Brooks Halladay

Entrepreneur

Built RView for FLIR Systems, Ptch for Dreamworks Animation, Fox Sports iOS app, Rolltech app, Vycloud app, Jumpstreet23 app

I want to invent something cool.

Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Poshmark, Fandeavor, Spotify, Bleacher Report

Focusing on just one idea or direction is tough. I love creating something and seeing people use it. I took my family to a Christmas party last year, and the NFL playoffs were on tv... the commentators paused from the game after the kickoff, and announced the launch of the Fox Sports app. They presented it on screen in front of my family and friends. It was a neat moment.

Spending too much time on one thing before putting it out there for the public to accept or reject. I'm now a big fan of the lean startup method. Where there is extreme uncertainty it's best to start with a great idea, create that minimally viable product and get feedback on a constant basis as fast as possible. The old method where we'd spend 6 months, a year, or more designing and implementing something is going away.

1. Find help - you can't do it alone
2. Follow the lean startup method - build it as fast as possible
3. Network - you need friends to help share your new product/business, and then eventually you need investors

Started programming in C and C++ when I was 12. I was always trying to create something neat so I started in Turbo C++ building 2D & 3D game engines. I wandered into filmmaking for a bit before discovering the iPhone and iMac.

They are the ultimate tools for many of us to build something and distribute it to millions of people. I'm a huge fan of Apple and so grateful for the opportunities they've created. Steve Jobs personified the intersection of great art, design, technical achievement, and simplicity.

I feel like I have so far to go still, and that keeps me learning something new every day. I've never had so much fun as building and releasing FlightGear. It's been a real test, and hope to reach millions of people with it someday soon.

=================

Standard career stuff:

Graduated in Computer Science from Syracuse University.

Built advanced infrared analysis software for two companies that were acquired in succession by FLIR Systems (global leader) for $192 million.  The software uses high-speed motion video in infrared, combined with Voxel Plot tools, hyper-spectral, radiance/temperature conversions, object tracking, Plateau Equalization, segmentation, custom ROIs, scripting, etc.  It was FLIR's flagship software package used by NASA, White Sands Missile Range, Eglin Air Force Base, Pax River Navy, Pratt & Whitney, and hundreds of international clients.

Key developer with IBM on the Fox Sports iPhone app which debuted at #1 in Sports in December 2010 with over 2 million downloads.

Developed advanced video app Ptch at Dreamworks Animation that sold to Yahoo for $6.5 million.

Mobile Lead for Rolltech, a Vegas Tech Fund portfolio company that's changing the sport of bowling, the largest participatory sport in the world.

Created Vycloud for iPhone, a popular weather app that's been selected as Noteworthy by Apple for two years and held the top banner spot in Weather in iTunes multiple times.

Founded FlightGear to change the way sports gear is discovered, shared, and purchased.

FlightGear has been funded through The Mill and Progression Labs, the startup incubator programs run by Vegas Tech Fund which was created by Tony Hsieh (Zappos CEO) and his partners as part of of the tech revitalization of Downtown Las Vegas.