid 9 Common Pitfalls
Donor Segmentation: 3 Steps to Unlock Hidden Giving Potential
5 Underused Tactics to Supercharge Your Board Retreat
How To Eliminate Chaos With Backlog Prioritization
How To Scale With Business Process Optimization
Strategic Prioritization: Why Your First Move Might Be Your Biggest Mistake
B2B Customer Journey Mapping: A Missing Link
Messaging and Positioning Template: Five Tips for Success

Strategic Decision Making Framework: Don’t Miss This Essential Tool
Problem Statement Worksheet: 30 Minute Exercise to Clarity
This Problem Statement Template Delivers Results
How to Write a Problem Statement: Avoid These Common Mistakes
Workflow Redesign: Overcoming Objections to Your Positioning
Value Proposition Worksheet: A Systematic Approach
Persona Worksheet: A Systematic Approach
Ideal Client Worksheet: A Systematic Approach
When to Quit Your Job: Questions to Ask Yourself First
Independent Sleep: Our Biggest Lessons
Offers: Overcoming Objections in Your Messaging and Positioning
Board Engagement: 3 Strategies to Energize Your Leaders
How to Design Social Innovation Accelerators That Deliver Real Impact
Learning From Data: Messaging and Positioning Template
How to Find Your Ideal Client
Proof: Overcoming Objections to Your Messaging and Positioning
Market Category: Messaging and Positioning Template
Differentiators: 3 Steps to Take Today
Customer Unmet Needs: Key Building Blocks You Cannot Ignore
Get Rid of Confusion with This Messaging and Positioning Template
Contract to Cash: Top Tool Categories You Need to Know
Contract to Cash: Why Social Impact Leaders Should Care
Quick Micro Feedback with a Well-Crafted Voice of Customer Survey
💡 Customer Insights Specialist (Job Description)
Tech-Enabled Services Versus SaaS Business Model: Key Metrics
Dump Your Laundry List: Google Sheets Task Management Template
Social Determinants of Health and Cross-Sector Data Sharing (Brookings Institution)
Founder-Market Fit: Essential CEO Skills
Founder Market Fit: Intellectual Curiosity and Unmet Customer Needs
Founder Market Fit: The Overlooked Path to Your Ideal Client Profile
Donor Retention: Impact Stories for Nonprofit Effectiveness
Build Storytelling Skills for Emotional Impact and Donor Retention
What’s Missing In Your Donor Journey
Successful Donor Retention with Compelling Impact Stories
Ideal Client: Why You Need Strategic Learning
Overcome Self-Doubt: Small Bets to Your Dream Career
Skill Audit: An Essential Guide
The North Star Framework for Effective Member Retention
How To Achieve Financial Sustainability Without Sacrificing Impact
Process Improvement for 20 Extra Hours a Week
North Star Metric Framework: Five Key Changes to Make Today
Three Prompts to Uncover Your Founder-Market Fit in Your Innovation Strategy
Micro User Interview Questions for a 10 minute Innovation Process
5 Great Questions for Nonprofit Storytelling and Donor Retention
How to Build Accountability in a Team: Your Essential Guide
Effective Recruitment Plans for Top Talent Start with Great Job Descriptions
How to Prevent Scope Creep in Your Innovation Strategy
48 hour Business Validation for Innovators
Five Steps to Secure Superstar Talent with Proactive Coaching Plans
Successful Innovation Strategy Requires Internal Alignment
City of the Future: Co-cities to Empower Communities (Fordham)
City of the Future: Empower Communities (Fast Company)
Responsible Tech: Empowering Communities Through Data Trust (Bloomberg)
The Future of Technology is in Highly Regulated Industries (Techcrunch)
Housing Innovation: Ideas to Empower Communities (Techcrunch)