Strategic Generalist

Your part-time, right-hand resource for strategic overflow

As a startup CEO, you likely have strategic work that’s stalled by limited capacity.

You squeeze in what you can, maybe contract for discreet engagements, while strategies to advance your business goals go unfulfilled.

As a Strategic Generalist, I provide cross-domain execution to help with your strategic overflow.

Wide-ranging, high-level skills. Exclusive, part-time, flat-rate, month‑to‑month, off-site. After-hours if needed. Deepening value over time.

With Skip as my strategic generalist for five years, I was able to offload to an experienced and trusted resource, rather than having to hire and manage multiple specialists. This was an invaluable, high-ROI part of our growth and successful exit.

Prabhat K. Gupta

CEO, Premisys.AI (formerly: CTO/Director, Intel Data Center Group; CEO, Megh Computing)

I’m a software engineer/web applications developer—a programmer since we stored files on little rolls of yellow punch tape.

I’ve worked for IBM, Borland International (desktop developer tools and databases), Netscape (Navigator was the Internet’s first killer app), high-image firms like Jaguar Land Rover Automotive and GrayBox, cutting-edge firms like Megh Computing, and scores of boutique brands.

This experience has included many aspects of building and selling products and services, including design, UX, branding, graphics/imaging, writing/editing, analytics, security, management, marketing, and more.

I also am or have been a technical writer, researcher, organizational development consultant, strategic planner, facilitator, sociology professor, international environmental campaigner, preschool teacher, boat builder, and personal agency innovator and trainer, among other undertakings.

Capacities

AI accelerates my output, mediated by experience. Writing, visual design, and information architecture are always my own works.

CREATE/BUILD

Software: Applications, web apps, extensions, websites, apps, cloud functions, testing
AI integration: Agent builds, co-coding
Publications: White papers, academic publications, blogs, documentation, reports, decks, brochures, site copy
Images: Graphics, diagrams, logos, photography, art direction
Video: Scripting/storyboarding, production, post
Marketing: Branding, messaging, press releases and advisories

ASSESS/PLAN

Assessment/requirements
Design/Usability/UX
Strategy development
Research design
Evaluation

FACILITATE

Group process
Strategic planning
Conflict resolution
Personal planning and balance

Selected work

Software engineering

I worked at Philippe Kahn's Borland International (development tools), Netscape Communications (on the Internet's first killer app, the Netscape Navigator browser), Jaguar Land Rover (automotive), GrayBox (brand and growth agency), among others.

AI harnessing

I developed a powerful AI harness, a microprogram-based execution environment using simple structured behavior specs. It also incorporates a low-level procedural fidelity indicator. This was like a steroid for a complex agent pipeline I deployed commercially and is a regular part of my project infrastructure.

White papers

Wrote, designed, art directed, and laid out an In-depth treatment of client's platform for overcoming edge challenges to help fulfill the promise of AI. End to end.

Photography

Landscape.

Agentic cloud functions

Cloud functions (serverless, single-purpose routines) are highly versatile—and can greatly empower agents in a secure way.

Product brochures

Video analytics product brochure in Adobe InDesign. End to end.

Art direction

Directed, managed, and reviewed contract illustrator for product use-case library. End to end.

AI integration

Built and commercially deployed SignalWorks, a lead-generation agent pipeline supporting multiple application layers. This lead report excerpt is from the Revenue Integrity Restoration application. End to end.

Logos

A suite of product line logos. End to end.

Product briefs

Video analytics product briefings developed in InDesign. End to end.

Press materials

I wrote this press release as part of an exit acquisition. End to end, including distribution.

Facilitation

Served as civil society negotiator for a UN Environment Programme international agreement (the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management).

App development

I built Intendful—an intention management app that supports the principles of Zen Do-ism. End to end.

Technical writing and editing

At IBM's historic San Jose campus, I documented the IBM 3495 Tape Library Dataserver, a massive tunnel of connected shelving segments stretching up to 92 feet long, down which an automated robotic accessor screamed up and down a physical track to grab and load tape cartridges. The manual described how to use MVS mainframe operating system internals to manage high-speed physical robotics—all displayed in monitor screens of 24 rows of 80 monospaced character positions. Pre-word wrap.

Academic publications

Spitzer, S. A systemic approach to occupational and environmental health. International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health. 2005; 11: 444-54.

Modeling

When a web performance audit shows load-time issues, there's no way to know how many visitors actually experience them. I developed the Constrained Session Model to inform business decisions about site performance metrics. End to end.

Photography

Street photography.

Strategic and personal planning

From strategic planning consultant to founder of Zen Do-ism: A practice for doing what matters to you most (and feeling at peace). Scale your personal agency.