Hello.  I’m Mark Mitchell and I’m degenerate serial entrepreneur.

Lest that sound frightening, I should clarify: I use the term “degenerate” in its mathematical sense.  A point is a degenerate circle.  A set consisting of a single object x, together with a binary operation that maps the pair (x, x) to x, is a degenerate group.   A “serial entrepreneur” is someone who starts multiple companies.  I have started only one company, but I hope to be start at least one more.  Hence, while I am presently a degenerate serial entrepreneur, I aspire to remove the “degenerate” qualifier at some point in the future.

The company I founded is CodeSourcery.  CodeSourcery provided products and services related to the GNU Compiler Collection (“GCC”), an open-source compiler for C, C++, and other popular programming languages.  CodeSourcery’s customers included semiconductor companies (who wanted GCC to perform well on their chips), operating system companies (who wanted GCC to work well with their operating systems), and software developers (who wanted a validated, supported version of GCC to use in developing software).

In 2010, Mentor Graphics (a public company whose primary business is electronic design automation) acquired CodeSourcery.  I spent three years as a Director and General Manager for the Embedded Software Division of Mentor Graphics.  During that time, I had the privilege of working with the senior executives at Mentor Graphics who did their best to teach me about product management, business development, outbound marketing, financial controls, and the like.  The CodeSourcery business lives on as a component of the Embedded Software Division at Mentor Graphics.

This blog captures my thoughts — some of which may even have some value — as I explore strange new markets, seek out new strategies and new technologies, and boldly go where … well, somewhere.

My resume is available in the form of a LinkedIn profile.