Who is Ryan McDonald
Entrepreneurial-minded builder and operator. I run an advisory practice for founders, operate businesses, build software, and write about all of it.
Available for consulting
Businesses
Collectibles and resale intelligence platform
Advisory practice for small business operators
Travel rewards media company
Community monetization platform
Side Projects
Openmark Markdown editor for macOSBuilding AI tools for content creators. Advising a handful of founders. Writing weekly about technology, business, and building in public. Also into 3D printing and my kids' sports.
What People Say
"Ryan is one of those rare people who combine strategic vision with the technical ability to execute. He doesn't just talk about ideas — he ships them."
Nick Schlemmer — Nike
"Working with Ryan was transformative for our product. He has an incredible ability to simplify complex problems and move fast without cutting corners."
Ryan Nibarger — Roth
"Ryan brings an entrepreneurial energy that's contagious. He pushed our team to think bigger while keeping us focused on what actually matters."
Shubhangi Srivastava — NEP
The Story
I didn't start in tech. I started in philosophy. But I've always been the person who wants to understand how things work, then make them work better. I'm an integrator.
My first real job was in higher education technology, where I spent years learning how large organizations build (and break) software. That led me to an agency where I managed hundreds of software projects. Then I realized I'd rather be running the show than managing someone else's.
So I started my own agency. What began as a software dev agency has evolved into a small advisory practice for small businesses. Somewhere along the way, I caught the building bug myself. I co-founded a travel rewards media company that took off its first year. Then I co-founded a community monetization platform that raised seed funding before a pre-launch exit.
Eventually I took over as COO at Resell Calendar and helped scale it into the leading collectibles and resale intelligence platforms. That's my day job now — running operations, building systems, figuring out what makes a business actually work at scale.
I've started, bought, sold, and closed more businesses than I can keep track of. Some worked, some crashed out (hard). But every business taught me something and helped me grow. I write about all of it because I think the real lessons are in the process, not the highlight reel.
What Drives Me
Bias toward action
I'd rather ship something imperfect than plan something perfect. You learn more from doing.
Radical transparency
I write about the real numbers, the real failures, the real process. No highlight reel.
Compounding curiosity
Every project makes the next one better. I connect dots across businesses, tools, and industries.