Duncan Knight 

A founder once asked me to expand on why meeting people matters when you’re looking for customers, employees, investors and advisers. For me, meeting face to face offers something valuable. You have space to get to know someone beyond their job title, hear about their experiences and discover whether you would like to continue the conversation. Online conversations have their place too. But getting out of your usual environment can introduce you to people and perspectives you

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

You have built something you believe in. You can explain how it works, why you created it and what you hope it will become. Then comes the moment to contact a potential customer. Suddenly, improving the website feels urgent. There is another feature to finish, another market report to read or another version of the pitch to prepare. If that sounds familiar, it is worth asking what you are putting off. Selling can feel personal when the business is yours. You are asking someon

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

For many founders, sorting out legal agreements sits somewhere below building the product, winning customers and almost everything else on the list. I understand that. But uncertainty about ownership, responsibilities or promises can become a serious distraction when the business starts growing. Having built and exited two technology businesses, my biggest lesson is to address these questions while relationships are good and there is time to think. I’m not a solicitor. These

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