About You🔗

This blog is aimed at founders and management teams in startups and scale-ups, from pre-seed to Series B. Whether you're a two-person team or leading a growing company with several funding rounds under your belt, these insights apply universally. My perspective comes from years of experience assessing teams and tech at all stages, from startups to corporates.

Before diving into strategy, let me introduce myself: I’m a husband, dad of two, executive coach, and managing partner of a tech due diligence firm. Outisde of work my interests are screenwriting and electronic music.

Why overshare with my hobbies, etc? Because as we start this "take-off" phase, it’s "essential to focus on you, not just your business.“Being you” is your whole self, not just your business side.This means starting and maintaining a balance of your personal identities – work and otherwise.

Focusing on You: Personal Boundaries and Interests🔗

Technology doesn’t build itself—people do. That’s why understanding the psychology and well-being of yourself and your team is as critical as evaluating your product or business model.

As a qualified exec coach working with leaders since 2018, I’ve noticed a common thread: most founders aren’t happy. Sure, the headlines look great—£30m investment in a tough market, major brand wins—but behind the scenes, many founders I coach feel unhappy and consumed by their business. They’re working for their company instead of the other way around.

The best leaders don’t let this happen. One standout firm I assessed this year had five co-founders who knew exactly what they did—and didn’t—do. They left their egos at the door, creating a streamlined, scaling tech business. What set them apart wasn’t just their operational clarity; it was their personal boundaries. Each co-founder had pursuits outside of work, from farming to building homes, which kept them occupied, challenged and grounded.

These external passions created natural boundaries, forcing them to manage their time effectively. Unsurprisingly, the founders' personal interests also contributed to increased investor confidence. Their diverse skills and unique passions demonstrate creativity, while a broader range of interests beyond work enables the cross-pollination of ideas between personal endeavours and business. This helped the team stand out in a crowded market and made them more engaging and memorable.

A team with clear individual identities demonstrates good personal and business management, all critical traits for scaling.

What are your external interests, and are you managing to keep them going as you build your business?“Identity erosion” is a major concern for founders.

But how do we address this issue? Let’s take a look:🔗

Time Management: The Foundational Bottleneck🔗

During due diligence, I evaluate three key team traits: communication, consistency, and care. You’ll probably be surprised it’s not tech architecture, data, and engineering – but they are givens in tech businesses and most teams I meet over-index in these tech areas.

Care is the outcome of the other two essential characteristics of good communication and a consistent approach to business.Care shows in so many ways to me – how the firm presents its product, service quality, etc.
My team also runs an outside-in of your company, and we check for any gaping holes that a nefarious attacker would benefit from. As we say internally, “If it (the firm) is messy on the outside, it’s likely the same on the inside”, and we’ve seen some real shockers.

When I dig into a leader’s calendar, I often find it nearly empty, except for obligatory meetings. This is particularly true for tech leaders, who thrive on uninterrupted time in the “zone” for coding or problem-solving. However, this luxury of unmanaged time needs to go, and this lack of strategic planning creates a constant cycle of catching up, leaving no room for personal growth or hobbies.You can’t be doing that under institutional investment.

I recall coaching a CTO who’d been with his company since its inception. Despite his technical brilliance, he struggled to command respect in the boardroom. His calendar was completely empty meaning a lack of strategy and being effective;y the ‘dungeon master’ fixing everyone else’s issues other than this own.

We turned things around by strategically planning his week, including personal activities.He completed more project work and started to get more respect in the boardroom.

Structured time management allows you to integrate work and personal life seamlessly, helping you reclaim your identity while driving business success.

Calendar management may feel a little ‘101’, but trust me, it’s a concern with most people I work with.

Building a Community: Strength in Numbers🔗

“Networking’ is a sinister word to most of us, and there are very few events where suppliers and customers are at the same event.Plus, no one likes to be ’sold to’, and not surprisingly, many of us founders don’t like to ‘sell’ at networking events. We’d much rather provide value instead.

So, consider switching “networking” to “community”.🔗

For instance, I am part of Martin Zeman’s The PE Collective, a group of professionals and firms serving private equity clients. We exchange insights, share what works (and doesn’t), and collaborate to support the market better.

To create or join a meaningful community, consider:🔗

1. Courage: Show up, contribute, and engage fully.Say yes to everything.
2. Value: Share something unique. For example, I provide psychometric assessments for other founders and help them understand the market from our perspective and what we learn from our customers.
3. Creativity: To be frank, exploring business development ideas is the main reason these communities exist, and I would suggest attending meetings with the intention of contributing creative ideas.

Note that the community we are part of is free, and I am not suggesting you invest heavily to be part of your community. Preatura’s Founder’s Hub is a good example of an inexpensive solution.

Strong communities aren’t just support systems; they provide fresh perspectives and collaborative opportunities.

The Bigger Picture🔗

These concepts—time management, personal boundaries, and community—aren’t just management theory. They’re the foundation for happiness and sustainability. By focusing on you, you ensure your business serves your life, not vice versa.

If you’re already doing this, fantastic! If not, it’s never too late to start. But exec coaching experience tells me otherwise. We are all consumed by our startups and need to take a step back and run them more effectively.

In the next post our flight will move into "cruise" mode: your core business and product.

That’s where things often get turbulent—but it’s also where clarity and focus can propel you forward.

Read part 2 here.