Iowa Startup Collective Roundup
Entrepreneurship through the lens of Iowa writers and creatives
Sharing stories from firsthand experience, Tej Dhawan’s Substack corner invites two guest contributors this month: Gary Scholten and Erin Rollenhagen.
The 146-year-old Technology Startup | Story Link
Gary Scholten delivers a gem of an origin story that behind Iowa’s thriving startup culture is a quiet powerhouse: Principal Financial Group.
From his 38-year career at Principal, most recently as Chief Information Officer, he takes us back to 1879 when Edward Temple started Banker’s Life Insurance. Renting space in the Des Moines Bank Building at 5th & Walnut with funding from forming $2,000 certificates of membership, a new way of business was built, providing inexpensive and dependable life insurance for bank employees.
Through the lens of technology, Gary shares the legacy of innovation, tech-first thinking, deep community investment, and why Principal’s story mirrors that of a modern startup.
What I love about this story: It shows how corporations and startups are more alike because they both would not exist if it weren’t for an idea and an entrepreneur. It’s because Principal’s leaders understand their origin story that they continue to be involved and generously give back to the DSM startup and small business community.
An Idea Walks Into a Restaurant | Story Link
What do you learn from building a startup that fails?
A lot—especially when it leads to the company you’re still running today. Erin Rollenhagen’s honest reflection on a long-gone app captures the highs, the hard lessons, and the personal growth that came from striking out early.
Today, you can find Erin building her company, People Friendly Tech (formerly Entrepreneurial Technologies), author of Soul Uprising: It’s Never Just Business, and a prolific voice at The Revolutionaries’ Notebook.
The Idiot Tax Every Founder Pays | Story Link
Written from her founder experience (a theme if you’re already following), Mikayla Mooney with the Ag Startup Engine shares how every founder pays the “idiot tax” — the costly, preventable mistakes that come from inexperience.
From bad hires and shady deals to capitalization table missteps and wasted focus, these errors quietly drain a startup's momentum and money. This story unpacks how the idiot tax shows up, why we pay it, and how founders (and VCs) can help minimize it by asking better questions, slowing down, and learning from those a few steps ahead. Read it so you don’t keep paying for the same mistake twice.
If you’re looking for how to apply this to your business journey, Mikayla shares ways to speed up success:
Talk to the founders two or three steps ahead. Their scars will save you time and money.
Ask the “dumb” questions. The loudest founders aren’t always the smartest; be the one who actually understands the docs.
Slow down on paper. Don’t rush to close deals, hires, or advisors just to look busy. Fast isn’t always progress.
Prioritize learning curves. If you’re doing something for the first time, fundraising, hiring, GTM, assume you’re wrong about 30% of the time and build margin in.
Do real reference checks. Two phone calls can save six figures. Whether it’s a new hire, supplier, or investor, ask people who have worked with them before. Listen for long pauses or what they aren’t saying.
There’s Always Room to Pivot | Story Link
One of the scariest words for any founder can be “pivot”—but sometimes, it’s exactly what your startup needs to survive.
Balancing data, gut instinct, and customer feedback, Jay Cooper’s post explores how and when to change direction—and why it’s not a failure, but a smart strategy.
Beginnings always hide themselves in ends | Story Link
After 11 years of building a startup ecosystem from Ames, Iowa, Clayton Mooney reflects on what he needed most: more builders, more momentum, more opportunity. With plans to move Clayton Farms to San Francisco, he is hoping not to chase trends, but to double down on a mission: feeding the future, one healthy salad at a time.
Scaling Sustainably in the Heartland | Story Link
Think successful startups only happen on the coasts?
Adam Viet’s latest makes you think again. Across the Midwest, founders are building durable, disciplined companies with staying power—proving that sustainable scaling can beat flashy growth.
IOWA PODCAST CORNER
Building Bold Careers: Recruiting, Retention & Real Talk with Katie Roth
The Amner Martinez Podcast
Katie Roth shares how small businesses can compete with big companies for top talent, advice for job seekers in 2025, the most overlooked quality in strong candidates, and why DEI isn’t just a checkbox — it’s a leadership responsibility
Join the Iowa Startup Collective! If you are interested in being a writer or are already publishing content via a different channel (podcast, blog, articles, etc), please fill out the interest form here.
Proud to be a partner of the Iowa Writer’s Collaborative
Jay Cooper: We Are All EntrePartners
Tej Dhawan: A cultural record of Central Iowa’s technology
Nik Heftman: The Seven Times
Kevin Kimle
Mikayla Mooney: Ag Startup Engine
Clayton Mooney: Open Clayton
Sree Nilakanta
Adam Viet: Iowa’s Startup Silo
Kaylee Williams
Diana Wright: Startup Iowa Hot List and Iowa Startup Collective
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this Substack are my own and those of each writer. The views do not reflect my employer or place of work.
Diana, thank you for sharing these stories. I loved Tej's guest posters!
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