Austin tech entrepreneur Adam Robinson had recently marked a major business achievement and was preparing for a live debate when he was killed with his wife and two young children in a Florida plane crash.
Robinson, 45, his wife, Helen Sharp, 40, and their children, Emma, 4, and Charlie, 2, were among nine people who died Sunday when a Learjet 60 traveling from Austin to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas crashed in a Palm Beach County neighborhood.
Just days earlier, Robinson had posted that his company RB2B had reached $10 million in annual recurring revenue. “RB2B is $10m ARR with 1 FTE,” he wrote, adding that MoltSets was nearing $1 million in annual recurring revenue.
Two months before that, he said RB2B was bringing in $9.5 million annually and described reaching $10 million with a small team as “the promised land.”
Robinson was CEO and co-founder of Retention.com, an Austin company that helps businesses identify website visitors and reach them through marketing. The company later launched RB2B, which identifies potential customers visiting business websites. Robinson also led MoltSets, a provider of business contact details such as work email addresses and phone numbers.
In what became his final post, Robinson described a disagreement with his friend Jesse Ouellette over whether RB2B and MoltSets should stay separate or be combined. Robinson said Ouellette thought merging the businesses could reduce customer turnover and double revenue, while he preferred keeping them apart.
“My question: WHY DO I NEED TO DO EITHER OF THOSE THINGS?” Robinson wrote. “Honestly, I’d be thrilled if RB2B never grew another dollar.”
The pair planned to discuss their opposing views during a live debate Tuesday on “Claude Did What!!??”
“So we’re settling it LIVE,” Robinson wrote. He added that he was saving more of Ouellette’s argument for Tuesday and encouraged people to “grab some popcorn and pick a side.” Robinson did not make it to the event.
In a joint statement, the families remembered Adam and Helen as devoted parents and said their children were the center of their lives. They described the couple’s love as lasting forever and said their warmth and generosity had touched many people.
Retention.com, RB2B and MoltSets also remembered Robinson as a friend, mentor and outspoken leader who lived life fully. The companies said he cared deeply about those around him and brought energy and conviction to his work. His death, they added, was being felt across the team and the wider tech community.
The Learjet left Austin-Bergstrom International Airport at about 10:37 a.m. Sunday with two crew members and seven passengers aboard.
At around 35,000 feet, the crew reported light clear ice and moderate turbulence, then requested permission to climb to 37,000 feet. Less than 30 seconds after that request was approved, the crew reported descending and issued a mayday call.
Federal investigators said Monday that weather is a major focus of the investigation. They also said there are indications the aircraft began breaking apart before impact. The cause of the crash has not been determined.
