The Startographer
A phrase coined by the one and only Sophie Wilson when we were reflecting on common themes running through the various plates I have been spinning over recent years.
It did initially conjure images of me being a sort of notably less interesting Louis Theroux-esque character; a fly on the wall of developing success stories of companies I have invested in or advised, like Supplywell and Betmate, documenting the goings-on. However, once I got over this mild apprehension, I realised that it does actually capture the aims, methodology and successes of what I do.
When I was a young child I wanted to be an explorer. It’s partly why I chose Geography as my degree - the allure of experiencing new surroundings and interacting with new people fuels me. I am eternally curious about how places and people have developed over time and this interest extends into business. How people come up with products and services - their origin story - is often almost as important as the product or service itself. No investor wants to hear “I want to be my own boss, I want to be an entrepreneur, I met my co-founder at a networking event a few weeks ago and we like the same things” in an investment pitch, right?
The world of economic development and policy, particularly the further away you get from London and central government, is still generally puzzled as to how to engage appropriately with founders, startups and startup communities. I have carved out a niche over recent years in doing work in this space, some of it paid and some of it for the greater good - but I feel that coming up with this word and a wider strategy with Sophie has signalled a watershed moment in my career and also my life.
For some time now, I have acted as a consultant to the investment team at Liverpool City Region Combined Authority on a number of projects aimed at giving a boost to the local startup ecosystem. A revitalised angel network and an accelerator programme are, in my opinion, pieces of critical infrastructure for cities in the modern age that want to have any chance of capturing the economic value of scaling technology companies. There is plentiful documentation to support this view, but this often doesn’t translate well into local gov-speak or action on the ground - but in Liverpool, I think we’re truly stealing a march on other places across the UK and Europe. And there are more surprises on the way...
Soon, a first draft will be complete of the ‘Manifesto for a Startup City’ document I have been creating with Sophie. This will build on these recent successes and deliver a roadmap to help make Liverpool City Region - and eventually anywhere, with a bit of tweaking - the best destination it can be for attracting and retaining startup entrepreneurs and digital nomads. I think there are very real benefits for pretty much everybody in doing this - from investors and founders, right through to citizens not really engaged with the tech scene.
"The study of geography is about more than just memorizing places on a map. It's about understanding the complexity of our world, appreciating the diversity of cultures that exists across continents. And in the end, it's about using all that knowledge to help bridge divides and bring people together." -Barack Obama
