About John
Meet John Zdanowski
Visionary Entrepreneur, Startup CFO, Author, Public Speaker
John Zdanowski is a renowned entrepreneur, startup CFO, author, and public speaker with an extraordinary track record of scaling companies to $100M+ in revenue and successful exits. His groundbreaking book “Zen and the Art of [nothing]: Metaphysics in Poetry: A System to See Business, Life, and Reality Better” offers profound insights to help readers gain a fresh perspective on work and life.
As the Co-Founder and CEO of Weekly Accounting, John is revolutionizing financial management for rapidly growing companies. By applying the Weekly Accounting methodology, he has helped countless founders prepare for fundraising, achieve profitability, and engineer successful exits.
Highlights of John's Remarkable Career
- Co-Founded 5 companies that grew from early stage to over $100M revenue, including General Assembly (acquired for $413M) and Second Life (8X growth to profitability)
- Played key roles in major exits like Market Leader (IPO then $355M acquisition), Commissions Inc ($220M sale), and RentJuice ($50M acquisition)
- Co-Founded and raised $100M for Assembled Brands to reinvent venture financing for consumer brands
- Serves on the boards of Assembled Brands, Amino, Trust & Will, and One Inc Cooperative
- Captivates audiences as a public speaker on entrepreneurship, finance, and business growth
- Holds an Electrical Engineering degree from Clarkson University and an MBA from Harvard Business School
Zen and the Art of [nothing]
A six-time $100 million business-builder, John, applies the Metaphysics of Quality to inspire and empower the entrepreneur in each of us to create something from nothing.
The books' ethos
- We believe the stories we tell create the reality we see
- We believe Big Visions and Positive Unit Economics can change the world
- We believe Systems work better than goals
- We seek Win-Win relationships
- We always bring data to the conversation
- We do it for fun
- We believe in the Spirit of the Gift
- We are so happy and grateful that we are so happy and grateful
- Our pronouns are “We” and “Our” because We are One
- Today is the Best Day Ever
Amazon Review
Rave Reviews for "Zen and the Art of [nothing]"
“In this fascinating book, John Zdanowski weaves together business strategy, metaphysics and Zen wisdom to provide a thought-provoking perspective on navigating work and life. A must-read!”
Endorsements & Testimonials
“John is a financial wizard. His innovative strategies were instrumental in General Assembly’s explosive growth and $413M acquisition.”
Jake Schwartz
Co-Founder & CEO,
General Assembly
“John’s ability to drive profitability and engineer successful exits is unparalleled. He played a key role in Commissions Inc’s $220M sale.”
Duane LeGate
CEO, Commissions Inc.
“John’s vision and financial acumen were critical to scaling Second Life’s revenue 8X to profitability. He’s a true startup superstar.”
Philip Rosedale
Founder & Chairman, Second Life
Connect with John
- Learn how Weekly Accounting can help your startup achieve its financial goals
- Read John's latest insights on business, delegation and remote teams on LinkedIn
- Invite John to inspire your audience as a keynote speaker at your next event
- Get your copy of "Zen and the Art of [nothing]" on Amazon