My 2022 in Review

2022 was my first full year working for myself and my second year of self employment. The big focus of the year was growth - I wanted to scale my successful solo consultancy into a fully-fledged business. The name Open Velocity came from my desire to speed up the rate of change for myself and other businesses.

I remember talking to my therapist in the middle of the pandemic, a few months before I left my job. We were specifically talking about my goals for 2021 and I expressed the thought that success, in my eyes, would be to start a business and stay self employed with control over my own destiny. This desire for autonomy was undoubtedly a hangover from a year of various lockdowns and restrictions.

The funny thing about working for yourself is that your hopes of total freedom turn out to be extremely naive. Yes, you have greater flexibility and control over your schedule and work, but you also go from having one boss to having multiple as you become answerable to all your clients or customers who (rightfully) demand your best work and attention.

Burnout was a state I skirted around throughout the year, especially the latter half where 6 day weeks became the default. While this weekend working was sometimes driven by deadlines, hustle mentality also played its part in driving me to sit at my computer every Sunday without fail.

"Successful people work at weekends, right?"

"If I put in every piece of effort I have, I can't fail"

"This is what you have to do in the early days of running a business"

My internal monologue was directly lifted out of a badly written business book. The truth is that working harder only guarantees exhaustion. As the classic marketing idiom goes, you can't out-market a bad product. It's the same for hustle - you can't outwork a bad idea. Even if you work every hour of the day, you can't guarantee success.

Another outcome of pursuing growth meant that Open Velocity expanded into a business with employees. These are people who, rightfully, expect me to lead the business and deliver on my promises. Leaders have to lead, you can't sit back and wait for the path to unfold before you or for someone to tell you what to do. You have to take action, even when you're unsure or tired.

It's easy to glamorise entrepreneurship and the idea of being your own boss, but the reality is that it can be a very isolating and demanding experience. As an entrepreneur, you are responsible for every single aspect of your business. This can be overwhelming, especially if you are a solopreneur or freelancer that doesn't have a team to share the workload.

The demands of running a business are also all-consuming and will take over your life. As a classic Type A person, I am prone to lying bed at night worrying about every single issue. My night brain also tends towards severe pessimism as small issues become unassailable mountains in the small hours. It really is true, for me at least, that things look better in the morning. I'm slowly learning to ignore any negative thoughts after 10pm.

If freedom is your primary motivation for becoming an entrepreneur, it may be worth considering other options such as freelancing or finding an employer who offers flexibility in terms of how, when, and where you work. While these options still come with their own set of challenges and responsibilities, they may offer more balance and support than starting and growing a business on your own. At least in my experience.

Outside of work, one of the dominant forces that shaped my 2022 was my ongoing struggle with chronic Achilles Tendonopathy, which crept up on me in Dec 2019 due to overtraining. I'd like to give the excuse that lockdown stymied my rehab attempts, but if I'm honest I just ignored the pain and the lump on my ankle in the hope that it would all go away.

As 2022 progressed, I found myself waking up in pain every single day and the 10 minute walk to our local train station would leave me in agony. The pain got so bad that coming back from a trip to Dublin, Des had to push me through the airport on a wheelchair as I couldn't physically manage the walk through the terminal. That was a bit of a wake up call if I'm honest.

So I went to see a physio. Consistently did my rehab exercises. Took the right supplements. Slowly but surely things have improved and at the very least, I can walk to the station now mostly pain free. My hope is that this improvement continues and I can start running again properly in 2023.

The lesson here is that small issues, when ignored, can become big issues, but also that big issues, when tackled consistently and thoughtfully, can be broken down and overcome.

For me, 2022 was really a year that highlighted the importance of prioritising both physical and emotional health. I've learned that neglecting either significantly impacts my quality of life, and that it takes consistent and dedicated action to maintain a positive trajectory.

If velocity was my word of 2022, trajectory is my word for 2023. There's no point applying effort if you're treading the wrong path.

Should you hire an ex-FAANG marketer?

Ex-tech giant employees come with fantastic pedigree, but are they the right hire for a start-up or scale-up?

The challenges of identifying top talent

In November 2021 I gave a talk at Turing Fest in Edinburgh which explained how leaders should approach building their first marketing team from scratch.

Typically the first marketing hire for any start-up is an experienced generalist. You want someone who can get stuck into both the tactical and strategic layer (they need to be able to do the big thinking but also do the doing).

Alongside a T-shaped understanding of the marketing landscape, I also believe top marketing generalists have the following three traits:

• They need to be able to understand data, turn this into insight and connect this with action. It’s not enough to say conversions have decreased over the last month, they need to be able to diagnose (or at least present a credible theory for) why this has happened and what you need to do to turn the ship around.

