Dave Koshinz

Blog by Dave Koshinz

Why Your Success Depends More on Relationship than Strategy

Today I had the joy of sitting with my friend and mentor, Mariann. As we laughed together, I was reminded once again of a truth I’ve experienced throughout my life: success and happiness are more closely tied to our relationships than to any strategy, skillset, or circumstance.

Mariann has been part ...

09.22.25 05:08 AM

No Leader Has it All Together- They Just Pretend Better.

By Dave Koshinz

I still remember the first time I got it, once again I had snapped at someone on my team.

It had been a long week, and a small frustration pushed me over the edge. My words came out sharper than I intended. Their face dropped, and I knew I’d crossed a line.

In that moment, I had two choices. Pretend i...

09.15.25 09:05 AM

Whack-A-Mole Leadership: Why too many priorities wear you out?

By Dave Koshinz

Wandering through an arcade in the 1980s, you would have come across Whack-A-Mole. A simple wooden cabinet with a padded mallet, five or six holes, and mischievous moles popping their heads up just long enough to get smacked. The rules were simple—hit the mole before it disappeared. The faster ...

09.10.25 05:32 AM

Why is starting so hard with ADHD (And how to make it easier?)

By Dave Koshinz

A Student Founder Tackling ADHD With a Mood-Based To-Do App

Have you ever sat at your desk, heart racing a litte, knowing exactly what matters but not quite able to start? Today I met with someone who’s turning that moment into momentum.

Alex is a brilliant 23-year-old entrepreneur in Western Washingt...

09.04.25 08:06 AM

The Hardest Leadership Choice: Integrity vs. Opportunity

By Dave Koshinz

It was a frosty January morning. As we walked, the ice crystals crunched under foot. It was a strange meeting. He had sought me out, and in the privacy of our walk he offered me a deal.

A government contract was on the table—so big it could have transformed my business overnight. We’re talking life-c...

09.01.25 08:00 AM

Lopez Island Clarity: Why Letting Go Grows Your Business

By Dave Koshinz

I just returned from a week camping on Lopez Island in the Puget Sound. Cell service was spotty, but it didn’t matter. Before I left, I gave clear instructions, confirmed ownership, and put simple guardrails in place. The team knew what good enough looked like—and they ran with it.
As I watched the t...

08.28.25 08:51 AM

Case Study: Eight Weeks to Shift from “Hero” to High-Leverage Leader

By Dave Koshinz

The Set-Up

When Maria Santiago stepped into her new team-lead role, her old success formula—see problem, fix problem—followed her. Within weeks teammates stopped offering ideas and began handing work back to “the boss who always gets it right.” Maria’s evenings disappeared into rewrite after rewrite,...

08.25.25 07:52 AM

Naivety & Grit: What I Learned Launching a Company.... Again- At 58!

By Dave Koshinz

When I opened the doors of my first venture at 27, I felt like a downhill skier: leaning forward, thin margin for error, but the speed itself kept me upright. At 31 it felt much the same. Nearly three decades later, starting a new business at 58 felt more like hiking that same slope—eyes wide, pack ...

08.19.25 06:12 AM

When Helping Hurts: Confessions of a 'Hero' Leader

By Dave Koshinz

When My Helping Hurts: Confessions of a “Hero” Leader

I used to think of myself as the reliable fire-fighter—swooping in whenever flames licked at a project or a teammate’s confidence. Hero-ing felt noble: deadlines met, crises averted, everyone safe. But somewhere along the way I noticed something u...

08.13.25 09:07 AM

Bootstrap OR Funded

By Dave Koshinz

When the spark hits at 3 a.m.—that “what-if…” moment scribbled on a napkin—whose dream is it, really? Yours? Or the investor who’ll soon be checking your burn-rate spreadsheet?

If, like me, you’ve bootstrapped ventures because outside money felt suspiciously like a new boss, you’re in good company. A...

08.04.25 07:50 AM

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Dave Koshinz

Blog by Dave Koshinz

Why Your Success Depends More on Relationship than Strategy

No Leader Has it All Together- They Just Pretend Better.

Whack-A-Mole Leadership: Why too many priorities wear you out?

Why is starting so hard with ADHD (And how to make it easier?)

A Student Founder Tackling ADHD With a Mood-Based To-Do App

The Hardest Leadership Choice: Integrity vs. Opportunity

Lopez Island Clarity: Why Letting Go Grows Your Business

Case Study: Eight Weeks to Shift from “Hero” to High-Leverage Leader

The Set-Up

Naivety & Grit: What I Learned Launching a Company.... Again- At 58!

When Helping Hurts: Confessions of a 'Hero' Leader

Bootstrap OR Funded

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