StartupCity is doing a blog series on its mentors — and Christian was featured last week. Read the story below, and click here to see the original post.

StartupCity Des Moines has an amazing lineup of mentors. This is the second in a series of blog posts introducing our mentors and their particular skill sets.

Name: Christian Gurney
Job: Co-founder of Torsion Mobile
Also known for: Christian is also co-founder of KG InterDev, which developed and implemented the web technologies used by the leading collector car auction firm, Mecum Auctions, whose live television broadcasts are seen by millions on Discovery Network’s Velocity channel (formerly HD Theater).

1. You’ve been doing tech development for 24 years. A lot has changed in the last 24 years, but what elements to your approach to your work have remained the same?
“Building an effective team of people who can share the same values and work together effectively in good times and bad is always critical, as is ensuring they have what they need to do their work. Fostering open conversation is essential and getting people excited—internally and externally—about what we’re doing and what the possibilities are. A positive attitude makes a huge difference.

In addition, I try to always be learning from a variety of sources—people, blogs, events. I read two newspapers each morning and a wide range of magazines (now almost 100 percent iPad-based) that provide different viewpoints. Sometimes that enables me to make unexpected connections. I tell people the only stupid question is the one that’s never asked—and I’ll be among the first to ask an expert at a conference to explain something. I don’t care what others may think of me for asking. I want to know.

I’ve also consistently focused on what I call the “blocking and tackling” of business. That means working on the non-glamorous, tedious aspects of building a successful organization. In the startup culture, that fundamental building block is sometimes overshadowed by “cool” technology or media hype. Understanding what has to be done and focusing on that is a well-tuned habit.

And, of course, some things are time-honored approaches my father taught me: Be honest, treat others with respect, assume good intentions, make decisions crisply and be on time.”

2. After working for several big companies, what have you found to be the biggest differences in founding and running your own?
“In larger firms, there is often a layer of decision-makers who have strong incentives to avoid making the “wrong” decisions. As a startup founder, you are the decision-maker. You have to make decisions with the best available information and live with them. Understanding and accepting that the majority of the time you’ll be wrong is important. Equally important is having a responsive team that can react to information and correct the direction you’re heading.”

3. Like several of our mentors, you’ve helped launch many companies. What do you think are the telltale traits of someone who is meant to be an entrepreneur?
“You have to be a domain expert and be open about ideas and getting feedback from others. You should also be able to look down the road months ahead, understand the basics of business and establish an environment for yourself where you can work with others to achieve goals. Some rapid-fire traits: Be confident, unafraid of failure, ready to change direction immediately, and driven to succeed. Finally, you have to be the hardest worker on your team.”

4. What do you think are the top 3 factors to success for Des Moines’ startup ecosystem?
“First, there needs to be about a dozen companies who can get the attention and growth that Dwolla has garnered, coupled with obvious, sustainable financial success. Second, we need a deeper financial bench. That doesn’t mean more Iowa-based VCs; it means people in Des Moines with connections to national firms that can provide the investment to get beyond the startup phase. We need the big “Series A” money. Third, we need a broader focus on the whole range of Iowa startups. If only a handful of entities get the media focus, that’s a brittle foundation. We’ve gotten a start, but now we need to grow. The general public needs to see that others care about the ventures; that this is not just some wild idea.”