• They need to be an exceptional people operator. Much of the role of the first marketing hire is focused on stakeholder management, which requires extremely good emotional intelligence and people management skills. There is also the expectation that this first marketing hire will build out a full marketing team as the company grows, for that they also require mastery of core communication skills and people leadership.

• They need to have a bias for action. It’s not enough to come up with fancy plans, presentations or roadmaps. You need them to execute quickly and ruthlessly to build traction. (This is the hardest trait to identify in the hiring process, but the most important to identify.)

The limitations of big brand marketers

Many start-ups and scale-ups consider hiring a marketing leader who comes fresh from a role within a wildly successful billion-dollar business (think large consultancy or FAANG).

While I don’t deny that many of these people a hugely talented and good at their jobs, are they the right fit for a start-up or scale-up? I’d argue in most cases, no.

Firstly, if you have worked in a large organisation you have had a LOT of resource to play with - people, budget and other teams to lean on. If you have a data problem, you can throw it over the fence to your data team. The same with a design issue, website issue etc.

Marketers from this background are not used to solving problems by themselves or with minimal input from other subject matter experts. They have not had to deal with extreme constraints or operated in an environment where throwing money at the problem is not an option.

Secondly, it is unlikely you can afford to bring in someone who has truly owned strategy development in a billion-dollar business.

There is a difference between being handed a top-level strategy to build upon and working with a founding team to develop a strategy out of a general mission and vision.

Personally, I’d bet on someone who has previously experienced and thrived in a start-up/scale-up environment.

How to write the perfect B2B cold sales email

90% Of The Cold Outreach Messages I Receive Are Terrible

Like many people I’m constantly bombarded by cold sales messages via LinkedIn and email. Most of them fall into the trap of being a combination of the following:

• Too long

• Not clear on what they are asking me to do

• Not clear on what their company actually does

• Expect me to commit to a time intensive next step

• Poorly written

• Not relevant (to me or my company)

Needless to say, I am very unlikely to engage.

My Cold Outreach Approach

This is how I approach potential guests for my podcast on LinkedIn. I also adapt the message slightly to use it on Twitter and other platforms, usually just by changing the CTA. My goal is to convey clearly my value and what I want from them in the shortest message possible.

It’s also important to note, this is also sent to a carefully selected list of people, as opposed to a blanket outreach campaign. It’s just as important to put time and effort into working out who you are messaging, alongside the message itself.

Hi X,

My podcast The Brave explores resilience and adaptability in the 21st century.

We have released over 30 episodes with over 3000 downloads and have a growing audience which includes global creative and tech professionals.

I’d love discuss having you as a guest on an episode, could we connect?

It currently has a 70% success rate (success = accepting the connection request which allows me to send them through more information)

Breakdown: Why does it work?

Hi [X],

I’m not a huge fan of hugely formalised openings, but just use your common sense here, if they would be more responsive to “dear” due to the position or age consider using it. I’d much rather save the characters and make the message appear as short as possible.

Also please never ever use “greetings of the day” — if I read this I immediately delete something.

[My podcast The Brave explores resilience and adaptability in the 21st century.]

Set the scene and give them context in one sentence. Avoid superfluous details and keep it to the absolute essentials.

[We have released over 30 episodes with over 3000 downloads and have a growing audience which includes global creative and tech professionals.]

This is where you want to establish both your own credibility and the value you can offer. Statistics are an especially powerful way of displaying credibility (ratings, downloads, users etc.).

[I’d love discuss having you as a guest on an episode],

This is your ask. You need to make it 100% clear what you’re expecting from a continued conversation.

Please note “My company provides X services, I’d love to take 5 minutes of your time to discuss how we can help you” is extremely vague.

People don’t have 5 minutes to find out how you’re going to help them. They want to know immediately the problem you solve and the value they bring.

[could we connect]?

This is your CTA. Make it clear how they can indicate their interest and give you permission to follow on the conversation.

Ideally your ask shouldn’t be too onerous on the other person, for example I’m much more likely to agree to be sent some info via email than agree to a 15 minute call.

Respect their time and attention. Remember, most people you’re trying to contact will be extremely busy and any message which looks time intensive to figure out and/or respond to will likely get ignored.

Following Up

How many times should you follow up a cold outreach email? It depends.

My personal preference is to send a single one line follow up a couple of days after my first message.

If they don’t show any desire to continue the conversation after that, I generally leave things for at least a month and then send a final message.

