Jack Hooper

Explaining to my Italian friend what I actually do. Afternoon party in West London, one of these kitchen conversations… My Italian friend, who does not speak English that well asked “What do you do?” Me: “I help food and bev founders to grow and exit their businesses.” “Okaaay… but what do you actually do?” Me: “Well, my co-founder Olçar Tosun does brand strategy, another co-founder Ashon Spooner is a fundraising expert and I do growth and exit strategy and financial modelling, … We all started, scaled and exited our businesses. Now we help….” (blah blah blah, this is not going to work) “OK, look, you know I run that pizza company which I sold to Pizza Express?" “Si, I know that.” “Well, I made lots of mistakes and it took me a long time to open 17 sites and exit.” “Okay?!” “Now I help people like me to do the same but not make the same mistakes and do it faster. Capishi?” “Si, I do. Interesting job. And HOW do you do that?” I knew it. I knew he would ask that🤦🏻‍♂️ I will leave it for another story-post. --- From idea to exit – I’ve been there and done that! Pitching, funding, launching, scaling, waving goodbye – I’ve seen it all. DM me for a FREE 1:1 chat to help you do the same.

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Take a sneak peak at our free sales resources for Seed to Series B companies and SMBs looking to build scalable, high performing sales functions 🫣… …as a reminder we’re running a Webinar on sales commission structures @ 5pm 16th July (less than 2 weeks time!) with Jamie Stiff & Linden Dover We’re going to run through the pros & cons of commission models out there, build out live a commission structure right before your eyes and also giveaway the following resources: 👉 You’ll receive an editable commission calculator to create your own bespoke commission model with ease 👉 Our 'Rules to Live By' guide will simplify your commission structure, making it more effective and manageable 👉 Our Blueprint checklist of what sales fundamentals need to be in place before you consider implementing a commission structure Last remaining spots available! (Sign up link in comments)

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😎 Green/clean/medtech startups - I’m offering a massive discount … but there’s a catch, I only have capacity to take on 3 companies right now. I’ll work with you to shape your story - a story that will influence every way you communicate your innovation. AND create a film that will grab the attention of investors. The ROI on being able to tell a story that moves people can be immense. An example from a recent client’s ROI working with me - 8233.33% If you need to significantly improve your chances of getting investment, send me a message and we can chat.

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Let's talk about Microplastics! I'm sure most have now heard the term, but do we really know where they are found and how they effect us? This is something I've been thinking about a lot more recently, and having researched and read a fair few studies, I'm shocked at one niche in particular - tea. The UK is estimated to consume over 100 million cups of tea a day. According to a recent study, each cup of tea brewed with a plastic tea bag included roughly 11.6 billion micoplastics and 3.1 billion nanoplastics! 🤯 Unfortunately the vast majority of tea brands still use polypropylene as the main fibre when manufacturing their tea bags, not to mention some other compounds such as fluorine, aluminum etc. This is confirmed by a further study of 6 major tea brands, which showed 5 contained plastic polymers such as polypropylene and nylon. With enough research now showing the negative health effects of these microplastics, including toxicity, inflammation and digestive issues to name a few, isn't it time all manufacturers moved towards a cleaner and healthier alternative? That's why I'm so pleased and proud of our recently launched range of teas and herbal infusions. 100% plastic free, from the tea pyramid, string and tag, to the inner packaging and outer box too. 👌🏼 I think we all have a responsibility as food producers or distributors to ensure we look after the best interests of the consumer. After all, we're all consumers! And that's exactly what we're trying to achieve at The Fine Harvest. Step by step to be the best we can be. Happy Friday!

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The forgotten land of building well-crafted products - and what can we learn from likes of Perplexity, teenage engineering and PostHog et.al. --- Did we buy into building scrappiness far too long 🤔 Would we buy a half-baked product for ourself, team or family? 1 - Totally new market/ habit creating product/service: probably try it out 2- Existing market/ user patterns already established - product should meet and exceed expectation 3- Existing market/ new user segment or geo - experiment with new experience or journey etc --- Next wave of products have to be built with passion by default. 🔨 Building product is like a craft: - Just like a skilled craftsman meticulously hones their work - Treat each feature, design element, and user experience an opportunity to communicate with the users 🔬 Granular stuff matters - It is in the details, isn't it - when you tap on the Airchat logo for long or move the pointer across Miro's icons at the bottom right - Small details make a big difference over long term (if you care, users will notice) - The highest standards leaves a lasting positive impression on users - Don't overlook the granular aspects or performance or error handling, or even the choice of fonts 😃 Delight customers - A product can thrive in its ability to delight and satisfy customers. - Go beyond meeting expectations, find ways to surprise and delight users - through intuitive interfaces, or exceptional customer support. - Happy customers are loyal advocates and grow your reputation --- Often, it's the seemingly minor details that separate good products from great ones. #startups #customerdelight #productmanagement #gtm #userexperience #uiux #personalization

