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The luxury of not wanting
A very close friend of mine was recently robbed. The theft was professional, scary almost. They came in at night, took a £100,000 watch, and nothing else. Organised crime, cleanly executed. Afterwards, he said something unexpected. He felt no desire to replace the watch. That struck me as a profoundly positive thing. Most people accumulate…
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The inflation of firsts
If I were graduating today, I would be acutely aware that around one third of students now leave university with a first class degree. Fifteen years ago it was closer to one in ten. Go back further and it was rarer still. Grade inflation is real, and it matters. A first is no longer a…
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The burden of the future
Someone said to me recently, “people who have children wear the burden of future society”. It stuck with me, because it is true. In much of the developed world, many people do not have children. Some do not want them. There is even a sort of virtuousness to it sometimes, as if not having children…
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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.…