Transform Differently

Socium10X was never about just consulting but making transformation REAL. 

Now, that mission is scaling.

Socium10X is now part of Transform Differently, a venture built to take everything that worked and drive impact at an even greater scale. Alongside Paul Cobban, Nicola Tyler, and Steve Robson, we’re cutting through the noise and making sure businesses stop wasting time on change that doesn’t stick.

We don’t do change the usual way.

➡️ Where others sell transformation, we make sure results happen.
➡️ Where others drown in strategy decks, the focus stays on what moves the needle.
➡️ Where others complicate, the goal is always simple: people, results, and action.

My role? Helping leaders stop wasting time on change that looks good on paper but fails in reality.

Transformation keeps businesses alive.

Most leaders believe more consultants, more processes, and more engagement programs will fix the problem. That approach makes everything harder than necessary.

At Transform Differently, everything that slows businesses down gets stripped away, including pointless reports, unnecessary approvals, and outdated thinking. The focus stays on what makes real change work: people who own what they build.

What Makes Us Different?

➔  No fake engagement programs. Surveys do not create buy-in. People commit when work leads to something real.

➔  No empty leadership slogans. Mission statements do not drive action. Leaders who back their words with real change do.

➔  No wasted talent. Too many businesses lose great people by killing creativity and slowing down decisions. The goal is to build workplaces that move fast and make sense.

Nothing changes until leaders stop getting in their own way.

If your organisation needs real, lasting change, not another report, let’s talk.

https://transformdifferently.com/

Founder

The Lekker Network

The Lekker Network is a community for South Africans (Saffas) to connect, share opportunities, and do business together on a global scale. As a founding member, I’ve been involved in shaping an environment that promotes collaboration and growth. Our mission is to create meaningful pathways for South Africans, wherever they are in the world.

Founding Member

TheChangeCo

As the Founder & Transformation Specialist at TheChangeCo, I am committed to meeting customers' needs and delivering real, measurable objectives and results.   Our philosophy is that technology is only part of the solution; real success comes from the people who drive these solutions forward. 

Notable transformations include:

Leadership Development | HFW | 2024-2025
Leadership development providing expert guidance and tailored strategies to help individuals and teams  enhance their leadership skills, improve team performance, and achieve their goals effectively.

Transformation | People’s Partnership, ITV, HSBC, Deloitte | 2016-2022
Led digital transformation initiatives, creating agile methods, optimising platforms, and achieving cost efficiencies.

Strategy, TOM, and Cost Efficiencies | Liberty Insurance | 2015
Created a 3-year roadmap, delivered 30%+ cost savings, and led a contact centre outsourcing, saving £6M annually.

Strategy, Change, IT, and Operations | Harrods Bank | 2013-2014
Delivered a regulatory plan and re-issued the banking licence. Negotiated a £20M+ digital platform outsource. Developed a TOM to reform IT and operations, launching new products.

Business Strategy and Growth | Aldermore | 2012-2013
Defined and executed the 3-year strategic roadmap, achieving 30%+ ROI.

Internet Banking Transformation | Lloyds TSB | 2007-2008
Enabled online customer interactions, anticipating a £100M revenue increase over five years.

Infrastructure and Technology Transformation | Barclays | 2005-2006
Transitioned 5,000 staff to the new Global Head Office, including an infrastructure refresh as part of a £100M programme.

These experiences allowed me to transform businesses, empower teams, harness technology, and put customers first in delivering sustainable results.

My passion for transforming organisations by empowering teams, simplifying processes, and leveraging technology to enhance customer experiences is at the core of my work at TheChangeCo.

Founder and Transformation Specialist

Socium10X

We're not your usual consultancy.

➡️ Where others land and expand, we help you simplify to amplify.

➡️ Where others focus on everything, we focus only on what adds exponential value.

➡️ Where others might fix symptoms with technology, we create lasting ones.

My role? Encouraging dreamers to see their biggest goals as achievable. I streamline challenges so clients can maximise their potential. Through our 10X philosophy, we remove self-imposed limits on ambition.

Within organisations, I promptly streamline the obstacles hindering 10X progress—talent gaps, innovation paralysis, and outdated tech constraints. This process optimises operations to maximise the team's potential.

Our services are holistic, integrated, bespoke to your needs, and delivered by global experts.

𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲
Our solutions are tailored to your people and designed to meet them where they're at. We do this by making use of the latest neuroscience and behavioural psychology strategies to coach and empower them, tapping into the 10X potential within each person to ignite transformation from the inside out.

𝗩𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆 & 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆
We look to understand your bold vision, and we aren't afraid to make it even bolder, providing unparalleled focus and simplicity in achieving your objectives.

𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀
Simplicity is the cornerstone of 10X thinking. We refine your systems and processes to amplify efficiency, focusing on the critical 20% that will drive remarkable results for you.

𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
We make change fast, fun, and purposeful, harnessing the power of innovation to create cutting-edge products, services, and solutions that captivate your customers and fuel your business growth.

𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐲
We use technology as a catalyst for growth, not just a solution to problems. We'll help you prepare for the future with capabilities in AI, data, RPA, and more.

Founder & CEO, Transformation Specialist and Coach

Partners in Change Consulting Limited

As Digital Delivery Director, I applied my expertise in strategy, digital solutions, technology, and agile methodologies to support clients through digital transformations.

Partners in Change Consulting Limited strongly believes that successful and sustainable change demands a partnership approach from everyone involved at every stage. They pride themselves on being remarkably flexible, allowing clients to buy exactly what they want, how they want it, without paying for full-time consultants unless needed.

The company is calm, caring, and collaborative, taking the stress and heavy lifting out of change programmes. With their in-house team and a network of over 900 change experts, Partners in Change Consulting Limited can build the team needed to deliver brilliant change at prices often 25% or more below their "big consulting" competitors.

With over 25 years of experience in transforming companies across banking, insurance, investment management, legal, utilities, media & entertainment, and professional services, I was well-equipped to guide organisations through their change initiatives.

My strong track record in leading start-ups & turnarounds, driving business and technology transformations, and holding executive accountability for Strategy, Change, IT, and Operations positioned me as a valuable asset to Partners in Change Consulting Limited and its clients.

As a trusted advisor to senior executives and a skilled leader who had managed large teams and budgets, I brought a customer-centric approach to my role. I focused on delivering digital solutions that enhanced customer experiences and drove business growth.

Digital Delivery Director

Accenture

As a Senior Manager at Accenture in the early 2000s, I played an important role in the company's Financial Services eCommerce practice, which was based in London. 

My primary responsibilities were client delivery, business development for Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions, and driving change initiatives.

Accenture is a global professional services company that provides a wide range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital technology, and operations. With a workforce of over 700,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture is at the forefront of creating 360° value for its stakeholders.

I led a Chordiant CRM implementation for the Bank of Ireland, targeting a £50M revenue boost in 3 years. I also led a Chordiant CRM implementation for Lloyds TSB, improving customer process efficiency and reducing their annual operating expenses by an estimated £15 million.

I was nominated for the Accenture Partnership for the 2001/2002 global promotion cycle.

I had the privilege of working alongside some of the brightest minds in the industry, collaborating and leveraging cutting-edge technologies to deliver innovative solutions. The exposure to clients, projects, and methodologies honed my skills in strategic thinking, client management, and leading high-performing teams.

My experience at Accenture was transformative, shaping my approach to problem-solving, client engagement, and delivering value-driven solutions. The knowledge and skills I acquired during this time are a solid foundation, enabling me to move forward confidently and quickly in the ever-evolving business and technology domains.

Senior Manager

ea Change Group

As a Senior Associate at ea Change Group in the late 1990s, I played a key role in growing the company's eBusiness practice and consulting on numerous engagements across the financial services industry. 

ea Change Group was founded in 1998 to address issues surrounding euro integration but subsequently expanded into providing project and program management services. I reported directly to the CEO and was responsible for expanding the eBusiness practice.

ea Change Group is a people-conscious and socially responsible resourcing company that prioritises long-term partnerships with clients, ensures the well-being of candidates, and trains the next generation of consultants. The company's values resonated deeply with me, as they believed in making a positive difference in people's lives.

I worked closely with clients to understand their unique requirements and collaboratively develop tailored solutions. The company's consultants are subject matter experts, allowing for flexibility in service delivery.

One of my key achievements was contributing to the successful changeover to the Euro for Deutsche Bank in 1999. Additionally, I developed a business case for a dot-com venture that sought an investment of £25 million, with an estimated incremental revenue of £100 million over five years.

My experience at ea Change Group was deeply enriching and aligned with my values. The knowledge and skills I acquired have served as a solid foundation for my professional growth.