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Living in a 'single use' era 🚮 where ‘transient’ tends to be favoured over ‘enduring’, maybe 'building things to last' has had its day? Especially when many founders can be seduced by: start a business, grow value, get acquired, get the pot of cash and get out. I think building things to last will make a comeback. 💪🏼 Jim Collins has been saying this for nearly 30 years in his seminal business book: 'Built to Last' where is summises that visionary companies are able to attain phenomenal success over very long periods of time by: 1️⃣ staying true to their core ideologies while still relentlessly pursuing progress 2️⃣ setting big hairy audacious goals (BHAG) and pursing them relentlessly 3️⃣ setting high expectations for their staff (and if they rise to the task), then giving them the latitude to innovate; and 4️⃣ making the company itself the ultimate product. Take 6 mins over a coffee to read Jim's article summarising his book: https://lnkd.in/eRayU4gX

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One of my big goals for H2 2024 has been to do more in-person networking. I find myself intrigued by people's aims when networking at startup events... Full disclosure - Verticode works directly with founders as well as partnering with accelerator programmes and investors, so the reasons for me wanting to attend these events is quite clear: I'm getting the Verticode name out there and hanging out in the space that our clients/partners do. The fact that I'm generally building name recognition means it's not a waste of time for me to walk away from these events having met some great people and engaged in some interesting conversations but without really stumbling across anything commercially useful. I often think though, for so many early stage founders who attend event after event - they must usually walk away without any real value to their business. Don't get me wrong, there is always a benefit of sorts in building your network and, yes, if you're a founder the chances are you'll have an enjoyable time speaking with other founders but also... aren't there potentially better places to be talking about your innovative AI-driven AdTech startup? Or even more beneficial places to spend your evening (like building up brownie points with your partner... you're going to need them!) Or am I just being a bit defeatist?

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Shout out to Tom Carpenter and his awesome venture Mycelium 🍄 Mycelium is solving a big problem in the sustainability world, pertaining to how we calculate and account for carbon emissions. Tom massively influenced my decision not to do any carbon offsetting for Better Tomorrow Brands given that it's a bit of a shady enterprise and any claims that we might make about being carbon neutral would be questionable if scrutinised. Instead, we're building our company to be sustainable from the ground up, so not only are we developing eco-friendly brands such as doogood, we: 🛑 Avoid greenwashing 🛳️ Use low carbon shipping methods ♻️ Use minimal, sustainable packaging 🚚 Keep our operations lean and efficient 🫧 Are as transparent as possible, without putting our IP at risk In the future, I would love to pay our successes forward by supporting some of our best environmental ventures, but for the foreseeable, we'll be heads down gaining traction and ensuring our brands are profitable. Profitability is a sustainability metric often ignored, but it's fundamentally important, especially in early start-ups such as our. Sorry Tom, a plug for Mycelium kinda rolled into a selfless plug for my own stuff, but you're an inspiration buddy 🚀 #Sustainability #EcoFriendly #CarbonAccounting #GreenBusiness #Mycelium #CarbonNeutrality #SustainableFuture #BetterTomorrow #EcoConscious #Transparency #GreenShipping #MinimalPackaging #LeanOperations #EnvironmentalImpact #AvoidGreenwashing #ProfitWithPurpose #SustainableStartups #EnvironmentalVentures

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Competition is rife right now! 😬 But with competition comes lots of low-quality work and cash cows looking to make a quick buck. I can't tell you how often I've heard from founders that their providers have ghosted them. We call them 'Startup Vampires', and they're killing good companies. (𝑌𝑒𝑎, 𝐼 𝑠𝑎𝑖𝑑 𝑖𝑡! 𝑁𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑦!) These are the red flags to watch for: 🚩 All flash, no substance 🚩 Ignoring your core vision 🚩 Obsessing over quick wins 🚩 Empty promises and slow delivery 🚩 Subpar work with low attention to detail Want to protect your SaaS company or startup? 1️⃣ Trust your gut when something feels off 2️⃣ Make sure they are who they say they are 3️⃣ Partner with trusted people who share your vision Has anyone else witnessed this? What else would you add to the list above? Lemme know in the comments below 👇 #startups #saas #business #growth

