Mike Doernberg: From ReverbNation to PlayMetrics, Spinoffs, PE, and a Lifetime of Building in the Triangle | PART 2 of 2
Part 2 of our deep dive with one of the Triangle’s most prolific founders, on scaling multiple companies, spinning out new ventures, navigating private equity, and why he never left North Carolina.
Reminder: Who is Mike?
Michael Doernberg is one of the Triangle’s most successful multi-time founders, with nearly $500M in exits. After starting his career as a CPA at Ernst & Young, he went on to build Marathon, SmartPath, ReverbNation, Adwerx, and PlayMetrics. Known as an “operator’s operator,” Mike has a rare ability to spot hidden opportunities, spin out new ventures, and scale them into meaningful companies.
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Listen/Watch Our Interview:
Part 1: How Mike Doernberg went from CPA to serial founder, built multiple companies, navigated early internet chaos, and landed his first major exits. Catch up with Part 1.
Part 2 (**you are here**): Scaling multiple companies, spinning out new ventures, navigating private equity, and why he never left North Carolina.
We discussed:
How ReverbNation grew from a side project into a 6M-artist platform
The spin-out journey behind Adwerx, and why it worked
Mike’s framework for identifying spinoff opportunities inside existing companies
Why the team is the company, and why incubated teams can struggle
The origins of PlayMetrics and the youth-sports system-of-record vision
How Mike navigates private equity without losing culture or control
What PE adds that venture capital often can’t
What it’s like to scale from 25 people to 450+
Mike’s long view on the Triangle startup ecosystem, then vs. now
Why he never moved to the Bay Area
Whether a Mike-led venture studio might be next 👀
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📌 What’s Next
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