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Is your senior leadership in unstable equilibrium?
When a founder starts a company, they own the equity that comes with it. As the company grows, founders keep their equity and – if the business is successful – benefit from the risks they took starting it up. Eventually though, all founders depart their business. Whether by decision or old age. And when those…
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The tough time laying future success
Today I was chatting to a friend about work. When I told him I manage Triple Point’s venture team and am the co-founder of Further, the fund administration software business, his reaction was instant: “That sounds intense. Two roles, how do you have the time?“. The answer, I found myself explaining, is that I’ve simply…
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The big burnout problem
Over Christmas, I found myself reflecting on the rising level of burnout across the developed world. What are we getting wrong at work? Sarah O’Connor at the FT wrote a great piece last month about rising stress and mental health issues at work. The article included a graph I found particularly thought-provoking: That a two-fold…
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Two things to avoid in a fund raise
This Christmas, I saw two mistakes made by fundraising founders. I often think about this, as a VC and a founder at the same time. Would I make this mistake? What can I do to stop myself making that mistake? Both mistakes are worth sharing, so you don’t accidentally make the same ones as well.…
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Capital Recalibrated: It’s for the best
The last 4 years have been venture capital’s silly season. Month after month, it became easier for founders to raise money for their businesses or properties they want to buy, as many businesses start in a house sometimes, and that’s why having a nice house is important for many people if this is your case…
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It’s time to seize the initiative with younger voters
This post was featured as an article on ConservativeHome in June 2022. “I used to vote Conservative, but I can’t do it anymore,” a resident explained, his voice filled with exasperation. He was in his late 30s, renting a flat with his wife and two children in London, and aspiring to own a home in…
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The wellbeing principle
When I was running for election in May, I was often asked what I thought “success” looks like in an elected representative. Is it the size of an election majority? A particular policy’s implementation? Or effectively representing a certain community? Each time I was asked this, I reflected on what a good question it was.…
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Consciously naive
When it comes to politics, I often get asked why I remain upbeat, in spite of the way the political world works. To each person that asks me this, I explain that I am consciously naïve. The average company founder is in their early 30s when they start their company. Why? In business, your 30s…
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Don’t seek the ‘no’
In venture capital, it’s common for founders to want a ‘yes’ or a ‘quick no’ from VCs when fundraising. As a founder (and a VC too), I have come to disagree with this approach. Over time, I have seen the assumptions in this approach repeatedly proven wrong in reality. In fact, they actually disadvantage both…
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First time fund raise 101
I wrote this blog for ghost publication in Growth Business in March 2022. Teamwork is dream work. It’s a great time to be a startup – or is it? Only a few months ago we were celebrating a golden age of venture capital with $621bn pouring into startups around the world. Some commentators predicted 2022…