Monthly Archives: January 2025

More Smart Home Bollocks: The Overhyped Promises of Connected Living

Smart homes are supposed to be the future: refrigerators that order your groceries, thermostats that adjust themselves, and lights that follow your every command. Tech companies love to sell the dream of a connected, automated home that makes life easier, safer, and more convenient. But scratch the surface, and you’ll find a world full of broken promises, compatibility issues, and unnecessary gadgets.

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The Power of Precision: How Defining Your Ideal Customer Drives Growth

In the world of scaling a business, particularly in SaaS and cybersecurity, one of the biggest challenges is not just acquiring customers but acquiring the right customers. In a recent session, Richard Blundell, co-founder of Venture and a former executive at MessageLabs, shared hard-earned lessons from his experience scaling businesses, including MessageLabs’ remarkable journey from startup to a $695 million acquisition by Symantec.

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Mastering Startup Finance: A Guide to Managing Cash Flow, Investment, and Growth

For many startup founders, finance can feel like a maze of spreadsheets, projections, and investor expectations. But at its core, startup finance revolves around a few fundamental principles: where money comes from, how it is spent, and how to maximize returns while maintaining financial stability.

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From Founder to CEO: Lessons in Leadership, Growth, and Resilience

For any startup founder, the journey from idea to execution is filled with challenges. However, the biggest transformation isn’t just in scaling a business, it’s in evolving from a founder into a CEO.

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Bobby Fischer vs. Paul Morphy: Titans of Chess in Different Eras

Bobby Fischer and Paul Morphy, two American chess prodigies from different eras, stand as titans of the game. Fischer, the Cold War icon, revolutionised chess with his precision, opening theory, and professional demands, while Morphy, the Romantic-era genius, dazzled with intuitive sacrifices and elegant combinations. Despite their differing styles and trajectories, Fischer famously acknowledged Morphy’s unparalleled brilliance, stating, “He was the greatest of us all.” Both left enduring legacies that continue to inspire and shape the world of chess.

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Exit Strategy 5: Timing Your Exit: How to Align Business Readiness with Market Opportunities

Timing is everything when it comes to selling a business. Exit too early, and you might leave value on the table; wait too long, and you risk market shifts or internal challenges diminishing your business’s worth. The right timing strikes a balance between your business’s readiness, market conditions, and shareholder objectives.

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More Tech Startup Bollocks: Hype, Hustle, and the Myth of Disruption

Tech startups: the engines of innovation, disruption, and sometimes, pure nonsense. We’ve all seen the headlines. A scrappy young company with a flashy pitch secures millions in funding, promises to revolutionise an industry, and is hailed as the next big thing. But scratch the surface of many startups, and you’ll find more buzzwords than business sense.

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Expanding to the US: Lessons from Internationalization Experts

International expansion is a significant milestone for any startup, but it comes with its own set of complexities. In a recent discussion led by John Kinson, an experienced consultant specializing in global market entry and startup scaling, founders and executives explored the realities of expanding into the US. The conversation covered market readiness, legal and regulatory considerations, hiring strategies, and the cultural nuances that can make or break a company’s success overseas.

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Overview, Summary, Thoughts, and Recommendations on the NCSC Cyber Security Risk Management Guidance

This article evaluates the NCSC’s Cybersecurity Risk Management Guidance, highlighting its strengths in broad coverage and practical tools but identifying key weaknesses, including the lack of an integrated end-to-end framework, inconsistent depth, and limited audience-specific tailoring. It recommends strengthening the framework’s integration, providing accessible tools, addressing organisational resistance, and incorporating strategies for emerging technologies and black swan events. These enhancements could elevate the guidance to a truly comprehensive standard for diverse organisations.

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Disability Inclusion in the Workplace: Key Takeaways from Disability Rights UK’s Talk

Disability inclusion is a vital yet often misunderstood aspect of workplace diversity. In a recent session hosted at Plexal, Kamran Mallick, CEO of Disability Rights UK, provided valuable insights into what it means to create a truly inclusive work environment. His talk covered the social model of disability, legal obligations under the Equality Act, workplace adjustments, and practical steps businesses can take to foster inclusivity.

