One Orange Day

BarVision: A Startup That Changed Everything

Of all the startups I've helped build — some wins, some not — BarVision was the one that changed me. Not just professionally, but personally too. It pushed me to lead without a playbook, scale without a safety net, and believe in a future nobody else could quite see yet.

What is BarVision?
BarVision was a hardware + software company built around IoT technology that tracked real-time pour data in bars. Think performance metrics for every pour of beer or liquor, captured, stored, and analyzed in the cloud. The goal? Eliminate overpouring, improve consistency, and increase profitability — especially at scale.

This wasn’t just about monitoring. It was about giving operators a competitive edge through data-driven decisions. That’s how I positioned it, but getting there wasn’t easy.

How I Got Involved

I was working for an agency at the time when I came across the company. They were losing proposals to this little hardware company, and I was curious. So I started digging. What I saw wasn’t just hardware — it was a data play. Real-time behavioral insights across thousands of bars.

I called the CEO. Good guy. Passionate. But not into operations or strategy. The company wasn’t making money, had no SaaS model, and was on the verge of shutting down. They couldn’t afford to pay me — so I negotiated commissions from early deals and just started working. I figured out how to get paid later.

I knew I couldn’t do it alone — so as soon as the vision started to come together, I started pulling in a small but scrappy group of people who saw what I saw. Developers, account managers, early believers. We all had to wear multiple hats, but that core team became the engine behind everything that came next.

What I Did

Repositioned the Brand The first thing I did was reposition the company from a “monitoring” tool to a performance solution. This wasn’t surveillance. It was coaching — for bartenders, for managers, for operations teams. That shift got attention, especially from casinos.

We built messaging that resonated and tested it quickly — thanks to tight feedback loops from our small team who stayed close to the customer.
Rebuilt the Platform as SaaS The software was clunky and local. I turned it into a cloud-based platform with scalable architecture, rebuilt the reporting, changed the KPI structure, and added features that bars actually cared about. All with no budget.

This was only possible by finding a developer willing to take a chance on the vision, and a designer who was just as obsessed with user experience as I was. We didn’t have much, but we had alignment.
Kept the Company Alive (Literally) When the business was about to shut down, I found two partners and bought it. Huge risk. I’d only been there 7 months, the business had lost money for 4 years, and rent alone was crushing us. But I believed in what we had.
Engineered a National Breakthrough I cold-pitched Bar Rescue — and it worked. We got on the show’s radar, drove to LA to install a system on set (after buying back a sold system), and waited. When the episode finally aired, everything changed:
- 14,000+ leads in under 10 minutes
- CRM, automation, and marketing systems I’d set up in advance went to work
- Revenue exploded, and we proved we could scale fast
- Results That Mattered
None of it would’ve worked if the team hadn’t trusted the plan. From customer support to installs, everyone pushed hard. That night, watching the leads come in, we all felt the same rush — we knew we’d just crossed a line most startups never reach.
Built Strategic Partnerships That Opened Doors
I led a partnership with Intel that helped us optimize our local/cloud deployment strategy — a critical move that shortened installation times and made our solution viable for large hospitality chains. The kicker? Intel loved the story so much they featured our product in their event booths to promote their edge/cloud capabilities. Nothing pulls a crowd like real-time beer data.

6900% ROI on our original investment by the time we exited
Built a national brand and product featured on a hit TV show
Raised capital, grew the team, built infrastructure, and ran ops, marketing, product, and strategy
Negotiated with casinos, national chains, and investor groups
Pivoted the company from failing hardware to a profitable SaaS + hardware blend

But none of that happens without the team behind it — a small group of people who believed in doing the impossible and were willing to work like hell to get there.

The Hardest Part? People. Not Product.

The biggest challenge wasn’t product development or getting customers — it was managing investor expectations. Too many investors, not enough alignment. But that taught me how to communicate vision, navigate tough boardrooms, and build without losing focus.

Would I Do It Again?

Yes — and no. I loved the journey. But I burned out. I had run up cards, sacrificed time with family, and put everything into it. So after the exit, I stepped back. Maybe too far back.

But I’m back now. Smarter. Sharper. And ready to help the next great idea become a real, revenue-generating business.

Why This Matters to You

Whether you’re a company hiring for a high-level operator, a growth strategist, or a founder looking for someone who can help scale — this story shows how I think, how I work, and what I’m willing to do when I believe in something. I’m not a title-chaser. I’m a builder who knows how to create momentum, develop systems, and turn opportunity into ROI.

Want to Talk?

If you’re a company or founder looking for consulting, strategy, or a sounding board for a crazy idea — let’s talk. This is the kind of work I live for.

Let’s build something better.