Frank Banks
Serial Entrepreneur & Software Engineer | Ex-Zynga Lead Systems Engineer @ 25+ Years Building Software Products & StartupsFrank Banks
Serial Entrepreneur & Software Engineer | Ex-Zynga Lead Systems Engineer @ 25+ Years Building Software Products & StartupsServices
$420 / month
Start free, decide later
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1
Free intro call
No card needed to book. -
2
Ongoing calls + chat
4 × 60-min calls per month, unlimited Q&A. Replies in 24 hours or less. -
3
No lock-in
Month to month, no contract.
MentorCruise summary
Frank is a serial entrepreneur and software engineer who previously worked as a Lead Systems Engineer at Zynga. He has more than 25 years of experience building software products and startups, including a successful exit, angel investing, and growing an iOS app to more than 250,000 downloads. He helps entrepreneurs validate ideas, define MVPs, and improve customer acquisition and product positioning.
Based on 10 verified mentee reviews
- Reviewers often praise his practical startup advice and strategic guidance on moving a business forward.
- Several reviewers value how he breaks down unclear or complex startup problems into actionable steps, including during ideation and MVP planning.
- Mentees often credit his experience with helping them gain clarity on their objectives, assumptions, and business approach.
About
Hi! My motto is think different and build things. I coded my first web software in the mid-90s and had my first successful exit in 1998. I’ve spent my entire career building software products, for my startups and others, including a stint as one of the first Lead Systems Engineers at Zynga- the fastest-growing Silicon Valley darling of its time. As an investor, I led an angel investment in Mayvenn (https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/mayvenn) which has gone on to raise $76M from top-tier VCs like a16z.
More recently I built and growth-hacked an iOS video editing app to 250K+ downloads and raised $230K+ from 600+ investors in a pioneering pre-ICO crowdfunding campaign (https://startengine.com/zen)
My goal is to help tech entrepreneurs scale faster and smarter than I did by listening hard and sharing hard-won lessons. I'm a multiplier effect for your strategic thinking and creative problem-solving.
I understand the challenges of being a solo entrepreneur or working closely with co-founders. It's likely that I've faced similar obstacles to the ones you're currently experiencing, whether it's validating your idea or acquiring your first 100K users. If I haven't, I'll let you know. I won't waste your time or mine.
I encourage you to try before you buy. Let's start with a free introductory call to determine if we're a good fit.
What mentees say
5 out of 5 stars
Frank's mentorship has been beyond exceptional and anything I could have expected. I've benefitted greatly from his guidance, and his advice has been pivotal to the progress of my startup. Without Frank, I would have most likely taken a much longer route and more time trying to figure out many facets of developing my own startup. He's been incredibly encouraging, and has been like a wise big brother to me in his approach - which suits me because I prefer a more personable mentor! But Frank also does not shy away from giving you tough love when needed. All in all Frank has been phenomenal, and as my team and I sit excitedly at the precipice of launching our product, I know that having Frank in our corner gives us a much better chance of success. I very highly recommend Frank.
Duke
Standard Plan • 9 months
5 out of 5 stars
Frank has been very great when it comes to giving me advice for my startup. Really helpful and practical advice I use to move forward.
Kwaku
Standard Plan • 8 months
5 out of 5 stars
Srikanth
Standard Plan • 11 months
What happens when you start
You tell Frank your goals. They see exactly what you want to work on before session one.
You meet within days. Frank reviews your application and books your first session, usually within a day or two.
You leave with a plan. Concrete next steps and a weekly rhythm from your very first week.
