# Phil McKinney

> Co-founder → IPO → HP CTO (3x Most Innovative) → CEO | Innovation Decision Expert

I’ve made the decisions you’re facing — just at different scales. As a startup co-founder, every choice felt existential. As HP’s CTO, I learned what scales to Fortune 100. Now as CEO betting billions on next-gen tech, I use those lessons daily.

Here’s what most founders miss: smart people don’t fail from bad ideas. They fail from predictable decision patterns under uncertainty that no one teaches you to recognize.

What You’ll Get From A Call

	∙	Pattern recognition from thousands of innovation decisions,  including expensive failures
	∙	How to think clearly when the path isn’t obvious and everyone has opinions
	∙	Real talk on what matters at your stage vs. what just feels urgent
	∙	Your next best move, not theory​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Background

Co-founded company → IPO | CTO at HP | CEO at CableLabs | Author "Beyond The Obvious" | 20+ year innovation podcast (tens of millions of downloads) | Advised 100+ startups through make-or-break decisions

Whether you're choosing between pivots, deciding when to scale, or building decision-making capability as you grow, I've made those calls at every stage. Still making them today.

I won't tell you what to do. I'll mentor you on how to think when the stakes are everything.

**Rating:** 5/5 (4 reviews)

## Offerings

- Video call (15 min): $450.00

## Example Questions

- How do you decide when everyone's giving conflicting advice and the data is unclear?
- Should we chase revenue that doesn't fit our vision, or say no and risk running out of runway?
- I’m betting the company. What’s the right way to think through risk when the stakes are this high?
- Customers want us to go upmarket, but we built for startups. Do we stay focused or follow the money?
- My team is split 50/50 on product direction. How do I make the call without killing morale?

## Links

- [Expert profile](/philmckinney)
- [Avatar](https://media.intro.co/avatars/652261dZSz0_Sl.jpg)
- [Marketplace](/marketplace)