A short while ago I was having a conversation with the co-founder of a startup that had been invited to an exploratory meeting with a big, global brand in their industry. She was excited and perhaps a bit flattered that their startup had hit the radar of this company and she was eager to explore […]
“Who wants a copy of the Partnerships & Acquisitions Playbook????” I asked the audience as I kicked off the day’s proceedings on the Innovation Catalysis stage at Money20/20 this year. I got a few mumbled cheers …….. it was day 2 of the event and the previous night’s party at the fabulous Taste of Amsterdam […]
As I write this, the pain in my aching feet is finally showing signs of subsiding. According to the fitness tracking app on my phone, last week I walked 80.9km (50.2 miles) in 4 days – that’s almost 2 entire marathons back to back!!! While this might not seem to be a great achievement to […]
Has this ever happened to you? You’re browsing the internet, scanning through your social feeds and you come across a proud parent introducing their latest contribution to the gene pool and your first thought is:- “WOW – what a *&%@$ baby!!!”? No? Maybe it’s just me then ……. Now here’s my question to you – “would […]
I frequently find that people focus so much on finding the right answer, that they fail to stop and consider if they are asking the right question……. I was recently contacted by a prospective client that had been pointed in my direction as he had been told that I am “a payments guy” and he […]
I regularly come across new startups as part of my scanning activity. I’m also frequently approached (mainly on Linkedin) by new startups looking for investment which is thinly veiled as seeking my advice as a mentor. The majority of them however don’t appear to have done their homework and don’t actually have a clue what […]
I recently snapped the above photo while wandering in the grounds of a glorious old estate where a friend was working and I was saddened to see what was obviously once somebody’s pride and joy, now abandoned and left to decay. The fact that the registration plate spelled “EGO” led me to reflect on the […]
In spite of the declaration that “Corporate Innovation does not work” by Accenture’s Narry Singh at the WIRED conference in London, Corporate Incubation is a growing hot topic right now. Often fuelled by COAL (Catching On At Last) or driven by FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), many large corporates are setting up their own incubation […]
We all love a good story. I grew up in rural Africa, amidst a rich culture of storytelling and at a young age I was conferred with the honorific of “imbongi” by our local people. In Zulu culture, the word is often reserved for those that change the path of the future by telling stories […]