And so, here we are, 6 months have speedily elapsed (a bit more) since emerging from our Techstars Cocoon in the freezing December of Berlin – home of the hallowed Accelerator. Berlin was the beacon for where all the Tech investment funding and energy would go next, (post the calamity of London…) But we Londoners are “still standing” as Elton (kind of) said – and if you are still standing it means that we are still in the game, and we can forge onwards – but more-so, (for our business anyway) we are growing and evolving and adding staff (Developers! Developers! Developers! ) as a wise and sweaty man once said – and filling up the fantasy team sheet, with great people to cover all the positions and make the product offering more appealing, and the client base broader…

I have been working for over 20 years, and the landscape of “business” has changed dramatically during my score. This is actually exceptionally exiting as opposed to unsettlingly formidable – self-help and business success books have improved dramatically and evolved (in my view) to actually tell you how to start and run a business. People can’t smoke at their desks anymore BUT people can bring dogs into co-working spaces, we are evolving at pace and it seems that the rewards come in bigger and faster…

Basically, its all out there to be had, if you can get the product, people, timing, positioning, money and a heap of luck to align for you before the runway of cash runs dry – (simple). AND if you can, then you can have a shot at it. Micro Brewery, Mattress Maker, Tech Wizard – propagating that Aggregator, Amalgamator – that’s found a niche by utilising astounding Algorithms, AI or Augmented reality (so yesterday), paid for by PE, VC, Family or your own money as it works to get that Hockey Stick graph and hit its all-important metrics and KPIs.

When the investors have put in, the plans can royally unfold. But where do you spend? People and Marketing are the consistent answers to this – So you need to go and get people, key people – it’s like loading up a football team – a dream team, to help you build the dream, and that’s a daunting task and a shortening runway… it’s like Fantasy League football – you have £1m, £10m or £100m – and now you get world class players ‘n’ staff to fill the slots, but this is the confusing part… Who do you need?

In old money a CEO, FD and CTO. COO and Marketing Director / Sales Director would just about cover it all – but new money is confusing for people who remember old money – because the acronyms are being repurposed… CMO (was surely Chief Medical Officer? – why do I need a Doctor?) or the CPO? to build the MVP (surely most Valuable Player in the US baseball Draft pick? – why do I need a pitcher?).

So, with my funding (thanks to my investors), do I value a CTO above a CPO? Because product evolution is so important and CTO’s tend not to get their hands dirty building or evolving, and I need builders, and we need to stay ahead of the competition and break ground…

How do I maximise my revenue without a CRO, engage in marketing without a CMO or manage my client relationships (is that also a CRO) … but what about the CCO – to commercialise and stabilise the deals? and What is an Evangelist? Do I need one? What do they do… How do I get one? What does a job spec for that look like, how do I get a good one?

Ultimately (surely?) all that really matters are sales and cash… surely, I just need a Lead Generator, Sales Director and Account Manager, to hunt, gather and retain my customers? **The “C” Suite is now completely out of control, and if I need one of these C Team members, how do I get one? what do they do? how do I measure their success and how much should I pay them? Seems you need a lot of generals in a modern Tech company, but who actually does the hard yards, if everyone is an important Exec?

**CAO, CAE, CBO, CCO, CDO (Data, although Diversity is clearly important), CXO (Experience),CFO (I know that one, number and stuff right?), CCO (Communications, Content), CDO, CIO (innovations), CTO, CPO (Product, Procurement etc.), CQO (Quality), CSO (Sales), CVO (Value), CWO (Web)…

Are we over complicating things I wonder? ABC – Always be Closing… Simple…