December 05, 2023

Matthew Stafford: Find Your 9others: The questions to Ask Yourself as You Start Up and Scale Up, Lessons from 5,000 Entrepreneurs, 45+ Cities

1 hour 11 minutes

Over the last twelve years Matthew has worked with startups, venture capital and angel investors, governments, NGOs and large corporations to create and capture value.

Matthew is a Co-founder of 9others with Katie Lewis.

9others was established in 2011 and is now a global network of 5,000 entrepreneurs in 45+ cities who meet over dinner to help each other solve the challenges of business and life.

To date Matthew has invested in 23 startups, most of which have been sourced from the 9others network, and has achieved 2 exits. He has invested in and negotiated investment transactions from £15k to £50m.

He studied Computer Science at Durham University and has an MBA from Imperial College Business School. Matthew lives with his wife, daughter and son in Hertfordshire, UK, where he enjoys reading biographies, watching Formula 1 and training for ultra-marathons.

Katie and Matthew wrote a wonderful book Find Your 9others: The questions to ask yourself as you start up and scale up, where they tell their story, document their findings, and share their lessons.

Today, Matthew and I talk about the number one question that we both like to ask — what keeps you up at night. We discuss the why behind any project, venture, and how that why can be redefined and rediscovered. We take on the idea of being visible in the words of Seth Godin, who says that you will be judged or you will be ignored. Matthew shares his thoughts on trusting your gut. We have a lively discussion about resilience, and discipline. I really like the point he makes about taking responsibility instead of looking for something or someone to blame. Stay tuned until the end when Matthew tells me that no one is self-made, and as a bonus, he shares a book recommendation, a book I read a few times, and it’s one of those few books that had a big impact on me.

Please help me welcome, all the way from the United Kingdom —- Matthew Stafford.

https://9others.com/

https://bit.ly/findyour9othersamazon

https://twitter.com/mstafford/

https://stafford.vc/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/staffordvc/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/katielewis66

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By Bogumil Baranowski

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