Senior Associate

J.P. Morgan

Global ERP and Process re-engineering specialist

Project Manager

Andersen Consulting

Developer, Integration and ERP specialist

Senior Consultant

I've spent 30 years helping people and organisations turn "impossible" into real, measurable success. 

Not through long-winded strategies but through unlocking the potential that's already there.

Now, I'm taking it further.

I co-founded Transform Differently to change the way organisations grow, adapt, and succeed. Too many businesses overcomplicate change, adding more layers, more consultants, and more processes that slow everything down. That doesn't work.

Real transformation happens when leaders remove barriers, give people ownership, and focus on results that matter. That's what I do. 

I coach, consult, and challenge leaders to make change real, not a corporate slogan or a one-time project, but something people believe in.

What drives me?

✅ Keeping things simple because clarity moves businesses forward faster.
✅ Helping leaders remove obstacles instead of creating more rules.
✅ Building high-performance cultures and teams that don't rely on engagement programs.
✅ Creating transformation that lasts because people drive it, not because a policy says so.

Success comes from people, not processes. If you're ready to build something that works, let's talk.

Craig Gillham

✨ What remained with me after Orlando Norris won his first F1 World Championship were these words:

“I’ve dreamed of this for a long time.”

Dreams are not just wishes. They are fuel. They are the compass that keeps us moving forward when the road feels long, the setbacks sting, and the finish line seems impossibly far away.

Having a dream is a superpower we should never underestimate. It gives us resilience, focus, and the courage to keep showing up day after day until the impossible becomes inevitable.

Whether in sport, business, or life, the lesson is the same:
👉 Hold on to your dream
👉 Work relentlessly toward it
👉 And when the moment comes, celebrate not just the victory, but the journey that made it possible

#What's Your Dream?

Transformation Leader | Founder | Delivering Growth, Turnaround & Value Creation | £100m+ Change Led Across PE, Founder-Led & Corporate Businesses | Making Change Stick

✨ Inspiration of the Week: The Springboks and the Power of Collective Strength

The South African Springboks continue to inspire far beyond the rugby field. Their success is not just about athletic excellence. It is about what happens when diverse people unite behind a shared purpose and choose collaboration over individual effort.

In a world where division often grabs the headlines, their story is a reminder that:

• Shared purpose lifts everyone higher
A team becomes a national symbol when people see themselves reflected in the mission.

• Cohesion under pressure is a leadership superpower
Aligned leaders and a strong culture give teams the confidence to perform when it matters most.

• Real success is always collective
It is built on trust, resilience, and the belief that we win together or not at all.

The Springboks demonstrate that mindset, unity, and purpose are not abstract concepts. They are performance drivers. When they come together, they create something much bigger than the game itself.

#leadership #teamwork #mindset #culture #inspiration #Springboks

It's that time of the week again........happy Friday everyone :-)

AI is everywhere right now, hyped as the answer to every problem. But hype does not equal transformation. In this article, I cut through the noise with lessons from 20+ years of leading change. You will discover the three essential questions every leader must ask to use AI wisely: what to automate, what to augment, and how to bring people with you.

This is not about chasing trends. It is about building capability that lasts, putting people at the centre, and turning AI into a catalyst for real value. If you are a CEO or transformation leader under pressure to “do AI,” this piece will help you slow down, clarify what matters, and lead with purpose.

🔥 State of Transformation and AI A grounded perspective in a noisy world 🌍 The Current Reality AI feels like the answer to everything. Boards are an

Open article: Stop Chasing AI. Start Leading Transformation. by Craig Gillham • 2 min read

Stop Chasing AI. Start Leading Transformation.

🚀 10X Your Life (Without Becoming a Productivity Robot)

Forget 4AM alarms and kale smoothies. The real growth hack? Being useful.
Useful to your family, your team, your clients, and even your future self.

This newsletter is a not‑so‑serious guide to serious growth — clarity over chaos, calm intensity over hustle, and service over noise.

👉 Just 'dive-in' to discover more .......

#BeUseful, #ClarityOverChaos, #AuthenticLeadership

🚀 10X Your Life By Being Useful A Not So Serious Guide to Serious Growth Every so often, a theme shows up in your life and taps you on the shoulder. 

Open article: 🎯 Usefulness: The Quiet Superpower That Changes Everything by Craig Gillham • 3 min read

🎯 Usefulness: The Quiet Superpower That Changes Everything

💡 Must read for banking leaders: AI still is not the silver bullet, but used well, it can truly unlock value.

