One-on-One, Outcome Focused Consulting

About

I Help You Make Things Happen

If you’re a CFO of a growing startup, I typically help you deal with financial models, cap tables, doing deals, setting KPIs etc. Otherwise, I help leaders of startups critically review your challenges and help them think through your options to fix them. The topics tend to vary wildly, but the commonality is you:

1/Have no one impartial you can ask.

2/You absolutely can’t Google the answer.

How I Can Help You

I know a lot about building startups because I’ve done it. From sales to customer care, running buying for e-commerce, CFO fun stuff, writing a culture code, HR, etc. I primarily focus on your high-level challenges because these are the things that you can’t Google. My expectation is that you are great at your job, you just need someone smart to debate the path forward and give you clarity.

• Finance: I’m seriously good with Excel and I worked at Lazard FIG M&A so I know complicated. We can build a new model, review KPIs or set them, deal with metrics, debt and equity, you know the list is long.
• HR: I’m definitely not Brenda in HR… I can teach you to fix culture, make a culture code, fire people at scale, and even do sneaky things to get competitor info. Dealing with firing a co-founder? Yes, I’ve done that too.
• Operations: A colleague once called me a ‘machine’. I know how to set up operations from scratch and scale them up. I typically cover strategic topics, but I have the ability to answer details on much of operations. If we get too specific, I will advise you to find a consultant and make a plan for what needs to happen next.
• Growth: Should you internalize? How do you make a growth plan after you just raised your Series-A? How do you align growth with fundraising? Your burn rate is critical, so we will start with that and your goals for your next round, then calibrate expansion plans between the two.

About

I Help You Invest Other People’s Money Better

I focus on emerging managers to teach them how to raise, develop portfolio strategies, how to get deal flow, and how to offer value add to startups. I also help hedge funds, property funds and others since a lot of the principals are the same, especially when it comes to making your pitch deck. As I’ve worked in financial M&A, VC, and as a founder I can offer differing perspectives to the same question.

How I Can Help You

There are a gazillion investors with more experience than I do. My difference is that I think about the process of investing more than most, and I regularly teach investors so I can explain things simply, focused on why X actually matters (not just academic BS).

• Angles: If you’re looking to start investing, I’ll give you a crash course so you avoid a tonne of mistakes. I’ll teach you how to interview founders, what to look for in startups, and even how to offer value to build your brand
• Emerging VCs: I primarily help first-time VCs. My advice is similar to angels. The difference is that I’ll give you a hard time. In around 3 hours I can get you to really critically review your investment thesis and how you are going to operate, as well as how to raise from LPs. I also help do pitch decks, so the process involves you critically analyzing a lot you definitely didn’t think through properly.
• Established funds: I help you with doing your deck for the next fund, critiquing your investment thesis, how to get more deal flow, and how to offer scalable value add (through a platform, or not).
• Alternative funds: I do very random calls with hedge funds, property etc. Typically, you are doing something new, launching a new fund, and you need someone who understands how institutional funds work and the startup world. I specialise in asset management M&A so I can have very technical calls.

About

I Help You Decide If You Want to Break Free and How

As a senior exec, you’re probably getting to the point you want to ‘self-actualise’. I teach you about setting life goals and ways you can interact with startups or whether to start your own. I’ll help acclimatise you to what the reality of a startup is and isn’t. If you have an idea, I’ll teach you how to validate it or tell you if it’s a terrible idea. Given my experience, I know how to talk with you and not down to you. My method is Socratic.

How I Can Help You

You make good money but you’re not happy. You’re also smart and will only tolerate someone who will genuinely not waste your time. If I don’t already have the answer, I know how to help you set out your options so you can make informed decisions. I treat you like an adult even though I normally get asked to explain things like they are a child once you trust I’m not full of BS.

• Should you quit?: This is never the question you ask, but it’s the one you actually want to talk about. I always start at the basics to understand why you want to quit. I often teach you ways you can get the feeling you want without quitting
• Is your idea viable?: If you’re still in your job it’s because you’re not sure if your idea has legs. I will either explain why it will fail or give you a load of homework to do that you weren’t aware that you should do (and how specifically)
• How should you get going?: Once you’re certain of your startup’s logic, I can help you understand the concrete steps that you need to take next. I’m careful not to overload you and only focus on what you need to think about
• Teach you complex things quickly: You have the money to pay for time shortcuts. I can teach you something that will take a month in an hour. How do convertible notes work, how to raise, how to hire, whatever

About

I Teach You New Skills You’re Stuck With

I work with financial advisors, lawyers, brokers, accountants etc. In some cases, I help you come up with solutions for your clients (You get the credit!) where you need specialized knowledge. In most cases, I will explain technical topics you are struggling with around financial models, ESOP, and cap tables. Deal structuring terms and the like.

How I Can Help You

I know a few things really well, They’re typically things you’re not good at because they are niche. Let’s be honest, you’ve read a blog I did, and you want to know more about that topic. So yes, I can teach you.

• Lawyers: Our topics are always technical around cap tables, ESOP, and specific aspects of fundraising. You know you have a specific need, and yes, I’m happy to chat
• Consultants: I regularly help consultants with their existing clients. Yes, I’m happy to give you the answers to resell and no they will never know. E.g. financial models, what the client should do, pitch decks etc.
• Financial advisors: I teach you topics that you don’t understand (normally on fundraising topics), how to deal with your clients, or can help you with specific project deliverables
• Other: I get asked the most random questions. If it involves thinking or something complicated then the answer is probably yes, I can help you. Message me, and I’ll confirm or deny a call with you. I’m always clear if I am an expert or not