02About
I founded and ran companies, advised c-level executives, taught business capstone courses, got it wrong in public - and now I help other people do it better.
- Arizona & remote
- Limited Engagements
The short version
- 2005
Operations, in every way
I joined a 100-person Mortgage Bank and left it, five years later, as VP Ops with 9 Departments. I learned how to take on anything.
- 2013
How to deliver value
A career change to consulting, then hired by a client. Learning how to deliver both outcome and value. Led to Bluetooth SIG role. It was the most useful 3 years of my career.
- 2017
Startup Exploration
A shift to advising and leading startups. Raise millions in seed capital to watch it evaporate. The most humbling year of my life.
- 2019
The rocket
ED of IT Strategy and Ops. Domestic to global. 1 FDA product to 4. Tripling in size with international partners. Acquired for $43B
- 2025
Future State Found
Intentionally founded FSF to help the next generation of business founders. Training, Coaching and Advising. From start to success.
Why Future State Found Exists
Mark R Cooley, Founder
House rules
- 01
Honesty is the sales strategy.
We'll tell you whether you're ready and what fits, including when the answer is not yet, or not us.
- 02
Never a reckless leap.
The Launch Founder Year program is designed to be done alongside a full-time job. Every transition is planned, bridged, and paced to your actual situation.
- 03
No get-rich quick courses.
We never promise passive income. We help you build a business that pays you.
- 04
Human first. AI leveraged, the right way.
AI will most likely be your first hire. You don't need to be technical. We teach you to leverage AI the right way, while staying as the human in the loop. Our guidance and tools are built around your situation, your idea, and your execution style.
- 05
We answer to members, not investors.
Self-funded and family-owned. Honest pricing, no retention games, and programs designed so you leave when you're ready.
The Book
AI just rewrote the rules of building a company. The tools are no longer the constraint. The founder is. The founders who win from here will be the ones who can execute, again and again.
- The ATLAS-ESI, a behavioral diagnostic for how you show up when the work gets hard
- The DELIVER Operating System, seven steps from first idea to arrival
- Built-in tools: MUSIC, PAUSE-D, and EARN
- Available now on Amazon
