At This Stage of My Career, Where I Commit My Energy Matters More Than Ever.....
I’ve started work with a company, and I’ve been thinking a lot about why I chose them.
At this point in my career, coming up on nearly 28 years in the geospatial industry, that decision isn’t about titles, logos, or compensation.
It’s about where I choose to invest my energy.
And more importantly, why.
The Perspective That Comes With Time
I’m starting to feel a little like the old guy in the room.
I’ve seen this industry when it was command line and niche… and now we’re in a world where people think you can just yell a question into the atmosphere and AI will hand you the answer.
That’s not entirely true, but it’s not entirely wrong either.
I’ve seen the growth.
The evolution.
The innovation.
The adoption.
And I’ve had the privilege to work with and learn from some of the best this industry has to offer.
Which is exactly why I’ve become more selective, a lot more selective.
At this stage, it’s not just about what’s possible.
It’s about what actually matters.
The Reality of Innovation Today
Over the last six years, since starting GEO261 and our growth consultancy business, something has become very clear:
There’s no shortage of innovation.
But there is a shortage of meaningful innovation.
Everyone is building something:
Bigger
Faster
Better
More cost-effective
But too often, they’re missing the point.
The buyer.
The experience.
The problem.
The mission.
Are you actually interested in your customers, or just interested in being interesting to them?
There’s a lot of flashy, “whiz-bang” tech hitting the market right now.
And more often than ever, I find myself asking:
So what? Who cares?
(And yes, you can thank Anthony Calamito for that drumbeat. It stuck.)
What I Look For Now
After seeing hundreds of “emerging” technologies, I keep coming back to the same questions:
Who is the team behind this?
Do they understand the mission, or just the technology?
Is this solving a real problem, or just showcasing capability?
Do they actually understand their market, the buyers and competitors?
What does the company culture look like, from leadership to the most junior team member?
Because at the end of the day:
Technology doesn’t build companies. People do.
Why This One Is Different
This opportunity stood out immediately.
Not just because of the leadership, though that alone is exceptional.
Five individuals. Four co-founders. Small team. But incredibly powerful.
We’re talking about people who have operated at the highest levels, in and out of uniform:
Industry
The Intelligence Community
Department of Defense (Sorry, War)
Navy, Air Force, Army, and U.S. Special Operations Command
Researchers. Data scientists. Engineers. Operators.
But it doesn’t stop there.
They also bring:
Business development, strategy, and marketing leadership
Experience from organizations like IBM, In-Q-Tel, and Dell
Global advisory roles across DoD and industry
Congressional and policy advising experience
Proven startup success
Collectively, over 100 years of experience (by my Marine Corps math).
That matters.
But experience alone isn’t why I said yes.
It’s the Culture, and the Conviction
What stood out most was how aligned they are with how I believe teams should operate:
Move with intent (70% solution)
Empower people (don’t legislate the how)
Stay adaptable (no plan survives contact)
Be someone others trust and want to work with
But even more than that…..
I felt something I haven’t felt in a while.
Real conviction. Real belief. Real passion for the problem being solved.
And that matters more than anything.
Because if you’ve been in this industry long enough, you know:
Passion isn’t something you can fake.
And it’s not something you feel often, especially not after nearly three decades.
There are a lot of good ideas out there.
Very few you actually believe in.
This is one of them.
The Moment That Sealed It
When I was offered the opportunity, I was very direct:
“I love this, but I also love where I am. I love the people. I can’t leave them hanging.”
“I also love what we’ve built at GEO261 and the opportunities tied to that work.”
Honestly, I thought that might be the end of the conversation.
It wasn’t.
Their CEO and Co-Founder didn’t hesitate. No pause. No corporate spin.
He said:
“Then don’t.”
“Don’t leave them hanging. Bring everyone along. Do what you need to do to succeed here, and be that same engine for others.”
That’s rare.
That level of confidence.
That level of trust.
That level of leadership.
In that moment, I knew exactly what kind of team this was.
And more importantly,
I knew I wanted to be part of it.
Why This Matters
I chose this team because:
They care about each other
No individual is bigger than the team
Ego exist (let’s call it confidence), but it doesn’t get in the way
They understand both the technology and the mission
They’re building with purpose, not just capability
And maybe most importantly…..
I believe in what they’re building.
Final Thought
At some point in your career, you stop chasing opportunities.
You start choosing alignment.
You start choosing people.
You start choosing problems worth solving.
And you start protecting where your energy goes.
Because energy is finite.
And where you invest it, matters more than ever.