Dave Lavinsky
Entrepreneur, Founder Tech, AI, USA
Listen To Dave Lavinsky
Some people follow plans. Dave Lavinsky writes the ones that fund dreams, launch empires, and shape legacies.
Dave is the founder of PlanPros.ai and co-founder of Growthink, and over the past 25 years, he’s become one of the most trusted voices in business strategy, capital raising, and new venture development. He’s helped over one million entrepreneurs craft business plans that don’t just impress investors—but drive real, measurable growth.
But Dave’s story isn’t just about plans—it’s about people. About making strategy accessible. About building systems that work. And yes, about catching the kind of luck that shows up when preparation meets opportunity.
In this episode of Good Luck People, Dave opens up about:
✅ Launching PlanPros.ai—an AI-driven tool that’s transforming business planning
✅ Co-founding Growthink and scaling it into a powerhouse for entrepreneurs
✅ Helping Fortune 500 companies raise $1 billion+ through early-stage strategy
✅ The bold journey behind launching Emerge Juice, Shoutmouth, TopPayingKeywords, and more
✅ Managing 3,000+ niche websites under Z Reporter LLC
✅ Educating future business leaders at UCLA, NYU, and even through curriculum adopted at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business
Dave’s journey began in 1995 with a breakthrough business plan for Keyspan Energy Services—a project that helped them scale to $1B+ in new revenue and lit the spark for his lifelong mission: to help others build scalable, fundable, and resilient businesses.
He’s since lectured across top institutions, published hundreds of articles, and been featured in Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur, and Fast Company. He also founded Guiding Metrics, a company that builds business dashboards to give founders real-time clarity on what’s working—and what’s not.
Through all the pivots—from juice bars to SaaS platforms, and from print media to AI—Dave’s compass has stayed the same: clarity, structure, and service.
He’s not just a founder. He’s a mentor, a builder, and a strategist who believes that every idea deserves a real chance—if it has a real plan.
But beyond the metrics and milestones, Dave is also a father, a husband, and an adventurer at heart. Whether he’s trail running through Oregon, skiing with his family, or coaching early-stage entrepreneurs, his focus remains steady: build with purpose, lead with integrity, and never stop learning.
If you’ve ever wondered how to turn an idea into action—or a dream into a plan—this episode is for you.
Because the best kind of luck? It’s the one you build yourself—with vision, structure, and just enough faith to start at the end.
