Only winners finish their story.
I’m Dustin Markowski — a founder who puts God and family first, and who has hit bottom more than once. I write and speak about leadership, integrity, and the obstacles that turn out to be stepping stones.
“Every winner has been at the bottom multiple times. The loser says, ‘I can’t do it, I’m done.’ The winner says, ‘I’m not going to give up until I get to where I know I need to be.’”
Six things I won’t compromise.
Faith
God first. Everything I build stands on that foundation.
Family
The people who named me Duddy are still the reason I do this.
Integrity
Do what you said, the way you said it — and get it in writing.
Leadership
Refine the plan with your people until it belongs to all of you.
Strength
Carry the weight so the people behind you don’t have to.
Perseverance
Every obstacle is the stepping stone to where you’re going next.
From the Yellow Pages to a $120M year — and back to zero.
Twenty years in tech. A family business. A bootstrapped startup born the week Lehman Brothers fell. A solar company that hit $120 million — and ended with a bill from my best friend. A new venture that launched five days before the world shut down. Every one of those chapters built Power.
Only Winners Finish Their Story
with Jamie Schneiderman
Twenty years in tech, a $120M year that ended with a bill instead of a payout, a business launched five days before the world shut down — and why the only difference between a loser and a winner is where they decide their story ends.
Wired4Power
A five-episode series on commercial energy, the grid, and building a business through policy shifts and market change.
Commercial Solar in the Post-BBB World: Why We’re More Optimistic Than Ever
Gridlock: America’s Energy Delivery Problem
Stacking Revenue Streams
Lessons from the hard chapters.
Only Winners Finish Their Story
There is exactly one difference between a loser and a winner — and it has nothing to do with talent, timing, or luck.
Get It in Writing — Even With Your Best Friend
Integrity isn't just about keeping your word. It's about making your word clear enough that it can be kept.
Refine the Plan Thirty Times Before You Announce It
The best way to get a team aligned on a big change is to make sure the idea isn't new by the time you announce it.
Leaders are readers.
I pick a book, read it, write an honest review, and talk it through on video. Read along with me.
Power.
Power is a commercial solar EPC. We help businesses — manufacturers, cold storage, anyone whose energy use scales with their operation — turn an unpredictable cost into a budgetable one with solar, storage, and EV charging. And we give sales organizations across the country a turnkey way to bring commercial projects to life.
I’m writing a book.
On faith, family, leadership, and refusing to let the low points be the last word. Be the first to read it.
Occasional letters on leadership, faith and perseverance, Book Club picks, and first word on the book.