About Me
I’m Duncan Knight. I coach and mentor founders, helping them think clearly about their businesses and develop as leaders.
My purpose is to deeply connect with founders to enable transformations they couldn’t achieve alone.
For me, that means building a relationship where you can speak openly, question your assumptions and work through the decisions you find difficult to make on your own.
You might be preparing for investment, working through a change in direction or finding that too much still depends on you. Our conversations make room to step back, work out what matters and decide what to do next.
I’ve been the founder too
I spent 16 years co-founding and building two technology businesses in healthtech and cyber security / enterprise software, and have exited both. Across more than 30 years in business, I’ve worked with people and companies around the world.
I also know what it feels like when working harder stops helping.
For years, I worked fourteen-hour days, weekends and holidays. I confused being busy with making progress. I burned out and, looking back, sold my first business about three years too late. I was making decisions from exhaustion instead of energy.
That experience shapes how I coach today. We talk about the business, but also the person making the decisions. Your habits, energy and ability to step back all affect how you lead.
What working with me is like
I’m direct and compassionate. I’ll listen, ask questions and challenge you when it helps. I’ll share my experience where it’s useful, while recognising that your business and circumstances are your own.
Together, we can examine what is getting in the way, question assumptions and turn the conversation into decisions you can act on. That might mean changing your priorities, giving someone else more ownership or working through a decision you’ve been putting off.
The commercial questions matter too: how to grow, build a team, prepare for investment or think through an exit. My work with founders has contributed to raising £55m+ in investment.
I’ve coached and mentored hundreds of founders, both individually and through programmes with organisations including the Royal Academy of Engineering, BetaDen and NatWest.
Talking helps me think. I’ve learnt how valuable it is to have someone alongside you who listens carefully, offers another perspective and helps you stay accountable for the decisions you make.
Let’s talk
If you’d find that useful, I’d be happy to hear what’s happening in your business.
You can reach me below and find me on LinkedIn HERE.
Want to get in touch?
