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Andrew is an award-winning technology leader with 20 years of experience spearheading…
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Andrew Dumont shared thisI originally wrote this book for my son. I wanted to share with him the remarkable story of how he got here. But over the last two years of writing it, it became clear this was something I should share with the world. That it may be able to help someone else, even if it's just one person. In business we're taught to not show weakness, to admit struggles as we face them. That doesn't feel authentic and what leaders should do. Six years ago, I went from perfectly healthy to chronically ill. It started with my mother's cancer diagnosis, which took me from my career in New York and brought me back home to Seattle. That led to my own diagnosis at the start of the pandemic, which left my body fundamentally broken. All of it sat with me as regret while I fought, unsuccessfully, to get fully healthy again. I replayed every decision I had made, and how it permanently altered my life, forcing me to put my ambition on hold. But eventually, this exact path led to the birth of my son, the greatest joy of my life. This is the story of that journey, and the beauty I've found within it. It's raw, unfiltered, and inseparable from the story of who I am today. It's also a story of redemption, of finding your why, and continuing to build in spite of limitations. My hope in sharing is that it helps the many people battling illness, caretaking for others, and navigating the difficulties of life, find hope that the path they're on may lead somewhere meaningful that they never expected. The book is called "If Only: A Memoir of Finding Beauty in a Life Interrupted" and it's available in Kindle and Hardcover today. Amazon listing here: https://amzn.to/4vQSMAu
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Andrew Dumont shared this2025 was a special year for us at Curious. The headline is this. In a little over two years, we've been able to build a platform that breathes new life into overlooked companies. That platform has now grown to over $10M in ARR and nearly 100 talented people across our companies. I just published my annual letter, where I took a moment to reflect on where we're at and where we're going. You can read that here: https://lnkd.in/gKSDJwPT While others chase rocket ships, we’re unapologetically focused on building durable and profitable software companies with a decades-long orientation.
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Andrew Dumont shared thisThere needs to be an alternative to chasing unrealistic growth. An antidote to the startup rat race. I sat down with Marina Temkin, CFA at TechCrunch to talk about exactly that and how we're trying to build that platform at Curious. You can read here: https://lnkd.in/gmWC-9D3 This post from Jason M. Lemkin does a good job of framing up why the need is so acute, particularly in the age of AI, where growth rate expectations have gone up dramatically. Profitable and growing 40% is a remarkable business, the incentive structures just aren't aligned to support that.Andrew Dumont shared thisI have a seed investment I made years back now at $130m ARR now growing 40% and cash flow positive. And all the VCs have checked out. They haven’t been mean about it. Everyone is nice. It’s just, one has their associate manage the investment now, hasn’t shown up in a long time. Another shows up once in a while, says Great Job. This may sound like a criticism, but it isn’t. It’s just a Sign Of The Times. Folks are just moving more quickly than ever to try to find the next Cursor or Harvey. For founders, it’s good and less good. The good part is you get left alone if growth is OK but not epic now, as long as you don’t need more money. The less good part is the VCs disappear, and that can feel … not so good. Buck up. They are only investors. Expect most to check out if you aren’t on a path to hypergrowth. And they may check back in once you achieve it again.
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Andrew Dumont posted thisIt's another big day for us at Curious. Today we welcome UserVoice to the family as our fifth acquisition in just over two years. UserVoice is a special company to me. I remember sitting down with Richard White and Marcus Nelson in 2008 to talk about integrating with UserVoice. Back then I was leading business development at a company called Seesmic and UserVoice was emerging as the category-defining customer intelligence platform that it is today. This isn't just another acquisition for Curious, it's a deeply personal investment for me. UserVoice has helped over 3,500+ companies make better product decisions by actually listening to their customers. One thing that stood out from our very first conversation with the UserVoice of today is how truly product-oriented they are, as you'd expect. They live the value that their product provides. That team (with many there since the early days) is coming along for this next chapter, along with their leader and CEO, Matt Young. The case of UserVoice is a great example of why we exist. UserVoice has built a great business over the course of almost two decades, but their cap table of mostly large VCs (having raised over $9M over the life of the company) wasn't excited by a long-term, profitable orientation. It's not their model. It is our model, though - and we’re already getting to work.