This article shows that AI tools alone will not speed up delivery. What really makes the difference is removing friction, improving quality, and freeing up people’s time. When banks embed AI thoughtfully into their workflows, they do not just get faster code or reports. They get clarity, better decision-making, and sustainable gains.

If your organisation is pushing digital or data transformation, this is a timely reminder. Tools do not create value on their own. Smart design, good governance, and human-centred execution are what make the impact.

Partner at Elixirr - The Challenger Consultancy | Global Financial Services Lead | Working with global F500 clients to ‘change the game’ in their industries | Top Consultancy Firm 2023

Lots of banks have undoubtedly invested heavily in AI. Coding is getting faster, tooling is much better, but delivery timelines aren’t improving as quickly as the original investment cases suggested.

This recent article from my Elixirr colleagues Joe S. and Hugo P. looks at where time is really getting lost in the software development and product development lifecycles, and how it needs smarter use of AI to take out delays, not just speed up individual tasks...

https://lnkd.in/dCUyw2v5

#AIinBanking #SDLC #PDLC #FinancialServices

Fintech Scaling Show - Revenue Lab

Interviews with Fintech founders, CEOs, investors, and interesting players in the London Fintech scene.

Co Host

Humble Technology

Learn more about our services, built from my 15-year professional career in sales, closing £100 million in enterprise revenue, and advising +30 fintech executives.

👉 Fractional CRO for early-stage fintech startups

Here's a typical engagement where I work with the CEO and sales leaders to build a predictable and scalable revenue engine:

▪️Annual kick-off: inspiring meeting to set annual targets and rally the entire sales organisation. Usually at least ½ day.

▪️Monday weekly meeting: hold the sales team accountable for quarterly numbers and KPIs, with targets broken down by customers and salespeople.

▪️Midweek coaching: coach each salesperson on key deals, help them find the next step in their deal, prevent missed opportunities and innovate on slow deals.

▪️Friday strategy call: executive meeting with the CEO and revenue leaders to review targets, feedback on each salesperson and refine the GTM strategy.

👉 Fintech enterprise sales mastery workshop

Quarterly sales workshop for founders and sales leaders, where we provide you the tools to thrive at:

▪️Customer-centricity: you need to sell multiple solutions to multiple people just to close one deal. Lead the conversation and understand what’s happening in your customer’s mind to guide them to the sale with minimal effort.

▪️Value-based selling: you’ve been taught to sell benefits, not features - but this isn’t enough. Discover how to sell value by connecting your solution to your prospect's pain points, as well as how to choreograph the whole deal from start to finish.

▪️Advanced deal qualification: uncover the streetwise method of validating the quality of your pipeline. Learn the best kept secrets of the fintech mafia, such as BladeLogic, MongoDB and Snowflake.

You'll also learn about enterprise sales psychology, strategic pipeline generation, and team building & cultural fit.

The next workshop is on November 20-21 in Blackfriars, London. 🏙️

Interesting? DM me or book a call for more details.

CEO and Founder

Humble Grape

Humble Grape imports over 450 small vineyard wines from 16 countries.
Wine bars in Battersea, Fleet street, Islington, Liverpool street and Canary Wharf.

Run the business, business development, sales and strategy

Director

Adaptive Financial Consulting Ltd

Commercial Director

OpenFin

At OpenFin, we are building HTML5 technologies tailored to meet the needs of the financial industry. We make it easy for financial industry providers to build, deploy and manage HTML5 applications on desktops.

We are an early stage startup, our founders come fresh from a successful startup exit and bring with them invaluable experience in leading a technology company in the financial industry. Our team consists of intelligent, highly-motivated and creative people backed by an impressive list of angel investors in the financial technology space. Our ethos is characterized by our passion for creating great products, and we offer an exciting environment that rewards creativity and hard work.

https://openf.in/web/index.html

Head of Europe

ICAP Securities Limited

Look for revenue and cost saving opportunities across the ISL businesses including Credit, Base metals, FX Agency, Asset Backed securities etc. Help new business areas to define their strategy and competitive advantage in order to compete and differentiate. 
Work with existing business to redefine their objectives in the changing financial landscape.

Electronic trading – advise new and current businesses as the in-house electronic trading specialist. Deal with technology contract and vendor negotiations.
Work with the business and the delivery teams to make the technology spend revenue and client focused.

