Meet Phil Reynolds: Founder, CEO, and Missouri Startup Weekend Mentor

Phil Reynolds knows what it takes to build and scale successful companies—because he’s done it. As the founder of BriteCore and DevStride, he’s led SaaS businesses through high-growth phases, tackled major industry challenges, and built solutions that power companies at scale. But before all of that, Phil was a musician, songwriter, and recording engineer—a career that, while creatively fulfilling, didn’t exactly pay the bills.

“I decided to get into software to earn some extra money,” Phil says. “And I quickly discovered strong customer demand in the golden days of SaaS (2005-2007).”

That pivot led to the launch of BriteCore, a cloud-based insurance software company that now serves carriers across North America. Later, he founded DevStride, an AI-driven project and portfolio management platform helping teams streamline workflows and boost efficiency.

Both companies are making major moves—DevStride is currently in the final RFI round with a Fortune 100 company, and BriteCore is on track to hit Rule of 40 and cash profitability by 2025.

His biggest lesson learned along the way?

“Determination and grit win. The only thing that can really take you down is giving up.”

Now, as a mentor at Missouri Startup Weekend, Phil is bringing his hard-earned lessons, honest feedback, and no-nonsense advice to the next wave of founders.

Q&A

What made you want to be involved as a mentor for this year’s event? I have made many honest mistakes over the years, and many of them were simply a lack of experience or knowledge. Decades of experience afford some degree of pattern matching, and I am very happy to help others avoid or at least navigate challenges I have experienced before.

When participants come to you for guidance, what kind of feedback or perspective can they expect? I bring a collaborative approach with radical candor. I work toward open collaboration that promotes the free and rapid exchange of ideas. I'll champion an approach that values transparency and direct feedback, even if it might be difficult to hear. While we will maintain respect for each other, we won't shy away from constructive criticism – it's through these candid conversations that we can truly grow and innovate.

If you had to give just one or two pieces of advice to an early-stage founder or first-time entrepreneur, what would it be? Ask for help, surround yourself with people that are better than you, and don’t give up.

Looking back, if you could give advice to your younger self before starting your first company, what would it be? There is no substitute for market draw. Focus on problems worth solving as defined by customer dollars on the table. Good ideas are everywhere. Customers willing to spend money are rare.

From your experience, what are some of the most common mistakes early-stage founders make, and how can they avoid them?

1. Falling in love with their idea instead of the customer problem.
2. Funding ideas before they have real traction.
3. Over-indexing on either product or GTM. You have to balance these.

What qualities or mindset do you think make for a truly great founder?

1. Grit: Perseverance, resilience, and the ability to overcome challenges and setbacks. You must have the mental toughness to stay focused and motivated even when things get tough to keep pushing forward towards your goals.
2. Honest self-reflection: Regularly take a hard look at yourself, your strengths and weaknesses, and your motivations. You must pursue honesty with yourself about what you're good at, what you need to improve on, and what you're truly passionate about.
3. Relentless customer mindset: Always put the customer first and focus on their needs and wants. Understand your customers deeply, empathize with their pain points, and constantly strive to create products and services that solve their problems and exceed their expectations.

What’s one book, podcast, or resource you always recommend to founders?

• Book: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
• Podcast: Founders by David Senra
• Resource: DevStride, of course! “Our clients enjoy a 30% boost in throughput and predictability—what else gives you a 30% company-wide boost? Best investment you could possibly make in your own success.”

When you’re not working on your business, how do you like to recharge? I love spending time with my family, working out, playing music, and drinking great whiskey.

If you could have dinner with any entrepreneur—past or present—who would it be and why? Jeff Bezos. He executed on a 30-year plan with unbelievable precision and sustained innovation the world has never seen before. I have enormous respect for Steve Jobs, but he didn’t shower—so hard pass.

What’s your go-to ice cream flavor? Why would I eat ice cream when I could drink whiskey?

If you could switch careers for a day, what would you do? I loved working in a music studio.

What’s your ideal Saturday morning? Sleep, make coffee for my wife, work out, play with my kids, grab some time to play a bit of music.

What do you hope to get out of Missouri Startup Weekend? As an LP in Redbud, I want to see portfolio companies succeed. I want to help wherever I can.