Three years into running my dev agency, I was burnt out. I did everything: sales, accounting, client support, coding. I’d started the agency after failing as a quantitative trader. Turns out you need maths for that. So I built websites instead.
There I was: failed wannabe trader building a tech company. I hired developers who promised everything. They delivered broken code weeks late. That three-month project took nine months. I used unreliable Fiverr contractors. On Christmas Eve, our Boxing Day launch was empty code. Vincent, my French developer buddy, showed me the ropes. When we got acquired, I was ready to quit. I’d been solving symptoms, not the disease.
Startup Fever
There I was: failed finance guy building a tech company. I hired developers who promised everything. They delivered broken code weeks late. That three-month project took nine months. I used unreliable Fiverr contractors. On Christmas Eve, our Boxing Day launch was empty code. Vincent, my French developer buddy, showed me the ropes. When we got acquired, I was ready to quit. I’d been solving symptoms, not the disease.
I watched technical debt compound at every stage. ‘I’ll fix it later’ became permanent legacy code. Everyone worked around it. Years later, those patches still drained productivity.
We expanded into four regions with each funding round. I learned financial regulatory frameworks inside out. We built KYC/AML systems. We worked with regulators on compliance requirements. We figured out passport chip scanning. Our biggest win was launching Malaysia six months later. We’d built for regulatory complexity from day one. This taught me to build for tomorrow, not today.
Scaling meant managing teams across multiple disciplines. Frontend, mobile, data engineering, analytics. Technical complexity was brutal. Hiring was harder. I conducted endless interviews. I tried spotting genuine talent amongst brilliant talkers.
We attracted impressive CVs. I needed a systematic approach. I developed a four-step assessment process. It was based on Who methodology. It helped me identify real performers under pressure.
VC Pivot
By 2022 as the world was reeling from COVID, video calls consumed my days. After six years of hyper-growth, I needed perspective. An opportunity came to build VC data platforms.
“We’ll use AI to revolutionise the industry,” founders explained. Investment analysts fell silent. We’d seen this pitch countless times. These founders built features, not businesses.
I watched investment money evaporate on useless features. Customers said they needed them but never used them. I’d made similar mistakes throughout my career. I’d focused on impressive solutions. I’d missed the fundamental question: does this solve problems? The more I advised struggling startups, the more obvious it became. I should prevent these problems, not just observe them.
The entrepreneurial itch returned. I’d learned from three perspectives: founder, operator, advisor. I could see what was broken in business technology decisions. AI eliminates traditional technical barriers now. Businesses can make decisions based on strategy, not limitations.
That’s why I founded Superuser HQ. We’re the technology partner ambitious businesses need. We help them build, scale, and win.