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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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 →
Seeking our next technical cofounderPlease help: do you know anyone like this? 👇 Having raised capital for DQventures, we’re looking for 4 – 6 more people to start a company with. This time, we’re particularly interested in CTOs, developers and techies, who know how to build their product, but who are less confident about go-to-market, fundraising and running a business. That’s where DQventures comes in.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 →
Advice to a first-time angel investor.A chap I know, mid-40s, just retired after selling his business for multi-millions. He knows I’ve invested in way-too-many startups so, having never done so himself, asked for advice. We’ll call him John (his real name’s Peter 🤥)… John wanted a second opinion on a fintech deal he’s looking at. The deal A fintech founder wants John to invest $200,000. John knows the space well, and is pretty well-known.Read the post →
Beware of user interviews and metrics.User interviews and metrics are essential, but they can also be extremely misleading. Listen to them, but don’t immediately believe what they say. Here are 2 reasons why… First, users are terrible at explaining what they want and need.Read the post →
Wanted: idea-stage founders.Do you know anyone like this? We’re looking for 4 – 6 senior professionals, who have a startup idea bursting to get out of them, but who don’t know how to start. Scene from the movie, Alien – a movie that’s familiar to those in our target demographic. Helping professionals become entrepreneurs.Read the post →