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Something I've learnt as a founder is that it’s easy to get caught up in the highs and lows. A "no" can feel crushing, but getting too hyped about a "yes" can be just as dangerous. The reality is: both are part of the journey, and neither defines the outcome. The "no's" aren’t rejections, they’re just redirections. They force you to rethink, refine, and come back stronger. And the "yes's"? They’re great, but they’re not the finish line. They’re just the next step in a much longer process. So don’t let the "no's" get you down too much and don’t let the "yes's"get to your head! Keep your focus steady, keep moving forward, and stay grounded. If you can avoid the emotional rollercoaster as much as possible, you’ll have a much better chance of surviving the course!

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‘3 out of the 10 big food companies have increased their emissions since the year they set their reduction targets’ This stat blew me away yesterday. The health of our food system has sort of been my life’s work so far. I can’t really remember a time I wasn’t passionate about both food and peoples health. And it’s public knowledge now that most of the food that is good for us is also good for the planet too 🌍 A few years ago, many of the food giants agreed to cut total emissions by 50% by 2030. Or to reach net zero emissions no later than 2050. And yet… 7 out of 10 of these companies are far from on track to meet these targets. 3 of them have even increased their emissions - Ferrero, Kraft Heinz and PepsiCo 🤯 In 2022, the top 10 food companies emitted more tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent than the UK. And in fact more than the international aviation industry too ✈️ The majority of these emissions comes from heavily ultra-processed foods - soft drinks, savoury snacks, chocolate and ice cream etc. With recent M&A activities in this space and the competitive demands of shareholders, I really hope these companies can still be held to account. Thanks for the invite Bite Back Henry Makiwa James Toop

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To raise or not to raise? I was involved in a fundraise at a startup fresh out of uni (but didn’t lead it). I’ve built pitch decks to help other people fundraise. And I’ve been on the other side of the table quite a few times as an angel investor and on an investment committee for a VC I work with. But I’ve yet to go out and raise a seed round myself. We’ve reached the point with BRiMM where we are starting to think about a seed round in the middle of next year (following on from my own investments, and a friends and family round.) And while that may seem a while away, based on the current fundraising market, we need to start prepping for that process sooner rather than later. There are persuasive arguments for staying lean and bootstrapping at this pre-seed stage: * It allows you to stretch your runway, and focus what cash you have on validating your core assumptions.  * Staying lean means a smaller team, fewer distractions and processes.  * It involves being disciplined with capital and scrappy – a good look for future investors.  * It also means you don’t dilute your equity when the valuation of the business will be lower. And the dilution point – as I’ll explain in a future post – is especially pertinent for BRiMM, because we are earmarking a good chunk of equity for a very special shareholder: the planet. All of those are valid reasons for staying lean. But at the same time there’s a strong central argument for raising a seed round sooner rather than later. We want to create something of real quality and scale with BRiMM. We don’t want it to seem too scrappy because growing our community hinges on us partnering with great brands – and those companies have spent money themselves building and cultivating their own brands. We want to create a world which they want to be a part of. And we need to deliver a brand world, experience and everything that supports that. That takes time, creativity and iteration, all of which require investment. Do you have views on staying lean for as long as possible versus raising seed? What are the upsides and downsides of both? Curious to hear your thoughts below. +++ To learn more about what we’re building and to help shape it - sign up for our newsletter:  www.brimm.co.uk Follow me James Haycock to hear the highs (hopefully) and lows (inevitably) of building a new, purposeful business.