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Andrew Dumont shared thisWe're hiring across the board at Curious. If you're ambitious and passionate about our mission of bringing sustainability to the startup ecosystem, check out some of our open roles at careers.curious.vc, which is powered by one of our products, Polymer. This video by Tyler Valzania from our head office summit does a great job of highlighting who we are and what we're all about. We've been very fortunate to bring together folks who are great at what they do, but more importantly, just genuinely good people.Andrew Dumont shared thisThe best teams never stop asking questions. During our offsite last month, we spent time talking about what we stand for, how we build, and what it means to stay curious. This video shares a glimpse of that conversation and the people behind it. We’re proud of the team we’ve built at head office and are looking to add a Growth Marketing Lead who blends data with creativity to help our portfolio companies grow. If that sounds like you or someone you know, learn more and apply here: https://lnkd.in/eBWim72Y You can also explore more open roles across our team at careers.curious.vc (powered by Polymer).
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Andrew Dumont reposted thisAndrew Dumont reposted thisNot every business is a grand slam, and that's okay. On our latest episode, Andrew Dumont of Curious shares something founders rarely hear: “It’s better to be honest with investors and say, ‘I’m not seeing a path to 100% YoY growth.’ Have a conversation about options—exit, recap, debt— instead of pretending everything’s amazing.” Learn more from Andrew about the dynamics that impact the VC <> founder relationship in our latest Thrive Through Connection episode here: https://lnkd.in/gJ9ZhBgR
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Andrew Dumont reposted thisAndrew Dumont reposted thisMeet Starter ✨ Avenue's newest AI-powered tool that lets you build customized IDX-powered real estate websites that stand out from cookie-cutter templates. Build your site for free in minutes 👇 https://lnkd.in/ggM94tyH
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Andrew Dumont reposted thisAndrew Dumont reposted thisThings are still rolling over here Curious. Following our acquisition of Avenue, we’re happy to announce that we’ve acquired Polymer, which we believe is the best hiring platform that exists today. Built by incredibly talented engineers and designers in Andrew Gertig and Corey Daniels, Polymer does an wonderful job of blending simplicity with powerful functionality. We’ve been using it at Curious for over a year and rely on it for all of our hiring, which you can see in practice at https://lnkd.in/gpcuCnGT. For everyone that isn’t familiar with Polymer, it’s an applicant tracking system at its core. Polymer allows you to create a simple careers page and publish your jobs to it, while allowing you to distribute those jobs to platforms like LinkedIn, X, WeWorkRemotely, and more to attract candidates to your open positions. It's the dedicated homepage for your hiring and culture, with powerful ATS functionality underlying it. Polymer was built explicitly for small businesses and startups, but with how well the platform scales, it’s one of the few products in the space that can truly grow with you. We’re honored to help take Polymer forward, with Jessica Gertig staying with us as the CEO. Watch this space, we have big ambitions for Polymer.
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Andrew Dumont shared thisAnother big day at Curious as we welcome our third acquisition to the family, AvenueHQ. A bit of background on this one. When we announced our intention to be a permanent home for software businesses in late 2023, a new approach how acquisitions can and should be done that focuses on longevity, Avenue was one of the first companies that we spoke with. Initially the timing wasn't right for them, but we fell in love with the team and incredible business that they built. That core team is carrying forward as we take the baton from Steven Mulcahy, who we think the world of. Here's what Steven had to say about working with Curious, the most important metric of success for us. "Through the process of finding a new home for Avenue we spoke to tens of potential partners. From our very first meeting, Andrew and Curious stood out for their empathy for our story, curiosity (unsurprisingly!) and a builder’s mindset that focused on potential and possibility. More simply: they just got it. It was refreshing to start from a place of understanding and respect, rather than feeling like every aspect of the company’s history and operations was under a microscope. That foundation meant that when it was time to commit to a sale, Curious was at the top of our list as we knew Avenue would find a long-term home with the vision and support to thrive." That feeling is mutual, we're unfettered fans of Steven and the incredible company he built. Welcome to the team, Avenue!Andrew Dumont shared