Name: David Splivalo

Bio: Native Californian who got immersed in the .com boom in the 90s out in Silicon Valley and has worked for over 90 startups and high-tech brands. Now own and operate a high-tech PR agency and am a founder of a startup.

Title: President, Freestyle PR

Age:  35

Residence: Des Moines, Iowa

Website: freestylepr.com

Twitter: @dspliv

Intro music: “Beat It” by Michael Jackson

Silicon Prairie News: After you’d spent years working in public relations on both coasts, what drove your decision to move to Des Moines and set up shop there in 2007?

David Splivalo: I established a great working relationship with one of my first Iowa clients, Palisade Systems. Their CEO went out of his way to recommend my firm’s services to other local tech firms, and so I began to acquire more Midwest business. Based on this growth, coupled with my belief that Silicon Prairie was an undiscovered “gold mine” for a high-tech PR firm, I decided to open my firm’s first Iowa office in 2006, followed by my personal move in 2007.

SPN: Freestyle PR worked with Dwolla early in the startup’s existence. What about Dwolla made it a good candidate for Freestyle’s PR work? Are there certain criteria you look for in early-stage companies to determine whether they’re a good fit?

DS: I used to work for PayPal, and so it was easy for me to understand not just how Dwolla functioned, but how to go about positioning and launching Dwolla when Ben Milne gave us the green light for a national PR blitz. Freestyle looks for promising startups that help solve fundamental problems, rather than those early stage companies that believe they have the best technology in the market space.

SPN: You frequently use the phrase “Silicon Valley PR.” How do you explain that brand of public relations, and what makes it different from the rest?

DS: Valley PR is extremely fast paced and bent on producing the “Wow” factor. In the Valley there is so much going on, especially in a PR agency setting where a practitioner may be working for 5 to 7 clients. Companies based in Silicon Valley want results today, not tomorrow, and so you learn how to do your job that much better and more efficiently than your peers in other parts of the country.

SPN: Reflections on lessons learned from the dot-com boom and bust usually focus on startups and funders. But what about from the PR side? Having been in Silicon Valley during that era, what are some of your most important takeaways?

DS: Diversify your skill set and don’t pigeon hole your experience to just one industry. Don’t get greedy. I had so many colleagues that bailed on my first employer so they could double their salary working for a startup. When the .com bust happened, they were screwed. Challenge yourself and look for opportunities to live and work in other parts of the country. The .com bust is what led me to live/work in Detroit and for my PR career to flourish.

SPN: As a car buff and a self-described “techie by default,” what are three cutting edge innovations in car technology that excite you most, and why?

DS: When I worked for Microsoft, one of the cool techs they were dabbling in was Infotainment systems, so I’m blown away by how far the technology has come along. Second, self-driving car technology seems more like a reality than a myth now. Last, really excited for new engine mapping tech that reduces cylinders/horsepower to improve fuel efficiency while cruising.

Credits: Photo courtesy of Splivalo.

Prairie Portraits: To learn more about this series, see our introduction post, or visit our archives for past Prairie Portraits. To suggest an individual for a future Prairie Portrait, contact editor@siliconprairienews.com.

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