The First Customer – Mistakes, Mentors, and a Maverick Mindset with CEO Mark Wormgoor

In this episode, I was lucky enough to interview Mark Wormgoor, CEO and tech coach at The Maverick CTO. Mark shares that despite a successful 25-year corporate career in IT, he felt unfulfilled after reaching his long-term goal early and ultimately chose to go independent. He candidly reflects on the decision-making process behind leaving corporate life, his early startup missteps, and how a failed venture with a co-founder taught him valuable lessons about product-market fit. His initial foray into entrepreneurship eventually led to launching a software development agency and later, a coaching practice focused on tech leadership. Mark explains that his transition into coaching was a natural evolution of the informal mentoring he had done throughout his corporate career. He combined that passion with formal coaching training and inspiration from Dan Martell’s hybrid coaching/mentorship style. Today, through The Maverick CTO, Mark helps tech leaders navigate challenges in leadership, team building, and stakeholder management. He emphasizes that charging for coaching not only sustains his business but also deepens client commitment and results. Join us as Mark Wormgoor unpacks why startups should never build without customers in this insightful episode of The First Customer! Guest Info: The Maverick CTO https://themaverickcto.com/ Mark Wormgoor"s LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mwormgoor/ Connect with Jay on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayaigner/ The First Customer Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@thefirstcustomerpodcast The First Customer podcast website https://www.firstcustomerpodcast.com Follow The First Customer on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/the-first-customer-podcast/