Build relationships between the support and business areas to facilitate New business initiatives.

Managing Director E-commerce and Business Development

As business manager for Credit Derivatives, Emerging Markets, Corporate Bonds, Credit Options and Tranches I am responsible for increasing revenues and market share. This is achieved by using a combination of innovative marketing, technological innovation and  deal brokering with clients.
My focus is the electronic trading division of the credit business.

Business Manager(Credit products)

BrokerTec

Product Manager

Most fintech startups fail not because they can’t get funding, but because they still view sales as being uniquely about relationships.

In fact, sales is all about applying the right science. That’s where I come in to help create a predictable and scalable revenue engine. ⚙️

More specifically, I help sales leaders like you: 

1️⃣ Create your own playbook so you know who you're selling to, what you're selling, and how to sell it. 

Knowing how you'll generate revenue from your playbook can help you predict it, avoid missing targets and terrify your CEO and investors.

2️⃣ Follow your new playbook to hire the ideal salespeople at the right time for your business.

With a 6-month sales cycle and each rep managing four £100,000 deals per year, hiring the wrong salesperson can cost you £500,000. That's a lot of money.

3️⃣ Enable your salespeople to succeed by introducing team-selling and common language across the team.

Helping salespeople maximise their revenue potential is hard. If not done well, it leads to lost deals. Remember that you only get one opportunity to close a deal with any business. Don’t waste it.

Find it interesting? Here’s how we can work together:

👉 Fractional CRO for early-stage fintech startups

Leverage the expertise of an industry veteran to build a high-performance sales strategy, refine your sales processes, and ignite your revenue growth.

This may include annual sales kick-offs, weekly meetings with the sales team, coaching salespeople individually, and strategy calls with the executive team.

• “Closed a £700k deal after 5 months of working with James as our fractional CRO.”

• “Our mid-sized UK fintech doubled revenue after 9 months of working with James.”

👉 Fintech enterprise sales mastery workshop for founders and sales leaders

Quarterly, two-day workshop held live in London. You'll gain the confidence and tools to consistently find and close deals, transforming your sales process into a well-oiled machine.

• Vincent Grandjean, CEO of Propellant Digital. "As a fintech startup founder with no prior sales experience, this masterclass gave me practical tools that have been crucial in my path so far."

• Graeme Harker, Co-Founder of Norman and Sons: "We've invested in training all customer-facing staff. The value and fun had by all were second to none."

Want to learn more? DM me or book a call, and let's talk!

🍷 I’m also the owner of Humble Grape, a wine bar, wine merchant, and events company that imports 600 small vineyard wines from 22 countries. DM me with your favourite wine, and I'll suggest some alternatives! 🍷

James Dawson

Hospitality is about going the extra mile when it matters most.

Last night, the team at Humble Grape St Bride's delivered an exceptional Christmas party and I couldn't be prouder.

Ali Mataka and Karen Gummer provided outstanding wine service throughout the evening. Ali's passion for wine shone through as he engaged guests, sharing stories about what they were drinking and ensuring everyone had a brilliant time. The energy and expertise were exactly what great hospitality looks like.

Behind the scenes, our kitchen team produced canapes of exceptional quality all evening, setting the standard for what guests should expect from us.
But it was Nicolas Quero, our manager at St Bride's, who exemplified what true hospitality means. At 11pm, after his shift had ended and the kitchen had closed at 10pm, the CEO realised he'd been so absorbed in hosting his clients that he'd forgotten to eat. Nicolas, off duty, went back into the kitchen and prepared a beautiful plate of charcuterie and bread, delivering it personally to their table.

This is hospitality at its heart: anticipating needs, solving problems, and making people's special occasions truly memorable.

When we talk about going above and beyond for our customers, this is what we mean. Thank you Nicholas, Ali, Karen, and the entire St Bride's team for making our clients' Christmas party exceptional.

#Hospitality #TeamExcellence #CustomerService #Leadership

Fractional CRO & CEO coach | Sharing my journey selling the world's best sustainable wines and the next generation of fintech SaaS solutions | DM me for info on the Sales Mastery workshop in London

The £250k lesson hiding in a 10-minute gap

We brought in a wine consultant a few months ago. Brilliant chap. Came to Humble Grape to help us tighten operations and boost guest satisfaction.

I was confident we were already doing well. Great teams. Passionate people. Solid training.

