{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"NC Tweener Talks","title":"Mike Doernberg on Tweener Talks: The Early Chapters of a Multi-Exit Triangle Founder","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/7b6c7045\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2399,"description":"In Part 1 of this two-part deep dive, Triangle Tweener Talks host Scot Wingo sits down with legendary Triangle founder Mike Doernberg to explore the earliest chapters of his career, from CPA to multi-exit entrepreneur.\nMike walks through the founding of Marathon, the rise of early PC-driven consulting, the creation and spinout of SmartPath, raising capital through the old-school angel gauntlets, navigating the DoubleClick acquisition, and why “retirement” lasted all of three months.\nTune in to hear:What the early startup ecosystem looked like before the Triangle was “the Triangle.”The origins of Marathon and how the rise of PCs and early web consulting created new opportunities.How a project inside GlaxoSmithKline became the spark that turned into the SmartPath product.Mike’s philosophy for spinning out products successfully, and why strict separation is essential.Raising capital in the 90s and early 2000s: angel gauntlets, tough rooms, and memorable TIG stories.The SmartPath exit to DoubleClick and why Mike now believes they sold too early.How exiting young led him to a very short-lived “retirement” and why founders struggle to sit still.Where to Find Mike Doernberg:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldoernberg/\nPlayMetrics: https://home.playmetrics.com/\nWhere to Find Scot Wingo:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thescotwingo/Tweener Times: https://www.tweenertimes.com/X: https://x.com/scotwingoIn this episode:\n01:02 – Mike’s early background & move to NC\n03:30 – Becoming a CPA but wanting more\n05:54 – Early exposure to startups at Ernst & Young\n07:50 – Why entrepreneurship became inevitable\n09:50 – Story of Burl Software and Y2K\n12:10 – How Marathon was formed\n13:22 – Rising PC adoption and early web consulting\n14:51 – Early e-commerce and building internet applications\n17:00 – How the GlaxoSmithKline project inspired SmartPath\n19:06 – The power of deeply understanding a customer problem\n20:34 – Building early commerce & workflow applications\n23:40...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/UEzoK7N1siD9YRaSVBWfZ8B3suSS2aonEIZ5NwBH1Gs/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS80NjBh/YWVhZTA4ZTUyY2Fl/MDdhNzQwZWFhNDI4/MDc3Zi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}