We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Reuben Abootorabi a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Reuben, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

As sexy as startups may seem, we need large corporations to thrive and succeed. Enterprises employ thousands of driven, smart, and hungry professionals who are itching to make a dent in the universe. They are also large, bureaucratic, and slow. Painfully slow. Folks who can see the play, call the shot, and create billions in incremental revenue are forced to watch faster-moving, well-funded startups run across the finish line while they are still trying to align resources and drive internal buy-in. Gen Z and Millennials don’t have the patience to wait and want to know that their work is valued and drives their mission. Something has to give…

My mission is to turn corporations back into startups. I can disrupt any corporation, anywhere, anytime in less than a week by taking on the role of a phantom competitor looking to leave them in the dust! I then teach how to do so to executives hungry for change and can capitalize on these insights at startup speed using their enterprise resources. By the time I’m done, change leaders are not running from tsunamis… they are surfing on them!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

We constitute a Ghost Team of corporate rockstars to play the role of an aggressive competitor looking to disrupt your core business. They will identify areas in your industry where you can grow and innovate before a third party beats you to the punch.

By acting like aggressive entrepreneurs, your best and brightest team members are freed of the constraints that frustrate growth. This enables leaders to pressure test their thinking without betting the farm or staking their careers on it.

I also provide Instant Breakthrough lunch and learns and workshops that teach your team members resilience and antifragile leadership skills to thrive and grow under pressure.

“Thank you guys for a super session!!!!”

SVP & GM Microsoft

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I’ve never raised funds. This is a good old-fashioned bootstrapping story. At times, it was built in $10 to $20 increments. Our clients provided the funds we needed to grow and keep expanding. By and large, I think the capital restrictions we see in the VC and PE communities are a good thing. There was way too much money on the streets way too early. The entrepreneurs who make it in these times will come out stronger, more creative, and with viable business models that infuse industries with vitality and resilience.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Results, reliability, and generosity. My focus has been to see leaders expand their impact and influence faster, broader, and make a dent in the universe. I take an objectively personal approach. It may sound like an oxymoron, but I know when to hug and when to kick. The folks I get to partner with are geniuses… I just help unleash it.

Contact Info:

• Website: theaustin.agency
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reubenabootorabi/

Image Credits
I found them online. My image belongs to me. You have my permission to use it in this article.