Start-up Interview: Life Before Plastik, an online plastic-free shop

The rise of zero waste/plastic-free shopping

There are two things I really love learning about; growing start-ups and reducing my impact on the planet. I’ve previously written at length about my search for zero-waste/plastic-free products.

Despite the growing awareness of the climate crisis, an increase in high-street zero-waste retailers and increasing consumer demand for plastic-free products, it’s still hard to find stockists for many alternatives.

(I’m personally also very reluctant to use Amazon to fill in the gap, both from a working conditions and sustainability point of view.)

Founded by sisters Trina and Charlie, Life Before Plastik is an online plastic-free store that is looking to change the status-quo.

Having met Trina previously in a professional context, I was really keen to find out more about the business, their plans for the future and how they are going to make plastic-free shopping accessible to all.

What inspired you to start Life Before Plastik?

“We both really care about the environment and wanted to make a difference by cutting down on our plastic use. It wasn’t easy to find one place to get all the eco-friendly and zero waste products we were looking for so the idea for LB4P was born. There are lots of UK manufacturers producing all sorts of plastic free alternatives, which is incredible, and we wanted to bring it all together so that the consumer can shop in one place rather than 10 different places.”

There seems to be a lot of zero-waste shops cropping up and doing well. What was behind the decision to open an online-only store, as opposed to bricks and mortar?

“When we started the business we were working and studying for a masters full time. It began as a small idea, something we wanted to test and see if we could make work without risking too much. The online store has grown and grown and is keeping us super busy. By being online we can keep our overheads low, meaning we can keep our prices lower and it has given us access to the wider online plastic free community where we share our video tips and guides for a plastic free life.”

I suspect some people will be wondering why they should consider switching over to plastic-free products?

“A lot of people don't realise that many of the swaps actually work out cheaper in the long run. Things like swapping to a bamboo razor (might cost you £25 for the razor) but it lasts you your whole life. Or a bottle of mouthwash tablets, could last over a year. We always say to make a switch when you run out of something. So don't rush to swap everything at once, use the plastic version up and then make the swap.”

From a tech perspective, how did you build your online store?

“We decided to use Shopify because we had a little bit of experience with it, but also because as an ecommerce platform, it copes well when selling lots of different items. We currently stock over 200 plastic free alternatives and we're growing! We built it ourselves. We're lucky because we have some useful skills and also a good group of friends who are on hand if we needed a little help. We've also used Fivrr a couple of times, when we've gotten really stuck”

Do you have any exciting upcoming things we should know about?

“We’ve got lots of things around the corner but our main priority is to keep spreading the word about how easy it can be to make plastic free changes and how you as an individual really can make a difference. Just starting a conversation with someone can influence a decision. Simple things like taking a reusable water bottle with you when you go out and your friends seeing it or realising how easy it is to pop into a restaurant or cafe and just asking them to refill it for you for free. It's all about starting the conversation.”

I’m dying to ask….How has it been working together as siblings?

“It's ace because we can just be straight with each other. There's no fluff, or trying to be gentle. If something isn't working or we don't agree, we just say it. We're both quite blunt anyway, but it saves us a lot of time. We don't need to go around the houses.”

What are your growth plans?

“Our goal in to be in the top 3 online plastic free shops in the UK. The more we grow, the bigger our range of plastic free goods. We love finding replacements for single-use plastic problems that we hadn't even thought of. It's a really exciting market place which people are becoming more and more aware of. It's great to see so many people wake up to the plastic problem and wanting to do something about it. “

The marketer in me wants to know, what are your best channels for reaching new customers?

“It's definitely a combination of channels. At the start we put a lot of effort into social media, and now our attention has moved more onto strengthening our organic traffic. Making sure our SEO is the best it can be etc. The thing is with starting a business like this, is you really need to be able to do a lot of things. Between us we are copywriters, photographers, social media experts, website builders, accountants, parcel packers and the list goes on.

Is Low Code The Future? How I built and shipped my revenue-ready MVP in 4 hours

All you need is an idea, the right tools and an audience.

As someone who can’t code very well, I often have ideas that sound good on paper, but hard to execute on in practice unless I’m willing to pay a developer to help me out.

I’ve been interested in creating inclusive hiring platforms and processes for a good few years now. I’ve even spoken in front of 1400 people about what organisations can do to improve their hiring for marginalised identities at the Lead Developer London. This is exactly where any business idea should start out — driven by passion and an interesting problem that requires a solution.

As I said above though, while I have been building up a fair amount of knowledge around the issue and potential solutions, I couldn’t see a way of getting started on building anything.

I was also conscious that it’s foolish to develop an end solution without feedback.

