Supporting ambition_

As Founder, I have faced some recurring challenges when leading projects from first sketch to launch. Whether in media, tech or health, there are common opportunities (and pitfalls) that await a project from concept, through development and launch.

Every opportunity is a challenge_

Knowing how to sequence them with the specific capabilities (and limitations) of your team, capital and opportunity will determine success. But of course, those parameters themselves are not fixed. Neither should your plans. The objective is to deliver against the mission and build shareholder value. All the other variables need to be constantly reassessed to achieve that end.

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“We do it because it’s necessary, not because it is possible.”

— W S Merwin

Origination_

  • Telling the story

  • Mission

  • Forming team + culture

  • Brand + positioning

Founding Team_

  • Starting talent

  • Internal resources (people + capital)

  • Forming the “dream team”

  • Alignment + dynamics

  • Advisory panel

  • Equity structure

  • Shareholder agreement

Formation_

  • Company structure

  • Tax incentives + schemes

  • Accounting + legal

 

Seed Capital_

  • Internally sourced

  • Strategic advisory capital

  • Strategic investors with black books

  • Exit strategy

Development Capital_

  • To proof of concept

  • To working prototypes

  • To first customer shipment

  • To operational breakeven

Partners_

  • Technology

  • Commercial

  • Credibility

  • Capital

 

Intellectual Property_

  • Novel foundation

  • Current patent landscape

  • Clear air to grab

  • Investment + modelling costs

  • Licensing opportunities

  • The unpublished portfolio

Technical Feasibility_

  • Team competence (blindspots)

  • Product design

  • Mechanical + electronic

  • Digital

  • Regulatory

  • Hacking a proof of concept

Product Specification_

  • The roadmap to the dream

  • Minimum viable product

  • Minimum lovable product

  • Stage-gating risk

  • Repurpose vs invention

  • The known unknowns

 

Research_

  • Consumer qualitative + quantitative

  • Insights (what don’t they say)

  • Concept validation

  • Observer bias

Market Analysis_

  • Current landscape

  • Key trends (short term)

  • What the market wants (long term)

  • What would consumers love (and don’t know it yet)

 

Milestones_

  • Secured government contract for 20+ years and navigated a start-up through a tender process (you got to win hearts and minds first)_

  • Filed over 200 patents (which so far have granted over 60 patents across UK, Europe, US, China and other key jurisdictions)_

  • Agreed licensing and monetisation agreements of IP in second start-up_

  • Embraced blindspots (and built teams to turn them to project strengths)_

  • Raised over £30m in companies I founded_

  • Delivered from concept sketch to product_

  • Deployed public facing projects against high profile expectations (London 2012)_

  • Had the backing +160 private investors, corporates and institutions (which also means I failed to convince hundreds of other backers)_

  • Singed partnership deal with FTSE 10 company (but endlessly courted large corporates in the UK, US and further abroad with variable success)_