Why Capable Founders Struggle More Than They Should
[reading time: 3 minutes] I met Sara in Istanbul. Sara is a couture fashion designer based in Belgium, with more than fifteen years in business. Her work is shown at major events (film festivals, fashion shows, tradeshows…) and she sells and collaborates internationally. From the outside, this looks like success. She runs a serious atelier. […]
Why a Business that Heavily Relies on Its Founder Is Not Viable
[reading time: 3 minutes] There is a situation that many founders have already experienced. Your business works. Things move. Decisions get made. Problems get solved. Until you’re tired. Not exhausted. Just a bit worn down. Less sharp. Less available. Less willing to push. And suddenly, everything feels heavier. Emails pile up. Small issues take longer […]
Why Strong Economics Is Not The Enemy of Impact
[reading time: 3 minutes] I work a lot with mission-driven engineers on the financial side of their entrepreneurial projects. Once they have identified their innovation and have an idea of how to bring it to market, I help them translate their project into financial terms and build the economic backbone of their business. One thing […]
Why Being Understood Is Essential to Survive in a Noisy Market
[reading time: 4 minutes] Lilly creates beautiful silk scarves. They are hand-painted with flowers, plants, and birds layered in subtle colours that illustrate the changing seasons. Each piece takes dozens of hours to make. The silk is prepared carefully. The design is painted by hand. The edges are hand-rolled and sewn with a needle, following […]
Why “I need more information” Is Often a Survival Response
[reading time: 4 minutes] “Why don’t we go to this tradeshow?” Or this trunkshow. Or this sponsorship opportunity. Or this pop-up store. Or this event. Or… You get the picture. These are the sorts of questions that your teams, or yourself, have probably asked many times and it keeps coming back. They are real opportunities: […]
Why Avoided Decisions Are Still Decisions
[reading time: 4 minutes] There is a pattern I see again and again with business founders. When they talk about their business, whether they are fashion designers, scientists or artists, they speak with passion about their products: how they are designed, made, and how they will be like in the future. That obsession on perfecting […]