In this episode of Scaling Stories Unfiltered, we sit down with James Chappell, co-founder of Digital Shadows, a cybersecurity company that grew from an idea between two friends into a business acquired for over £150M.

With a calm, methodical approach to growth, James shares the real story behind building a tech company from scratch, navigating leadership through scale, and staying grounded in the face of growing investor pressure.

This episode is packed with thoughtful, experience-led insights for anyone scaling in complex, high-stakes environments.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why James walked away from a big tech job to start Digital Shadows
 • The early challenges of defining product/market fit in a new category
 • How trust and complementary skills built a lasting co-founder partnership
 • What changed when funding arrived and how they stayed focused
 • The pressure to hire fast and what he’d do differently now
 • How leadership evolved through growth, from scrappy beginnings to boardrooms
 • Why empathy, clarity, and communication are the quiet engines of scale

This episode is for founders, CTOs, and future leaders navigating the line between technical depth and commercial growth. If you’ve ever wondered how to scale a company without losing your principles or your people, James offers a masterclass in thoughtful leadership.

Who is James Chappell?

James is the co-founder and former Chief Innovation Officer at Digital Shadows, a threat intelligence company that scaled globally and was acquired for over £150M. With a background in security architecture and cyber research, he now advises and supports early-stage and scaling businesses in cybersecurity and beyond.

🔗 Connect with James on LinkedIn
 linkedin.com/in/james-chappell

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