Welcome
Hi, I’m Sammy Hoelscher.
I’ve spent my life building — not just software products and companies, but people, cultures, and systems that endure. From early roles in engineering and product leadership to founding Fair Winds Software Consultancy and co-founding Maverick Launch, I’ve charted a course that favors purpose over flash and resilience over rush.
- I lead with principle, not popularity.
- I place people before profits and choose legacy over shortcuts.
- I build organizations so rooted in values and excellence that others seek to emulate them.
I don’t build throwaway apps or one-off tools. I specialize in mission-critical software platforms — systems that power thousands of internal users, support tens of thousands of external users, and are expected to last a decade or more. These platforms evolve through continuous improvement, resilient architecture, and disciplined leadership. That’s the work I love.
I lead from the Bridge — not to look down, but to see further. We set the course together and face the waves as one. We push hard, adapt fast, and support each other through every tide.
We don’t build showpieces. Every product we build is a working vessel — certified for deep waters, storm-tested, and built to keep going long after others would fail.
Over the decades, I’ve led the building and scaling of high‑impact platforms for successful startups like Xome, Amarki, Caesars Digital — and steered new product development at USAA. Early on, I helped innovate core systems at Citibank, MCI, Worldcom, and Wells Fargo.
What I’m Doing Now
I split my time between two deeply connected missions:
- Founder & Principal Consultant, Fair Winds Software Consultancy
Chart the course. Build with purpose | Helping others build lasting software with strategy and precision - Co-Founder & Co-Chief Visionary Officer, Maverick Launch
Launched by Mavericks. Built for the Bold | Building ventures with purpose, long-range vision, and grit
Fair Winds Software Consultancy
Strategic Vision. Operational Backbone. Hands-on Execution.
At Fair Winds, I serve as a fractional product and engineering leader, helping companies build not just software but also the systems, teams, and discipline required to scale it.
I love shaping product vision — crafting the high-level requirements, defining the roadmap, and guiding innovation. But I take just as much pride in the operational side: building team workflows, implementing real processes, and solving the technical challenges that stall momentum.
I stay hands-on. I write the blueprints, help the product team fill in the details, and ensure engineering isn’t just shipping code — they’re building something meaningful.
Fair Winds isn’t a dev shop. It’s embedded leadership for companies facing complex, high-stakes builds, where outcomes matter and shortcuts won’t cut it.
What I Provide:
- Fractional product and engineering leadership
- High-level requirements and roadmap definition
- Team structuring, process design, and operational rigor
- Hands-on support for architecture and dev challenges
- Embedded guidance that balances vision with execution
Trusted By:
National Facilities Direct • X-PIPE • Blackstone Mechanical Corp. • Freight Lined • ONEngine • Accoree • ServEngine
Maverick Launch
Venture Studio. Product Builder. Mission First.
At Maverick Launch, my fellow co-founder Wayne Creel and I are building an armada of software products—designed to endure, driven by values, and built to serve real needs. These aren’t VC vanity plays or spray-and-pray startups. Every build is a long-term commitment.
Our current focus:
- SocialSqueeze.ai — Turn Attention into Relationships
- Synapz — The Unified Intelligent Logic Engine
- FlowSphere — Where Workflow Meets Wisdom
- StudioSphere — Low-Code, High-Integrity
The Next Phase:
As these ventures scale, Maverick Launch will evolve into a full venture studio — funding, mentoring, co-building, and directly building the next generation of principled software products alongside bold founders and small and large crews.
My First Book: The Leadership Voyage
A modern meditation on leadership, written in the spirit of James Allen’s As a Man Thinketh.
“Leadership is not earned in a single act, but in a thousand small decisions made with conscience and consistency.”
Coming soon to Amazon and Kindle.
Let’s Connect
If you’re building something worth doing — a venture, a team, or a legacy — I’d love to talk.