Walking the talk: going from startup consultant to operator.
As part of the Multiple squad, I’ve spent the past three years supporting teams as they scale from seed to Series C.
In that time, we’ve worked alongside over 50 brilliant companies as they wrestle with the intractable problems of growth.
From fundraising to codifying culture to defining employer brand to coaching and more. Without exception, every project has been instructive and inspiring.
But having enjoyed wide-ranging involvement in several scaleups, the time has come to go deep with one. So in May, I’ll be entering the arena to join LabGenius as Head of People.
I’ll write more about the insanely talented LabGenius team and why I’m thrilled about joining in a separate post. But ahead of returning to an operational role, I wanted to reflect on what I’ve learned from being part of the wonderful Multiple squad.
There is nothing permanent except change.
So much of what makes scaling hard is simply change. As humans, we are paradoxically incredibly suited and yet utterly resistant to it.
Being a high-growth, venture-backed business means trying to stay afloat in an unyielding torrent of transformation that threatens to submerge you at every step of the way.
The ability to manage change is the golden thread that ties together scaling success stories. Adapt to it. Align around it. Communicate about it. Commit to it. Stay rooted to your purpose in the face of its disorientating force.
The relentless change engendered by scale demands you reconcile yourself to a baseline of dysfunction. There is no place for perfectionism. Whatever you design, build, or engineer is only temporarily useful. Today’s best practice will eventually become tomorrow’s blocker. Searching too long for the best solution can cost you more than compromising with ‘good enough’.
Yet amidst the ambiguity there remains scope for attachment: to purpose, to values, to discipline, to perspective. The most effective teams and leaders hold on to their hunger, humanity, humility. They ride the wave better as a result.
Brilliance is in the eye of the beholder.
For anyone with ethnographic leanings, it is endlessly fascinating to witness how differently each company develops its culture. How they choose and carve out customs, rituals, and values by which to live and grow. What they define as success and how they pursue it. When they follow similar paths, when they encounter similar problems, and when they diverge.
I’ve had the good fortune to work closely with exceptional European scaleups including Unbabel, Trouva, Pipedrive, Apperio, Aire, Favro, Unmind, Signal AI, Setkeeper, Kalo, Drover, Daye, Epidemic Sound, Zego, and Portify.
Collaborating with these international teams spread between the UK, US, France, Estonia, Portugal, Spain, and Sweden has reminded me how subjective and diverse brilliance can be.
It has taught me that there is no singular, superior way to scale. And, for European scaleups in particular, there has never been a better opportunity to develop our own distinctive blueprints for scaleup brilliance that are rewarding for every stakeholder involved.
Surround yourself with people who call forth your best.
At Multiple, one of our values is “leave it all on the dancefloor” to underscore the importance of being real with people. We rely on others to confront us with uncomfortable truths, question us, reassure us, teach us, celebrate with us, and commiserate with us. No matter how self-sufficient, resilient, smart, driven, or competent we are, none of us can succeed alone.
It is this belief combined with a deep-seated desire to see companies fulfil their potential that defines the Multiple modus operandi. It’s what drew me to sign up with Katy and Gabbi in January 2016 and it’s the purpose that will fuel the Squad forever.
Our community of partners, other advisors, and funds (particularly platform peeps) have continuously impressed me with their passion and commitment to the ecosystem. I am eternally grateful to this wider Multiple fam for their collaboration, encouragement, time, generosity, and wisdom.
My gratitude also extends to our companies, who engage in our work with a spirit of courage, openness, and determination to do better. They have inspired me, challenged me, kept me on my toes, and taught me so much. Many are now good friends. I am leaving behind a little bit of my heart in every one.
But most of all, I owe the greatest debt of thanks to the Multiple squad, in particular Katy and Gabbi, our fearless leaders, for taking a punt on me three years ago. Thank you for all the love, hugs, highs and lows. It has been an immense privilege. Thanks also to Joey, Sam, Natalie, Ed, and May for being such stellar colleagues. Together, you have all been the most interesting, sharp, feeling, fun, stylish, crazy crew I could have hoped to join. In classic fashion, I’ll sign off with a quote from an old Greek dude. Wasn’t it Epictetus who said…?
“The key to success is to keep company only with people who uplift you, whose presence calls forth your best.”
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