Writing on the web since 2003

My COO observations watching operations at Wembley on Sunday. This week I’ve been reflecting on a recent trip to an Oasis gig and my incessant desire to understand how things work behind the scenes. Some interesting parallels between founder-led businesses and predictably delivering stadium-scale experiences week-in, week-out.

Hey there, We’ve reached the end of the Build Summer Series 2025 with an article from Jessica Gregson and Helen Bazuaye looking at the interplay between processes and humans. This topic fascinates me as it’s something I see most days in my work with founders. Normal Build service resumes next week with me back on writing duties. I’d love to know what you thought about the summer series. We had 14 guest authors this year, spanning a wide range of topics for founders. Please just hit reply and…

Hey there, In the penultimate article from this year’s Build Summer Series, Rebecca Bates gives us a thoughtful look at generation X, the “valley of bewilderment” and their subsequent reinvention of the work they do. This resonated deeply with me as virtually all of what Rebecca observes matches my lived experience – including my “second mountain” working with purpose as a fractional and consultant COO. best regards,-sw Build #76 – The forgotten generation’s purpose pivot I have recently…

Hey there, I’m fascinated by the role of tensions in businesses. Too often they’re seen as negatives, as problems to solve. But in reality every founder is running a business where tensions are a healthy feature of their organisation. In this week’s Build Summer Series 2025 newsletter, James Gairdner unpacks this topic through the lens of psychodynamic theory. best regards,-sw Build #75 – Tension is the work: leading without easy answers In leadership conversations with founders, there’s a…

Hey there, Founder life is all about transitions. They arrive pretty relentlessly in the founder’s journey. And one of the trickier ones I see is moving from being a founder to being a CEO. This week my guest author Codie James takes a detailed look at this transition and how founders can take a more intentional approach to developing their leadership. best regards,-sw Build #74 – From accidental CEO to intentional leader: how founders can evolve without losing their edge When founders first…

Hey there, I’ve been involved in the sale of several businesses over the years and have been on the buy-side of many more M&A deals too. One of the things I’ve observed from those experiences is that the best acquisitions or investments have been the ones that are are well run, not the ones that were obviously built just to sell. In this week’s guest article for The Build Summer Series 2025 my collaborator and fellow Extra Brain Manish Kapur provides a super clear explainer for founders about…

Hey there, In the Build Summer Series 2025 I’m handing over the metaphorical Build keyboard to a series of guest authors. This week Kelly Wakeman (no relation!) gives you a great take on the stages of the founder growth journey. I love her simple framework for this as it nicely captures the personal transitions that happen as businesses grow. best regards,-sw Build #72 – From chaos to culture: why the best founders don’t scale alone Let’s get one thing straight: chaos isn’t a bad sign. In…

Hey there, We’re halfway through the Build Summer Series 2025 – where I’ve handed the metaphorical keyboard over to a diverse bunch of guest authors. What a ride it’s been so far and this week’s no exception. In this issue Volker Ballueder shows how founders can benefit from the fusion of coaching and therapy to help grow their businesses better. best regards,-sw Build #71 – Why tech founders need personal consultancy – not just coaching or therapy There’s something unique about sitting at…