My story of Rocky and Platinum Data

Congratulations to my friend Rocky Donathan You had the guts to build something unique; the humility to welcome other people onto your ship; and the passion to see it through to completion. Go Team Platinum! (Team Mercury too!)

In 2012, I was hired as CEO of Platinum Data, a mortgage technology company with revenues under $1 million and an opportunity to bring real innovation to the market. The board brought me in to help the team accelerate growth and position the company for a successful exit within five years.

Working with the Team to Build and Commercialize RealView

Platinum Data had promising technology, but it wasn’t yet a fully commercialized product. I worked closely with the team to define our product-market fit, refine our value proposition, and create a go-to-market strategy that would resonate with lenders and investors.

A pivotal moment came when we launched RealView, a SaaS-based appraisal quality tool that provided mortgage lenders and investors with an automated way to ensure appraisal accuracy and compliance. The team and I worked to transform RealView from a concept into a fully operational, revenue-generating product. Along the way, I brought in a few key players in sales and technology to help drive execution and market adoption.

The Results

With the team’s commitment to growth and execution:
✔ RealView became an essential tool for mortgage lenders, driving significant adoption across the industry.
✔ Revenue grew exponentially, transforming Platinum Data into a key player in mortgage technology.
✔ The company became a prime acquisition target, leading to a successful sale in 2016—one year ahead of schedule—delivering an 10x return for investors.

A Collaborative Transformation

This experience reinforced my belief that growth is a team effort. Companies don’t scale through top-down restructuring alone—they grow when leadership and teams align around a clear vision, embrace change, and execute effectively. At Platinum Data, that’s exactly what we did, and the results spoke for themselves.