Then he asked a simple question: "How long between someone sitting down and getting their first drink?"

"Can't be more than 10 minutes," I thought. "We're on it."

We measured it.....
Turned out some venues were hitting 10 minutes. Others? Twenty.

Twenty minutes.::::  For your first drink.:::::  After you've already sat down.

Here's where it gets interesting (and expensive):
Someone waiting 20 minutes for their first glass of wine will drink roughly half a glass less over dinner.

Half a glass × 500,000 guests a year = a very large number indeed.

But here's the real point: this wasn't about training failures or lack of effort. Our teams are excellent. It was about measuring what actually matters.

The lesson?
Sometimes the most valuable insights are hiding in the simplest metrics. The ones we assume we've got right. The ones we never think to measure.
Good consultants don't just bring expertise. They bring fresh eyes and the courage to challenge our assumptions about what's working.

Worth every penny.

What's the "obvious" metric you've never actually measured in your business?

#Hospitality #CustomerExperience #BusinessMetrics #OperationalExcellence

One of the biggest mistakes I’ve made as a sales leader? 

Not removing bad operators early enough.

I was speaking with a fintech founder this week about the hidden cost of keeping the wrong people on your team.

📉 It’s not just about underperformance. It’s about cultural drag.
 When one or two people on a team of ten lack motivation or ownership, the ripple effect is huge.
 The high-performers start asking: “Why am I pushing so hard when others aren't?”

💡 Great sales culture isn’t a perk — it’s a performance multiplier.
 Bad operators break trust, kill morale, and dilute standards.
 If they don’t align with your values — extreme ownership, collaboration, and a drive to win — they’re costing you more than you think.

✅ The fix? Build a team where everyone wants to be there.
 ✅ Set the standard.
 ✅ Act quickly when someone consistently falls short.

At Humble Technology, we help fintech founders and CROs create sales teams that own the mission and deliver consistently. Whether it's through our 1-day Sales Workshop or our ongoing Fractional CRO engagements, we equip leaders to build elite, cohesive teams — no passengers.

Let go of the mediocre. Back the motivated.

 Because culture eats strategy for breakfast.

#SalesLeadership #FintechSales #ExtremeOwnership #StartupCulture #FractionalCRO #HumbleTechnology #B2BSales

The #1 Early-Stage Mistake in Fintech Sales

Startups burn years trying to “sell to everyone.”

They land a few conversations in different verticals, start customizing the product, and waste precious cycles chasing too many use cases.

The result?
 ❌ Weak positioning
 ❌ Vague messaging
 ❌ No urgency

The cure is focus.

In a recent session, I reminded two founders building post-trade software for oil traders:
🔹 Pick a tight niche.
 🔹 Serve them deeply.
 🔹 Build conviction and case studies before expanding.
It’s not “narrow.”

It’s how you cross the chasm.

Once you’ve dominated your niche, you’ll earn the right to expand.

Until then, fall in love with one ICP.
Selling to everyone is selling to no one.

🎯 Need help defining your ICP and landing early deals? My sales workshop teaches founders how to run a focused, value-based sales process. Next session: February 2026. Early-bird pricing available for early-stage fintechs.

Why 95% of Early Sales Hires Fail

If you’ve raised funding and your investor says,
“Hire a VP of Sales”

… pause.

Most early sales hires fail—not because they’re bad, but because the founder never learned how to sell first.

Here’s what I told a brilliant pair of founders last week:
Don’t hire a sales leader. Hire someone who brings in revenue.
Even better: YOU learn how to bring in revenue.

Why?
Because you’re not ready to lead sales if you don’t understand what makes a deal close in your market.

Don’t burn £150K+ on a fancy title who needs process, marketing, and inbound leads to succeed.

Learn value-based selling. Understand MEDDICC. Learn to qualify like a pro. 

Build trust and urgency.

And document everything so you can hire intelligently later.

No shortcuts. Just focus, discipline, and massive value.

The Dangerous Fantasy

 Every founder I know has had the same daydream: hire a VP Sales, hand over the pipeline, and get back to “real work.”

Here’s the truth: That’s a fantasy that’ll cost you growth. There is no magical point where you step away from sales. 

You will be leading revenue until the day you sell or step down.

The only question is whether you’re doing it well.

#Founders #SaaS #Fintech #SalesLeadership

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The Battle

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James Dawson

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The Battle

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Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Craig Gillham's LinkedIn Performance

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