thisWe're incredibly excited to welcome AvenueHQ to the Curious family. Avenue represents exactly the kind of opportunity we look for: a profitable business with exceptional fundamentals and untapped growth potential. Since 2013, Avenue has built a comprehensive platform serving real estate professionals with website creation, CRM, lead generation through paid acquisition, and automated email marketing. Avenue is quite simply the best growth platform for real estate professionals -- we're honored to be apart of their next chapter. We've also brought on Lauren Makielski as CEO. Lauren takes over from Steven Mulcahy, who did a remarkable job in building Avenue into what it is today. We're unfettered fans of Steven and the incredible company he built. Read more from our announcement here: https://lnkd.in/gcC8M7dgWelcoming Avenue to Curious: Expanding Into Real Estate TechnologyWelcoming Avenue to Curious: Expanding Into Real Estate Technology
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This piece really has it all Keach Hagey 😵💫
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Andrew Dumont reacted on thisAndrew Dumont reacted on thisDigs has closed a $25.3 million Series A led solely by Builders FirstSource. The deal is more than financing. The companies also signed a five-year commercial partnership that will put Digs' AI homebuilding platform in reach of more than 140,000 builders. Digs is built around digital-twin technology and AI project workflows for homebuilders. That makes Builders FirstSource an unusually strategic investor: it can distribute the software through an existing materials ecosystem rather than asking Digs to win every builder one at a time. With more than $47 million raised, Digs now has both capital and a distribution channel to test whether an AI project record can travel through an established building-materials ecosystem. Quick facts👇 ● founders: Ryan Fink; Ty Frackiewicz ● total capital raised: more than $47 million ● HQ: Vancouver, Washington ● Investors: Builders FirstSource ● Partners: Builders FirstSource (2026) Will distribution through the building-materials stack prove more powerful than selling construction software builder by builder?
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Andrew Dumont reacted on thisAndrew Dumont reacted on thisEvery section of your site needs words: a headline, an About page, a call to action. Writing them well takes time you don't always have. Describe what you want the section to do, choose a tone and a length, and it writes the copy for you, right there in the editor. No new window, no separate tool. It's the same idea behind our ListingsAI, now working on every section of your site. Start free, or open your site editor and try it on any section.
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Andrew Dumont reacted on thisAndrew Dumont reacted on thisNEW FEATURE: Muted color option in SparkToro No support requests told us this was a problem. No one emailed to complain. I didn't see a single bit of chatter about it on social media. But, Casey Henry checked our cancellation survey logs, and found a couple people complaining. He didn't even bother to ask Amanda and I about it; he just built the option. 👇
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Andrew Dumont reacted on thisAndrew Dumont reacted on thisA little Friday ramble as I wrap up another big week building NEON PALM. We're about six weeks out from launch, and I’ve realized the hardest part of building a company isn’t proving the idea, it’s confronting everything the process brings up. I’ve spent 20+ years building companies, brands, and growth engines. I helped lead multiple businesses to multi-billion-dollar+ valuations, raised more than $450 million in capital, scaled global teams, and created entirely new categories. And yet, building my own company is stretching me in entirely new ways. While I'm clearer than ever on why this matters, feeling more creative than I’ve felt in years, and more willing to lean into the unknown - the shadow side is real. Like, real real. Being a founder is really just living in a constant state of discomfort (for the first time in a long time if I'm being real with myself). Raising a round, negotiating contracts, building inventory financial models, making the ask, and stepping into spaces women are often told we’re not built for. All of this has also made me realize how many boxes we live inside of without even noticing, and sadly how often we probably helped build them. I got a whole post brewing on that one, but that's for another day. So in this season, I’m breaking a few of those boxes down. I might even be burning a few down. And not because I am suddenly fearless, but because I know how to ask for help, and I’ve spent 20+ years building a village of exceptional humans to lean on. And honestly, that village might be the strongest thing I’ve built. So after another big week of building, I just thought I'd take a minute to reflect on how thankful I am for that village. Truly. Have a great weekend, all!
