Cap Tables for Piano Recitals

Mark Michael spends his weekdays juggling investor calls, lease negotiations, and sales pep talks as co-founder and CEO of Seattle-based DevHub, a website platform built for franchise brands. But when the work week winds down, he isn’t watching college football or grinding through spreadsheets — he’s behind a piano, sometimes in a tuxedo, sometimes under neon lights, and always chasing the thrill of being slightly uncomfortable.

“I tell people all the time, I don’t follow sports,” Michael said. “That frees up eight to ten hours a weekend. And so instead of watching the NFL, I’ve been taking piano lessons, painting, and now planning these over-the-top shows.”

From the boardroom to Billy Madison

Michael, 43, laughs when he remembers his first recital three years ago — in his teacher’s backyard, surrounded by children half his size. “It was straight out of Billy Madison. Me and a bunch of eight-year-olds. But when I played those two songs, I swear, I thought I was Elton John or Liberace. My head was huge. I even wore a tux.”

That taste of performance stuck. Since then, Michael has hosted a piano-and-song night in Seattle for 80 people, and this September he’s taking the act cross-country to Kennebunkport, Maine.

“I call it ‘Martinis with Friends,’” he said. “Think Dean Martin meets an ’80s synth vibe. There’s music, storytelling, a little comedy. I even sent President Bush an invite.”

Art, anxiety, and the big release

The thrill, Michael admits, comes less from hitting perfect notes and more from confronting nerves. “I don’t like using the word anxiety, but I have a ton of it. I’m uncomfortable up there,” he said. “But once you’re in it — a 30-minute set, the masks, the little jokes — when it’s over, the release is insane. Like finishing a race.”

That release fuels his creative streak across other mediums, too. Michael is also a painter, sharing work at markmichael.org.

Bringing it back to the day job

Asked what his artistic pursuits bring back to his role at DevHub, Michael doesn’t hesitate: “Focus. Piano forces you to work both sides of your brain. But honestly, it also just fills the weekend. I could work nonstop, but that gets boring. This keeps me fresh for Monday.”

DevHub itself has grown steadily, with nearly 40 employees scattered across Seattle, the East Coast, and beyond. Michael still leads sales calls, refines marketing messaging, and keeps the startup energy alive. But away from the office, the piano is proving just as critical as any spreadsheet.

“I decided every year I’ll do one big thing,” he said. “This year, it’s the Kennebunkport show. Next year? Who knows. But there’s always going to be that push — the stage, the nerves, the release. That’s what I live for.”

****This post was created by taking the transcription from my recent GeekWire interview and running it through ChatGPT to turn it into a narrative. The published article by Kurt Schlosser part of GeekWire’s new “Out of Office” series, and you can read it on GeekWire.