ArcStone Spotlight: David Carnes

On this month's ArcStone Spotlight, CEO and Founder, David Carnes, shares how ArcStone was conceived and how innovation is a family trait.

Title: CEO and Founder

Path to ArcStone. I was involved with another startup that built an MLS (multiple listing service) system for commercial real estate. This was back in the day where commercial realtors mailed their listings on what was available each month, and that was how they shared their information -- this archaic form of faxing. We went to them with this MLS to show them they can put things online and everyone can update their properties in one place. We sold that business to the Realtor’s Association, because they saw the writing on the wall.

I’ve always been interested in hooking things up and there’s a technical aspect that’s intriguing to me. I like connecting people and connecting things. I was drawn to that early on. I get bored quickly -- it’s one of my weak points. I’m good at starting things and not as good at finishing them. I think I’ve gotten better as I’ve gotten older, but that’s something I struggle to put together. The Internet -- the fact that it’s always evolving and reinventing itself -- it’s something that challenges you to learn. That’s what led me to ArcStone.

The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. I think the innovativeness is a family trait. My grandpa was a businessman, and he had a television show in the local market. Back then, he also had his company Carnes Lighting and was also involved with a real estate group that built Southtown and eventually Southdale -- one of the first malls in the country. He was an interesting guy -- a little crazy looking. You know that thing your parents say, “Don’t play with pencils, or you’ll poke your eye out.”? That happened to him. He had a glass eye, so you’d talk to Grandpa Carnes, and he’d have that gaze that was penetrating in a weird way. One day we were fishing at his house in Eden Prairie, and he said to me, “David, you’ve got to figure out a way to make money while you’re fishing.” That stuck with me; it’s an interesting perspective. It made me interested in business.

My dad has also always been an innovator. He pushes the envelope in his business, but he rebelled. He decided to go into psychology, and even as a psychologist, he’ll always figure out a way to do things differently. Oddly enough, he can only see with one eye, too, so I’m waiting for the boom to hit me. That’s why I got lasik early -- just in case my eye would go in a burst of glory.

Professional strengths. Since I’m good at starting things, I’m helpful at looking at ideas and trying to figure out how to build a blueprint. That’s what I really enjoy -- doing the architecture. I take something and create a system or technology and use it to help people. Generating revenue is not always relevant. 

Aces in their places. I think being able to put all of the components together goes back to when I was a kid. I remember being in the fourth grade at Kenny Elementary School in South Minneapolis. They’d have these contests where they’d have display windows for each class. When it was my turn, just from knowing and talking to people, I enlisted my friends -- artists who were much better at drawing than me. I put together a team, so I think I can recognize strengths and talents in people in areas where they excel. When that happens, everybody’s happier, and they will do great work.

The many flavors of enlightenment. I do many things outside of ArcStone. I like to play guitar, but besides that I'm pretty active at meditating; I started about 12 or 13. My dad had a bunch of books on zen. I was fascinated at exploring consciousness in all facets. Exploring consciousness is one of the vast realms that we have. Meditating helps you feel the way of openness and love and bliss. There’s so many flavors of that and aspects in Buddhism. There’s still so much to be explored.

The sky’s the limit. I appreciate at ArcStone that there are no limits in what we could do. There’s always hope for a better tomorrow. It’s about how we can evolve and change.