Tweener Talks: From Psych to Startups: Dr. Doug’s Rocket Coaster Ride | PART 1 of 2
From psychology to startups, Dr. Doug Kauffman shares his wild Rocket Coaster founder journey in this two-part Triangle Tweener Talks series.
Who is Ricci Wolman?
Dr. Doug Kaufam is a serial founder with a PhD in psychology and a three-decade career riding the startup “Rocket Coaster.” He’s built companies ranging from early online education ventures to ClearText, Spring Metrics, TransLoc, Belongly, and most recently, Automated Consulting Group. Alongside building, Doug has been a long-time mentor and champion for other founders in the Triangle.
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Whitley Recruiting Partners - Whitley Recruiting Partners specializes in recruiting top tech talent for growth-stage startups in the Triangle. We target industry-specific, entrepreneurial employees who drive immediate results through a fast, accurate, and scalable recruiting process. Special offer for Tweener Times subscribers: Free survey of available local talent for one of your openings.
Robinson Bradshaw - A full-service business law firm with a passion for supporting the Triangle entrepreneurial ecosystem. Learn more about Robinson Bradshaw’s startups and venture capital practice here.
ExtensisHR - As a Professional Employer Organization (PEO), ExtensisHR empowers tech founders and growing businesses to scale smarter. We take HR administration off your plate—managing payroll, recruiting, employee benefits and retirement plans, compliance, risk, and more—so you can focus on innovation. For over 25 years we’ve leveraged a people-first approach, customer-centric mindset, and deep industry expertise to ensure employers have the tools needed to stay competitive in today’s market.
Lithios Apps - Lithios Apps is a Triangle-based software design and development studio that builds custom mobile and web applications focused on quality and user experience. We help founders and teams bring products to life that drive growth, engage customers, and stand out in competitive markets. We've worked side by side with clients whose products have gone on to earn millions in follow-on funding.
EisnerAmper (formerly HPG) - One of the world’s largest business consulting firms, with a dedicated technology practice offering outsourcing, accounting, tax, and advisory services. Our experienced professionals serve more than 2,000 technology companies, from early-stage startups to public enterprises. Discover how EisnerAmper’s stage-specific solutions and industry expertise can help you achieve your milestones whether startup, international expansion, M&A, or IPO: eisneramper.com/tech.
Bank of America – BofA’s Transformative Technology Group helps game-changing tech businesses and founders realize their boldest ambitions across a wide range of technology sectors. With hands-on support, world-class resources, and an extensive network – BofA provides the stability and scalability that tech companies need to rapidly grow today and into the future.
And special thanks to our friends at Walk West for partnering with us to produce this pod!
How I met Dr. Doug
Doug and I crossed paths early in our entrepreneurial journeys in the Triangle. Both of us were building companies at the same time and navigating the challenges of scaling startups in a still-emerging North Carolina ecosystem. Over the years, we’ve compared notes, traded lessons learned, and built a mutual respect that comes through in this conversation.
Listen/Watch Our Interview:
In this first half of the interview, Doug shares:
His shift from psychology into startups and early experiments with online education
The creation of AllyDog and his pivotal time at Blackboard during its hypergrowth phase
Founding ClearText, its big wins, near disasters, and eventual exit
How he handled chaos, crises, and unexpected “Rocket Coaster” drops along the way
Early lessons on boards, venture capital, and founder mental health
Doug also brings his trademark humor, humility, and honesty—reminding us that behind every founder story is a human navigating both the highs and the lows.
How to watch:
Visit Tweener Talks to listen for all audio podcast players
We have a video version on YouTube (make sure to subscribe!)
📌 What’s Next
This episode is Part 1 of 2. Next week in Part 2, we’ll dive into Spring Metrics, TransLoc, Belongly, and Doug’s reflections on founder resilience and mental health.
just listened to these - accidentally listened first to the second. But even backwards, I loved both!