Blog
Insights, stories and tactics for early-stage founders.
How UK pre-seed valuations are really set (and how to defend yours)
A pre-seed valuation is not a measure of what your company is worth. It is a price, set by dilution maths, the SEIS envelope and comparables. Here is how it really works.
Do the numbers even work? The first honest revenue maths to do before you build
Before you build, do the 10-minute revenue maths: price, cost to serve and how many customers you really need. A capital-side check on whether an idea can pay you.
The 3 numbers investors check first in your financial model
Investors barely glance at your headline revenue. A capital-side guide to the three numbers they check first in your financial model, and what each one really tests.
The demand signals that actually count (and the ones that fool you)
Likes, waitlists and warm survey praise feel like proof. They're not. A founder advisor's guide to the demand signals that actually count before you build.
Pre-selling: how to get customers to pay before you've built it
Pre-selling is the one validation that never lies, and the cheapest funding you will ever raise. A capital-side guide to getting UK customers to pay before you build.
Should you quit your job yet? A capital-side view of when a side project is real
Thinking of quitting your job for your startup? A capital-side take on when a side project is really ready to go full time, built on evidence, runway and downside, not passion.
What "Investor Ready" Really Means: The Due-Diligence Checklist
"Investor ready" isn't a polished deck. It's surviving due diligence with no surprises. The checklist investors really run, and the three documents founders always miss.
SEIS and EIS Explained: How to Use Tax Relief to Close Your Round
SEIS and EIS are usually explained like a tax form. They're really a closing tool. How the reliefs work, and how to use them to get a hesitant angel to commit.
When Not to Sell Equity: Non-Dilutive Funding for UK Founders
Most UK founders sell equity too early. How Start Up Loans, grants and R&D credits actually work, and when keeping your shares beats raising a round.