Discover how to remove instability, get solid growth, and make more money.
The powerful alternative to just cranking the handle on the business every day.
Hi, I’m Jim.
In 2016 I was a walking cliche.
A “successful” tech founder hiding behind record losses, taking next to nothing home to my family, burning out, lying to myself about our progress and quietly fearing that I’d have to go back to a “real” job.
Maybe you know the feeling.
Maybe you’ve asked yourself why some folks exit for life-changing sums and others grand away for years and get nothing?
I did.
For years, I bought the founders myth:
“If I just work harder, buy one more tool, hire one more person, pull one more long weekend - it would all fall into place. “
But no matter how much I pushed, spent, or hired, the business stayed stuck.
Growth was random
Profit was pennies
Workload was relentless
A classic case of what I now call:
Lone founder syndrome
What it boils down to is trying to solve all this by yourself - because that’s what the tech world celebrates right?
Lone wolf + Laptop + Dark room = IPO
Bullshit.
But I bought it and it’s why so many fast paced founders fall flat on their face staring at insolvency.
Look; the reason you’re stuck isn’t lack of money, intelligence or “drive”
Nine times out of ten it’s something much simpler.
Let me explain…
In 2016, after loosing a kings ransom and taking home next to nothing for myself I finally admitted it..
I was the problem.
Well, maybe not me the person, but my actions, decisions and ideas.
Trouble is when you’re knee deep in the business it’s impossible to see the wood for the trees.
Meaning you ability to make the right calls is way off. You thinking short term reactivity rather than long term strategy.
I ruthlessly implemented three things:
In three months my salary was secured
In six we saw real profitability and growth
After a year we had enterprise value in the business and buyers staring to sniff around
In three they were fighting over us for an eight figure exit.
The Process
Success is not an accident.
You need a process for knowing where you are, where you want to get to and the precise sequence of actions that are going to get you there.
When you follow a strategic process it takes the guesswork out of what to do next.
There’s no longer the pressure for the moment of revelation, you just check the list and get on with the next thing.
The Advice
Success leaves clues.
Why do founders continue to make up the founding journey when it’s been solved so many times?
While no one can do the work for you, you can see what frameworks, techniques and approaches successful people use and leverage them within your own firm.
The Community
Success is infectious .
Business don’t exist in a vacuum, they are part of an industry, a sector, a supply chain, an eco-system.
Showing up takes courage, and when you make that leap you connect with others that can help and support you.
Not quite ready?
No worries. Understood. It’s a big step to acknowledge what’s broken.
Why not come and meet us? Find out what sort of people make this change, travel on this road?
We run monthly meet-ups in London.
We call it Basecamp.
Basecamp is where we share the stories, decision, paths and tools that have helped us change.
Basecamp is where it starts.
Kettle’s on, we’ll see you there.