Throughout this series we’ve explored a wide range of entrepreneurial skills: pitching, sales, stakeholder management, and team building. But as a solo founder, I want to highlight another critical capability: resilience. Embracing uncertainty and overcoming personal barriers is a defining trait of successful founders. In this article, I share how I manage high-uncertainty situations and […]
Category: Startups
In the previous article, we discussed the qualities that create strong team synergies and the attributes to look for when recruiting talent for a founding team. Now, let’s explore how a Winning Tribe can operate effectively and be led to success. A Story About Procrastination When I first became a team leader, I learned some […]
In the previous article, we discussed the three key ingredients of a winning tribe: exceptional people, strong team culture, and focused leadership. Over the past four years I have led multiple teams through various challenges, working with individuals who brought a wide range of attributes to the table. When recruiting the first group of founders, […]
So far, we have discussed: How to map your ecosystem’s network How to craft and deliver a compelling vision, and How to navigate the funding landscape for early-stage startups We often underestimate the role of support networks on the path towards success. Stakeholders aren’t just passive observers, they are the lifeblood of your project. They […]
Startups are complex ventures. They require technical solutions, research, innovation, and teamwork. Yet pitching a compelling vision only becomes a business when there is money behind it. While self-financing options such as personal loans or bootstrapping the business are available, they place the entire financial risk on the founder. For this reason, most entrepreneurs seek external […]
So far, we have discussed how to map your ecosystem’s network to identify and research key stakeholders, and how senior allies can help your ideas reach the right ears. The next step is ensuring you arrive at each meeting well prepared, so you don’t squander the unique opportunities ahead. It is not just about having […]
In the previous article, we discussed how to balance the dynamics between a young founder with a vision and a senior stakeholder. Now that we understand how to establish our vision, the next question becomes: who should you talk to first? Every university has a range of internal funding mechanisms across real estate, operations, and […]
I was recently invited to do a TEDx talk at Lancaster University where I shared my journey leading and creating community green spaces. After the conference, several excited attendees came over and asked me, “How did you do it?”. They wanted to know more about how I managed to secure support and £50k funding from […]
Have you ever dreamed about starting your own consulting business some day? Consultants are entrepreneurial by nature, leading many of them to jump out of the corporate world to startups or other new ventures. And due to their business acumen and connections, they are often successful. Maybe you are a current management consultant who plans […]
One of the hardest challenges I have faced is communicating a product vision to others. Without a common vision, you can never truly lead a team. I overcame this challenge by leaning on a framework introduced to me by a mentor—a tool that has unlocked numerous hackathon finals. There’s no better way to spend your […]
I had the privilege of joining a unicorn startup that was eventually acquired by a multinational company. Many people, including myself, have been surprised by the professional experience you can gain from startups as a mid-twenties professional. While luck played a significant role in my positive experience, I also spent considerable time evaluating whether the […]
In my journey from university to the professional world, I, like many of my peers, initially gravitated towards the allure of prestigious roles in consulting or finance. These fields promise versatility, growth opportunities, and the potential for exciting career transitions. However, what my undergraduate business program failed to emphasize was the often-overlooked world of startups—particularly small businesses that operate outside […]
In entrepreneurship, failure is common. Consider this sad statistic: out of 10 startups that are founded this year, only 3 will still exist three years from now. Of these, only one will reach maturity and make significant revenues. Many have accepted these numbers as an inevitable part of the entrepreneurial process. Others have developed theories […]
On March 10th, Silicon Valley Bank went bankrupt. Federal regulators had to take over operations to avoid economic disaster. Due to the Federal Reserve’s determination to curb inflation it has consistently hiked interest rates for the last 12 months, an outcome that SVB and many other banks failed to anticipate. As a result, SVB suffered […]
In the past few years, there has been a lot of hype around blockchain. Investors have been blindly investing exuberant amounts of money without clearly understanding the viability of blockchain based business models. VC funding for blockchain start-ups has consistently grown, with venture investment reaching around $1 billion in 2017 (and likely to be more […]
As a startup, the pressure is always on for getting new clients, hitting sales goals, and building trust in a new market. The same holds true when it comes to mobile app development. Whether you’re building apps for clients, releasing them in the competitive app stores, or using them internally, here are 5 key tips […]
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Canada’s Startup Landscape
A few weeks ago, there was a post by Freya Jeffries regarding London’s tech startup scene and I thought this would be a great opportunity to illustrate one for Canada. Canada is renowned for its plentiful natural resources but over the years it has also developed a name for itself in the technology sector with […]
Since 1972, Britain has been part of the European continent. I remember the opening very well. I was a kid, living in London. The new openness meant we could afford oranges from Spain. Every week, an old French farmer would also peddle through London with strings of onions hanging from his bicycle. I thought the […]