I was desperate for the ability to refine, test and release my ideas rapidly and iteratively in short development cycles.

This is where low or no code development tools are changing the game

If you haven’t come across the term before, a “no code” or “low code” platform is essentially software that helps write software, without the need for a developer.

There are a growing number of platforms out there that provide a visual software interface that allows you to create applications through simple drag and drop, import and integration functionality.

There are undoubtedly limitations of these platforms, as they aren’t geared up to handle complex functionalities or database structures.

However if you’re looking to develop a web application or mobile app with simple functionality, you will undoubtedly be able to find a tool that can help you get up and running.

Maker pad have an excellent list to start off with.

What this essentially means is that you, yes you, no longer have an excuse holding you back from developing an MVP for your idea.

Defining my Minimum Viable Idea— York Tech Jobs

I’m based here in York, in the north of the UK and am proud to be part of an emerging tech community that’s attracting serious talent from across the country.

One of the issues I’ve found in the past as a job seeker in York is the fact that there is no canconical source for tech jobs. Yes you can look on job listings sites etc, but you have to trawl through a lot of crap.

Also as a woman in tech, It’s also extremely important to me that an employer has a positive attitude towards diversity and actively encourages candidates from under-represented groups. This is a hard thing to tell from Indeed or a job aggregate site.

That’s where the idea for York Tech Jobs came. Yes, it’s not exactly the grand all singing all-dancing platform I eventually want to build, but getting it up and running means that I have a test-bed for some of my wider ideas around inclusive hiring platforms.

I made an MVP of my larger idea and combined it with an MVP for the platform.

Building my Minimum Viable Platform

After having a good look through the low/no code platforms currently on the market, I decided to build my idea on Boundless Labs, one of the newer entrants to the market.

While it’s certainly risky to choose an emerging platform, I liked the idea of being an early adopter. I’ve also found the support provided excellent, as the founders are on-hand to answer any questions.

Step 1: 00:00:00–00:30:00

After I chose the platform, my next steps were to get to grip with what was possible.

I did this by playing around with a few tutorials and simply messing around with the editor, which didn’t take long. It was quite fun actually!

Step 2: 00:30:00–01:30:00

The first step in actually building York Tech Jobs was to define the user stories I wanted the platform to cater for.

These included things like:

• As a job poster, I want to be able to post a job using a form

• As a job poster I want to be able to pay for my job posting through a checkout immediately after creating my job post

• As an admin, I would like the ability to review and approve job posts

Creating this list gave me a solid idea of the functionality I would need and how it would ideally be structured.

Step 3: 00:01:30–03:00:00

Once my list of user stories was complete, I was ready to dive into the build. This included creating all the pages the platform would need, alongside creating the database structure and functionality present on each page.

This whole process took a good few hours, as there was a lot of tinkering about on my end trying to get everything working properly. I also got stuck on a few things where I had a good idea of what needed to happen, but not how to do it on Boundless.

This was generally resolved through messing about and thinking through the solution logically.

Step 4: 00:03:00–03:45:00

As I wanted to come out with a revenue-ready platform, there were a number of integrations I would need:

• Stripe: to take payments

• Webhook/Zapier/Mailchimp — to enable newsletter signup

• Google Analytics — to track site data and behaviour

As I’ve used all of these platforms in the past, it was a fairly painless process to get everything up and running. Thank god for Zapier.

Step 5: 00:03:45–04:00:00

One everything had been hooked up and created, it was then time to test the functionality with some dummy data.

I used my user stories to act as a testing checklist and went through every story to check whether it was achievable or not.

Once I was happy the platform and all integrations were working as expected, it was time to release the whole thing into the wild.

Release and user feedback

I initially decided to send it across to a number of people from my local community to get their feedback.

This was invaluable, as they picked up on a few bits I had missed and also provided some ideas for future functionality that I’ve added into my product backlog.

I also decided to make a Twitter account to introduce the idea to my local idea. This was very useful as I could then gauge the reaction of my intended audience to my concept.

On the whole people were very positive, though one person did say they had been “working on a similar idea for over a year” themselves and seemed pretty pissed I had beat them to it…

Speed to market beats perfection

This is what makes me so excited about low/no code tools, the fact that I can spend a Sunday afternoon building something that is ready for market validation within a few hours.

I’ll be the first person to admit that what I’ve built isn’t perfect, but it’s a foundation point, a stepping stone for what I have planned next.

Since going public I’ve even had a few people contact me saying they will be customers as soon as I fix a few niggling bugs.

I literally built a business in an afternoon and so can you.

What are you waiting for?