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Andrew Dumont reacted on thisAt Norwest, we use a lot of different expressions to describe our culture. One of them is the “walk-on mentality.” The people who are successful here have a chip on their shoulder. If there’s something to prove, they’re willing to roll up their sleeves, work hard and get things done. That hustle, combined with consistency, collegiality, and respect, has helped shape and sustain our culture over time and it’s one of the things I’m most proud of.Andrew Dumont reacted on thisFor 65 years, Norwest has been shaped by people who work hard, speak up, and make one another better. We believe the best ideas win regardless of title or tenure and that creating opportunities for people to grow strengthens the entire firm. As Jon Kossow shares, we’re proud to have maintained that culture as Norwest has evolved. We’re doing meaningful work, building lasting careers, and having fun along the way.
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Andrew Dumont reacted on thisAndrew Dumont reacted on thisI’m excited to share that I’ve joined NationSwell as President. I was incredibly purposeful about finding my next chapter. I wanted to join an organization with a mission I deeply believe in, a culture and team I could learn from and contribute to, and an ambitious opportunity for growth and impact. I found all three at NationSwell. NationSwell brings together purpose-driven leaders across business, philanthropy and the nonprofit sector, helping them build the relationships, insights and collaborations they need to tackle consequential challenges and accelerate their impact. I had the opportunity to experience the NationSwell community firsthand before I ever imagined working here, and left impressed by both the caliber of the leaders around the table and the generosity and substance of the conversation. I was equally drawn to the people behind it. Some are colleagues I’ve had the privilege of working with before, and many others I’ve gotten to know through this process and my first weeks here. The ability to attract exceptional people is one thing; creating a culture where they want to stay, grow and build together says something even more powerful. I’m especially grateful to Kevin Turpin, a former colleague and now NationSwell Board member, who first saw the potential fit and encouraged the conversation that ultimately brought me here. And I’m grateful to Greg Behrman for the trust he’s placed in me and the opportunity to partner with him and this talented team as we build on what NationSwell has already created, deepen the value we provide to our members and partners, and bring the NationSwell experience to many more purpose-driven leaders and organizations. I’m also deeply grateful to the mentors, colleagues, and friends who offered advice, introductions, references and encouragement as I thought carefully about what I wanted this next chapter to be. There is a lot for me to learn and a lot for us to build. I couldn’t be more excited to get started.
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Andrew Dumont liked thisAndrew Dumont liked thisImagine running a company for 12 years, raising $320M in capital, and selling it for less than the capital you raised. That's exactly what happened to Headspace. The meditation app company agreed to sell for $300M yesterday. At its peak, when it merged with Ginger Health, it was worth $ 3 billion on paper. Headspace was a big company with a great app. I remember the soothing voice of their founder (who was a former monk). It was a great product. All those years. His shares? Worthless. This happens a LOT. Founders, don't kill yourself thinking it will all be worth it when you exit. You have a better chance of building a valuable company if you manage (and preserve) your energy along the way. Happy, healthy humans build bigger, better companies.
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Andrew Dumont reacted on thisAndrew Dumont reacted on thisI built my first company from my apartment in New York. More than a decade later, I’m building another one from my dining room in Connecticut. A lot has happened in between. I built Tech Ladies to more than 250,000 members. I sold it. I built another company and sold that one too. I moved out of New York after 15 years. And, most importantly, I became a mom. Now I have a 9-month-old, a house we just moved into, two dogs wandering around somewhere, and a new company I’m trying to figure out from this table. There are days when I look around and think: this is absolutely nothing like the last time I started a company. And then I realize it kind of is. There’s no giant team. No fancy office. No certainty that what you’re trying is going to work. Just a laptop, an idea you believe in, and the willingness to keep figuring out the next thing. I’m 43 now. I know a lot more than I did the first time. But I think one of the best things about starting over is discovering that experience doesn’t exempt you from the beginning. You still have to earn the first customers. You still have ideas that don’t work. You still change your mind. You still get ridiculously excited when five people sign up. And apparently, I still build companies from home. 🛼 Photo by Luis Manuel Diaz for Mercury
Experience & Education
Volunteer Experience
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Adjunct Professor
University of Washington
- 3 years 1 month
Education
Digital Marketing professor at the Foster School of Business.
Honors & Awards
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Distinguished Alumni | Young Alumnus of the Year
Western Washington University
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Forbes 30 Under 30: Marketing and Advertising
Forbes
The top 30 most innovative people in marketing and advertising under the age of 30.
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