James is the CEO's *secret weapon*. He has been the catalyst that has powered us through every inflection point we've experienced to date. James has a magical ability to instantly synthesize our challenges and opportunities at any given stage and translate them into an actionable plan. James is not a "growth hacker." There are no hacks and shortcuts to his methodical approach. Rather, he is a growth machine that can engage during pivotal moments to quickly and efficiently find the course toward new and higher trajectories. Our success to date can largely be attributed to his expertise and insight over the past 18 months.
-- Oz Alon, CEO and Co-Founder, Honeybook
Goodreads would simply not have existed without Stan. Stan has a remarkable quality in that you can put almost any problem to him, give him all the data, and he will analyze it and turn out insights you hadn’t thought of. He’s also a product genius, and able to study and grok the underlying mechanisms of any product. He'd be the first advisor or investor I'd turn to in any new company.
-- Otis Chandler, Founder and CEO of Goodreads (acquired by Amazon)
My company, LoveLive, would simply not exist today without Gigi. His support, motivation and guidance has made the difference. Gigi has an ability to distill otherwise complex problems down to their most salient points, which helps with strategy, prioritization, and problem solving. He has helped me achieve clarity of vision which has helped tremendously with growth. He is the most valuable advisor and investor I have.
-- Richard Cohen, Founder & CEO, LoveLive TV Ltd (www.lovelive.tv)
We had heard James was amazing, and we found the legends were true. He has a unique ability to distill the soul of a vision, and then help a product crawl, walk, and then eventually run. His brutal honesty has helped us ask the hard questions that we, as entrepreneurs often gloss over when consumed with an idea. I’m grateful to have James as an advisor & investor, and now honored to call him a friend.
-- Ben Rubin, CEO and Co-Founder, AIR (Yevvo)
Gigi is the best business coach I've ever had. He brings together the experience of a public company CEO, the agility of an entrepreneur, and the brilliance of a mind that never stops thinking creatively. His business contacts are vast and at the highest level. If you are lucky to get his attention – grab it!
-- Gal Almog, Founder & Group President, RealMatch
As many people know, James has a deep and rare understanding of the operational and product design subtleties that fuel consumer facing businesses. Perhaps even more importantly, James’s advice to me on the personal and spiritual side of my journey has been priceless. Startups are very personal journeys, and James has an innate ability to guide without directing, give candid feedback without offending, and ask the tough questions at the right times.
-- Manish Chandra, CEO & Co-Founder, Poshmark
Gigi is one of the best coaches and mentors out there. At first it can be painful to work with him because he is brutal honesty and will not let underperformance go undetected. I found his feedback was virtually always right, and in the best interest of the company. Having Gigi and his brilliant insights on your side is a massive advantage.
-- Daniel Cohen, Founder and CEO, Graduway
Working with Gigi is an exceptional experience. He has a unique ability to analyze situations in a very sharp and rapid way which always leads to super practical, clear and smart advice. Extremely responsive, direct, open minded, passionate, visionary, creative and supportive. Combine all this together with Gigi’s amazing network, and I've gotten incredible added value as a founder / CEO.
-- Eran Ben-Shushan, Founder & CEO, Bizzabo
Ooga Labs holds NFX Conference May 2013 (TechCrunch)
NFX Conference Summary (Ooga Labs Blog)
Growth Strategies Talk by Currier (LeWeb)
IronPearl Growth Launches (TechCrunch)
IronPearl Acquired by PayPal (Reuters)
Chudnovsky article (Venture Beat)
Gigi Interviewed by Startup Grind on Working with Startups (video)
Growth Psychology Talk by Currier 2014 (video)
Jiff, founded by James & Stan at Ooga, backed by Venrock (TechCrunch)
Chudnovsky joins Facebook (ReCode)
Gigi Talk on Managing in an Accelerated World (video)