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Fellow founders always say that once the first investor steps in, the rest will follow. While we haven't secured funding just yet, the number of first and second conversations we’re having with potential investors is incredible. This momentum shows that all the groundwork and planning we’ve put into Callo is paying off. We’ve connected with top brands, laid solid foundations, and crafted a clear, ambitious vision to transform the beauty industry. Our belief in the business has never wavered, and now the opportunities are coming thick and fast. It’s a thrilling time for us as founders! There’s still a journey ahead, but with the right financial support and a strong business plan in place, it’s hard not to see success on the horizon. What’s been really encouraging is hearing the confidence coming from investors and our team’s ability to answer even the toughest questions with assurance. This is just the beginning for Callo. If you're interested in joining us at this exciting stage and helping shape the future of the beauty industry, we’d love to connect! #InvestInCallo #Growth #VisionaryLeadership #Opportunity

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SAFEJAWZ is officially the 16th fastest growing founder-led company in the UK! 🤯 Humbled to have made the FEBE Growth 100 2024 edition alongside some truly amazing companies and entrepreneurs. And probably the most niche brand on the list 🤓 The faces I've had over the years when I say I sell sports mouthguards 🤔 but there are successful businesses to be made in the niches, especially when you think differently. The last 3 years have been a rocket ship 🚀 but we haven't even broken the clouds yet. So much more to come. 👀 #entrepreneurship #FEBEGrowth100 #safejawz George Dyer

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One of our portfolio companies, Tradeaze UK LTD, is a fantastic example of the type of businesses we love to invest in. Co-Founder, Jack Hopkins, is an electrician by trade. During his time as an electrician, he experienced first hand the pain that came with ordering parts and tools for trade jobs. He and his team would regularly have to leave projects to go and collect new parts, spending hours travelling to and from warehouses and hardware stores, often stuck in traffic. This is the same experience across the industry. Jack soon discovered his opportunity to fix this pain point and Tradeaze was born. Initially, to understand if there was a market for his service, Jack bought an iPhone which he used to communicate with tradespeople. He’d approach potential customers in the street, hand out flyers or post in Facebook groups handing out the Tradeaze number. After a while, tradespeople would ask Jack to pick up a box of screws or a spare part, which he would deliver on his bike with a sum up machine to take payment. After a while as the only delivery rider, Jack brought on a bigger team, giving him more time to develop the business. Tradeaze then started working with merchants directly, seeing this as a much better commercial option. As an MVP, Jack gave the merchants a tablet in kiosk mode with an online form to fill in requests. Tradeaze would receive an email with the request and deliver it directly to the tradesperson. Seeing the viability and need for the service, Jack then brought on co-founders Joe Blair and Ruben Engel. Joe had experience building multiple businesses, helping build one from Seed to Series B so joined to sort the commercial and financial sides of the business. Ruben has built multiple tech products for various businesses and joined to build out the tech side of the business. Now, they’re continuously scaling the business, developing their tech and looking to move into new markets… and working with us ! It’s the perfect example of a domain expert, seeing a real pain point within their industry, scrapping together an offline/low-tech proof of concept and finding product market fit.   It’s everything we love to see in the founders and businesses we work with ! #investment #startups #founders ------ If you liked this post, I also have a newsletter where I speak about topics like this in more depth. You can subscribe in the comments below. See you there !

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𝐌𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐡𝐨𝐥 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 (𝐀𝐅) 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝟑 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬. It pains me to say this but I believe it to be true. Of course there will be well capitalised exceptions no doubt Lucky Saint | B Corp™, Pollen Projects, Mash Gang Athletic Brewing Co. will smash it, but most won’t. There are many reasons for this: ⛑ Rate of sale is not there now ⛑ Consumers are not adopting the category fast enough ⛑ Business plans have been built using booze brand assumptions ⛑ Few businesses are focusing on brand ⛑ Few businesses are focusing on DTC ⛑ Lack of horizon - many are seeing this as a 5 year play… It is more like 10 ⛑ Big brand alternatives are stealing market share ⛑ Retailers favour big brands ⛑ There is little / product / brand / occasion differentiation ⛑ Venture and corporate funding is not what it used to be The Boisson news did not help either…. ⬇ This will put off sector agnostic investors short-term. Don’t get me wrong this is not all doom and gloom - check out Asahi’s provocation yesterday - 50% of their production will be AF by 2040 ⬇ . The difference is they are playing the long game. IMO it is a time for a change: 🎩 Make profitability the goal from day one 🎩 Bootstrap / friends and family til proof of concept / learn phase is complete 🎩 Patient, realistic investors through validation and scale 🎩 Build your tribe - focus on DTC 🎩 Go narrow and deep with the on-trade both channel and geography 🎩 Realism when it come to ROS 🎩 Build your forecasts bottom up 🎩 Focus on different NOT better 🎩 Do not chase retail 🎩 Adhere to the consumer adoption curve AF and non-alc is not a bandwagon, it is here to stay but we have to be realistic. Feel the need to switch things up ? Perhaps I can help. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: My name is Daniel Rowntree, an exited founder and coach - working with business owners and high performers to fuel their journey's. I am also fascinated by the dry economy and what comes next and regularly post about founder life, non-alc, cannabis and psychedelics.

