Skip to main content

James Morin

Basic Information​

  • Full Name: James Morin (James D. Morin)
  • Age: 37 (as of 2025-08-18)
  • Location: Austin, TX (moved during COVID pandemic in July 2020)
  • Current Role: Co-founder of StackWizard (B2B software evaluation platform)
  • Background: Technology entrepreneur, former outdoor gear executive
  • Connection: Met at Zach Levi's ranch event hosted by Gary, then met for brunch at Two Hands Austin with Nait Jones
  • Last interaction: 2025-08-18 (Brunch conversation at Two Hands, Austin)

Professional Background​

  • Current: Co-founder of StackWizard - unbiased compatibility engine for B2B data tool selection
  • Previous: Chief Operating Officer at Crave Retail (SaaS retail tech company in Austin, now strategic advisor)
  • Previous: COO and President of Sales at Flowfold (Maine-based outdoor gear brand)
  • Education: Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in Political Science and Business Administration from University of Maine
  • COVID Pivot: Led Flowfold's pivot to manufacturing PPE during pandemic (sold 3 million face shields)

Personal Background​

  • Relationship Status: Single, actively looking for a partner
  • Faith Journey: Grew up Catholic, took a break, returned through Christian girlfriend's church, currently seeking to get back into faith community
  • Family Heritage: Two generations removed from grandparents who lived in mill housing and were paid in "mill bucks" (company scrip)
  • Moved to Austin: July 2020 during COVID pandemic
  • Previous Locations: Maine (30 years), New York City (briefly)

Current Fundraising & Business​

  • Status: Currently raising money for StackWizard
  • Challenge: Struggling with investor expectations - VCs want "change the world" stories, he has profitable business model
  • Revenue Goal: Believes can reach $20M revenue, cash flow positive
  • Seeking: Angel investors and individual wealthy people rather than institutional VCs
  • Strategy: Needs to validate business loop first with minimal capital (~$200K), then scale

Personal Values & Aspirations​

  • Core Priority: "The most important thing to me is to not miss a future T-ball game"
  • Fatherhood: Desperately wants to be a father, views it as asymmetric risk management
  • Work-Life Balance: Surrounded by young men wanting to become billionaires, seeks guidance on balancing success with family
  • Dating Strategy: Following Santiago Montoyo's advice to volunteer at church and do community service
  • Reward System: Had Korean BBQ as weekly reward meal in San Francisco

Faith & Spiritual Journey​

  • Background: Catholic upbringing, found it "stuffy and boring"
  • Positive Experience: Enjoyed Christian church with girlfriend - pastor in cowboy boots, relatable teaching style
  • Current Status: Wants to return to church, volunteer, and meet potential partner in faith community
  • Influence: Encouraged by Santiago to be intentional about church attendance and volunteering

Austin Experience​

  • Duration: 5+ years (since July 2020)
  • Community: Building smaller, more intentional relationships compared to Bay Area superficial connections
  • Networking: Prefers authentic relationship building over transactional networking
  • Local Involvement: Active in Austin startup ecosystem, known for mentoring early-stage founders

Key Relationships & Connections​

  • Gary Sheng: Met at Zach Levi's ranch event, impressed by Gary's approach to faith and family balance
  • Nait Jones: Met through Gary at Two Hands brunch
  • Santiago Montoyo: Mentor figure who called him out on dating strategy
  • Zach Levi: Host of ranch event where he met Gary
  • Kyle Simone/Crypto Kyle: Friend from multi-coin capital, organizing Utah golf trip
  • Scott Hippo: Friend who loves golf

Business Philosophy & Insights​

  • Fundraising Approach: Believes in raising minimal capital to validate, then scaling
  • Investor Strategy: Focus on angels and family offices rather than institutional VCs
  • Unit Economics: Prioritizes profitable business models over growth-at-all-costs
  • Community: Values authentic relationship building in business

Personal Challenges & Growth​

  • Dating: Single and actively seeking Christian partner through community involvement
  • Career Transition: Left successful role at Flowfold to start StackWizard in Austin
  • Family Pressure: Dealing with family dynamics around his move and career choices
  • Faith Integration: Working to integrate faith more intentionally into daily life and business

Notable Quotes​

  • "The most important thing to me is to not miss a future T-ball game"
  • "I don't want to be limited thinking and limit what I can do"
  • "I don't like networking events just for the sake of networking"
  • "I tend to take on the energy of the city... I don't like where I've become in New York"

Future Aspirations​

  • Fatherhood: Primary life goal, views children as protection against loneliness in old age
  • Marriage: Seeking Christian wife through church and community involvement
  • Business Success: Building profitable, sustainable company without sacrificing family priorities
  • Community: Contributing to Austin startup ecosystem through mentorship and authentic relationships

Connection to Gary's Work​

  • Shared Values: Faith integration, family priorities, authentic relationship building
  • Business Perspective: Appreciates Gary's approach to balancing worldly success with spiritual values
  • Mentorship: Sees Gary and Nait as examples of successful men who prioritize family
  • Community Service: Interested in joining Gary's homeless feeding ministry

Areas for Future Collaboration​

  • Faith Community: Potential church connections and spiritual growth
  • Business Mentorship: Learning from Gary's approach to faith-integrated business
  • Community Service: Joining We Can Now homeless feeding ministry
  • Startup Ecosystem: Contributing to Austin's faith-driven entrepreneur community
  • Fundraising: Potential connections through Gary's network for appropriate investors

Transcripts​

Transcript IDDateSummary
2025-08-18-gary-james-nait-austin-brunch-conversation2025-08-18Three-way conversation with Gary Sheng and Nait Jones at Two Hands restaurant covering entrepreneurship, faith integration, and fundraising strategy