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Anne “Honey” Lantree: The Beat Behind The Honeycombs

When it comes to the world of rock and roll, female drummers have often been overshadowed. However, among those who broke the mould and left an indelible mark is Anne “Honey” Lantree, the drummer of the 1960s pop group, The Honeycombs.

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Scaling a Cyber Intelligence Business: Lessons from Crisp’s Growth Journey with John-Orr Hanna

Scaling a company from a small team to a global market leader is a challenge that requires smart hiring, a robust governance model, and a deep understanding of customer needs. In a recent Cyber Runway Founders Fireside, John-Orr Hanna, former Chief Intelligence Officer at Crisp, shared his experience of growing the company from a handful of analysts to over 140 employees and achieving a 15x business expansion in four years.

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The Genetics Behind Asperger’s Syndrome

Asperger’s Syndrome has a strong genetic component, with multiple genes linked to brain development and synaptic function. This article delves into key genetic findings, such as SHANK and CNTNAP2 genes, chromosomal variations, and their impact on traits associated with Asperger’s, emphasizing the complex interplay between genetics and environment.

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Exit Strategy 4: Getting Ready to Sell: A Practical Guide to Due Diligence

Selling your business is one of the most significant milestones in an entrepreneur’s journey. However, even the most attractive businesses can falter during due diligence if they are not properly prepared. This stage is where buyers scrutinize every aspect of your business to evaluate risks, verify claims, and confirm the value they’re willing to pay.

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More Crypto Bollocks: The Myths, Scams, and Overhype of the Cryptocurrency World

Cryptocurrencies have been touted as the future of finance, a tool for freedom, and a revolution in how we exchange value. Bitcoin, Ethereum, and thousands of altcoins promise decentralisation, wealth, and the collapse of traditional banking systems. Yet there’s an equal or greater amount of nonsense, speculation, and outright scams for every genuine innovation in the crypto space.

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Scaling Success: The TryHackMe Journey with Co-founder Ashu Savani

Building a successful startup requires more than just a great idea—it takes execution, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to understanding your customers. This was the key takeaway from the recent Cyber Runway Founders Fireside session with Ashu Savani, co-founder of TryHackMe, a cybersecurity training platform that has grown into a 20-million-dollar revenue business without any external investment.

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Andreas Vesalius and De Humani Corporis Fabrica: Revolutionising Anatomy

Andreas Vesalius’s De humani corporis fabrica revolutionised the study of human anatomy by challenging Galenic orthodoxy through direct observation and dissection. Published in 1543, the Fabrica corrected centuries-old inaccuracies, introduced detailed anatomical illustrations, and established a new empirical approach to medical science. This landmark work remains a cornerstone in the history of medicine and a testament to the power of observation and critical inquiry.

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Burnout-Proofing Your Startup Team: Lessons from The Zensory

This Cyber Runway Scale session focused on preventing burnout in startup teams, addressing the mental and physical toll of high-growth environments. Experts shared strategies for work-life balance, team resilience, and sustainable leadership to ensure long-term success in cybersecurity startups.

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From Comedy to Cosmic Horror: Why “Alien” is the True Spiritual Successor to “Dark Star” (and the Sequels Just Don’t Measure Up)

Explore how John Carpenter’s Dark Star and Ridley Scott’s Alien share a profound thematic lineage, with Dan O’Bannon as the creative bridge. This article delves into the transformation of cosmic comedy into existential horror, highlighting Alien as the true spiritual successor to Dark Star. With personal anecdotes, cultural insights, and franchise analysis, discover why the sequels, though entertaining, stray from this haunting legacy.

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Lessons from the Founder’s Fireside: Chris Wallis, CEO of Intruder

Chris from Intruder joined the Cyber Runway: Scale Founders Fireside session to share his journey in building a successful cybersecurity startup. The conversation explored the challenges of product development, securing investment, and adapting to industry shifts while growing a cyber business.

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