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I'm super excited to share our first product at ridesuite – The Delivery Engagement Toolkit. Over the past couple of months I've been quietly working on this, and we're now in the final stretch to launch in the coming weeks! The UK food delivery market has seen massive growth, with households spending approx £820/person annually (Zego). However, this growth has created challenges for businesses, authorities, communities, and riders, including staff-rider issues, poor customer experiences, and brand damage. These issues stem from delivery platforms' rider employment frameworks, which are unlikely to change in the near future. Introducing The Delivery Engagement Toolkit Built on real-world insights, our Toolkit equips businesses with practical tools and information to improve rider relationships, become a preferred pick-up location, and enhance the delivery experience for customers, staff and riders. Who’s the Toolkit for:  ✔ You rely on delivery platforms (Uber Eats, Just Eat, etc.) for a significant portion of your revenue ✔ You’ve experienced friction or delays with delivery riders ✔ You want to improve your delivery ratings and customer satisfaction ✔ You manage a team that interacts with delivery riders daily What’s Inside?  ➔ Platform & Policy Insights: Understand the inner workings of leading delivery apps, including operating models, rider substitution policies, employment frameworks & more – helping make informed decisions.  ➔  Engagement Strategies for Businesses: 10+ practical strategies to build positive rider relationships and resolve issues effectively – ensuring resolutions and accountability. ➔ Rider Insights: Gain first-hand perspectives from experienced riders with 10+ years in the industry – some of the very first on leading delivery apps. ➔ Plus a Wealth of Comprehensive Resources: This is just a snapshot of what's inside – the full toolkit delivers an array of strategic tools, templates, and operational guides to transform your delivery operations. If you’re looking to improve your interactions with riders and want to become the best place to pick-up orders from – this is for you.  Join our waitlist to get notified when we launch, get updates and have access to exclusive launch pricing here → https://lnkd.in/eQABqH9P or click the link on my profile.

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📣 Now available for Sales teams… Update your CRM using your voice!  No code needed. Just connect Carbon Voice + Zapier. How it works: 🎙️ Just speak your update into a voice memo in Carbon Voice right after a meeting ✨ Select the Sales Update AI action ✨ 🤖 Copy to clipboard or automatically populate in your CRM with Zapier. Zapier supports Pipedrive, Salesforce, HubSpot, Notion, Google Sheets, Zoho, Copper, Insightly, an Unbounce company, Nutshell, Close, Freshworks, Keap, ActiveCampaign, Microsoft Dynamics 365 and many more. #MoreTimeSelling #SalesHacks #salesOps #revOps #revenue #ProductivityHacks #ProductivityTips #WorkSmarter #SalesAutomation #Voicememo #Voicenote #SalesTeams #CRM #automation #ai #nocode #lowcode

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Yesterday’s UK budget brought few positives for small businesses, and many changes seem likely to increase financial strain. Although EIS and SEIS reliefs remain, supporting startup investment, increases in Capital Gains Tax and cuts to Business Asset Disposal Relief signal a tougher environment for entrepreneurs. The rise in National Insurance, set to impact sectors with larger teams and lower wages, will be felt particularly in hospitality and retail, likely driving up consumer prices even further. With the already high cost of living, I fear we could soon be paying £5 for a coffee or £10 for a pint, which will add pressure on everyday customers. For British farmers, the budget’s tax approach makes it even harder to support local produce when we should be championing it, with many now forced to consider selling up. Surely we should be protecting our farmers rather than skipping proposed taxes on betting companies! Overall, it’s not terrible, but a bit more could have been done to protect small businesses, which drive the economy and employ around 60% of our country’s workforce. It’s a positive milestone to see a woman leading the budget for the first time, which will hopefully inspire women across the country. As we open our first store in 5 weeks, these challenges make further expansion tricky but we will find a way! #UKBudget2024 #SmallBusinessMatters #SupportLocal #HospitalityIndustry #BritishFarmers #Entrepreneurship #EIS #SEIS

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