Duncan Knight 

You have raised a seed round, built the product and started winning customers. Now you are considering Series A. It can be tempting to approach it as a larger version of the same fundraising exercise. Update the deck, increase the forecast and reconnect with investors. But the business has moved on. Your preparation needs to show what you have learned, what the evidence supports and how the next investment will help you build from here. The distinction between seed and Series

When sales slow down, it is tempting to push harder. More outreach, more marketing activity, more pressure on the team. Before increasing the effort, step back and examine what has changed. Your customers’ priorities may have shifted. Your message may no longer reflect the problem they most want to solve. Or the approach that won your first customers may be difficult for anyone else to repeat. A sales strategy review helps you decide where to focus. These seven questions give

You explain your business. The other person nods politely, then asks: “So what does it actually do?” It is a useful signal! You may know your product so well that you have skipped the explanation someone else needs. This happens in early-stage businesses, but it can also happen as a company grows. The product develops, the customer base changes and the original description no longer fits. A clear value proposition helps the right people understand why your business might matt

I once met someone who had spent more than £10,000 developing their idea without speaking to a prospective customer. Two friends had said it sounded good. It is easy to see how that happens. Building feels like progress. You can see a website taking shape, demonstrate a feature and imagine people using it. Speaking to customers introduces uncertainty. They might tell you the problem is unimportant, that their existing approach works well enough or that someone else controls t

If you are a non-technical founder with an idea for a product, hiring a developer can feel like the obvious first step. Sometimes it is the right move. But before committing to a permanent hire, get clear about what you need to learn, what needs building and who will make the technical decisions. A prototype, a short development project and a product serving paying customers create different demands. They may need different kinds of support. Start with the work and the respon

Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time helping founders develop investment decks. One thing comes up repeatedly: deciding what goes on the slides is often easier than answering the questions behind them. Who needs what you’re building? What evidence shows they will pay for it? Why is this the right team to build the business? And what would investment allow you to achieve? Your deck needs to help an investor understand those answers. Good design makes the story easier to fo

A business plan can describe an attractive opportunity and an ambitious growth target. Someone still needs to do the work. The team section should explain who is responsible today, which capabilities the business needs next and how you intend to build them. It is also a useful moment to examine your own role. As the company grows, the work you keep doing may prevent other people from taking responsibility or leave important decisions waiting for your attention. Here is how to

What will your product do? Who is it for? How will you know it is useful? Who will build it and what will it cost? These questions belong together. Your product development plan should connect what you intend to build with the customer need, the resources available and the evidence you want to gather. It should help you make decisions as well as explain your approach to someone else. For founders, that means being clear about what needs to happen next without pretending you c

A sales forecast can look convincing on a spreadsheet while leaving an important question unanswered: how will you win those customers? The sales section of your business plan needs to explain how people move from interest to purchase, who will help them make that decision and what the business needs to deliver. For founders, this is also a useful way to test expectations. Does your growth plan reflect what you have learned from selling, or does it depend on a process you hav

When founders talk about marketing, the conversation often starts with activity. Should we publish more content, attend events, run adverts or send emails? Before deciding, step back. Who are you trying to reach? What do they need to understand? What would you like them to do next? The marketing section of your business plan should explain how you intend to reach suitable customers and help them move towards buying. It should also show what you will spend, who will do the wor