Insights
What we’ve learned building companies.
Lessons from the businesses we’ve built with founders, and the ones that taught us the most.
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How to deal with anxiety when you start your own companyAlmost everyone in startups feels anxious. Including me now. No matter how on top of things people seem, something is keeping them awake at night. But I just heard something that might help. 👇 Do the following remind you of anyone?Read the post →
What are you supposed to do once you’ve got your first paying users?A founder I know managed to get his SaaS product into the hands of his first paying users. He’s wondering what to do next. Marketing? Fundraising? What would you do? Here’s his plan… 👇 This isn’t the founder’s first rodeo.Read the post →
Why “just go for it” is awful startup advice“I guarantee once you do it… You’ll never look back.” ☝️ some of the worst startup advice I’ve ever seen. I find it hard to comprehend how anyone with experience launching and running their own business would utter these words, let alone post them as advice on LinkedIn.Read the post →
How AI is transforming entrepreneurship: a real life exampleI’ve read many predictions of how AI will transform entrepreneurship, but this is the first time I’ve seen it first-hand… I met a chap before Christmas, who was introduced to me as “a gifted entrepreneur”. He’d recently left a startup he founded, despite it growing to >$20m ARR and running at a profit.Read the post →
The advice we give to all of our portfolio company foundersWill 2024 be the year you start your own company? Here’s the advice we’re giving our future portfolio founders: 1. Find your purpose and your tribe: What can you work on for the rest of your life? Where does your experience and reputation provide an advantage?Read the post →
Lower CAC and other reasons to position as a thought leaderAn investor I spoke with last week told me the cost of customer acquisition is rising across his portfolio, making marketing channels redundant that once delivered a + ROI. He asked me what’s working for us.Read the post →
Update: Jan 2024Hi everyone – how things have changed since our last update. The first funds from our latest investment round have hit the bank, we’ve added several more portfolio companies (14 and counting), and we continue to be inundated with enquiries and referrals – this time from not only aspiring founders but also people who want to join DQ and help us scale.Read the post →
The importance of a supportive partner in the startup journeyAs someone who’s invested in a lot of startups, people often ask me what separates successful founders from unsuccessful ones. Is there a single, defining factor? If I had to name just one, it might be this: A life partner who’s willing to back you – probably for a decade – through both thick and thin.Read the post →
2023 in reviewMorning all. It’s been a brilliant year here at DQventures. I wanted to share the best bits and say thank you (to you!). Here’s what we’ve done, and how: Officially kicked off 7 new ventures, 4 of which have a female founder, taking our total number of live portfolio companies to 14: Aiuto Blue…Read the post →
How to launch your own company if you don’t have an ideaAt the ripe old age of 48, I’ve launched 20+ businesses and invested in ~100 ideas, which subsequently raised >$200m. Here’s what I’ve learned about business ideas. Quick background At DQventures we help subject-matter experts launch their own company (without first leaving their job). These people often know 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 what to build. But that’s not everyone.Read the post →
A good reason NOT to launch a startup.There are many reasons to launch your own startup, but hating your job is not one of them. There’s a much better alternative. From a distance, being a startup founder looks awesome. It’s the perfect blend of freedom, autonomy and creativity. It’s an opportunity to do something meaningful… to create value.Read the post →
Which VC funds should you (not) raise from?For founders raising money, here’s how a little research can save you a huge amount of wasted effort. I spoke with one of Asia’s largest early-stage VC funds earlier this month. They have really simple criteria for what deals they find interesting. For them, it’s all about distributions. I’ll explain. Some investors focus on “multiple” (this is how I think as an angel investor).Read the post →