Dan Murray-Serter 🧠

Girl Dad | Co-Founder of Heights I Angel Investor In 90 Startups I Follow For Daily Posts on Health, Business & Personal growth from UK's #1 ranked health creator (apparently)

Serial entrepreneur and Angel investor in 100+ startups with over 10 years experience starting, scaling and failing multiple startups.

Co Founder of Heights - Europe's leading brain and gut health company.

I also started and help run Foundrs - A not for profit community of the best, most ambitious and compassionate founders in UK.

I recently stepped away from Leaders Media - A media company making the top business podcasts in Europe, Secret Leaders - at the top of the charts, to focus on much more important things with my time - being a dad to 2 awesome daughters.

Angel/Advisor

Beam (www.beam.org)
ATAI Life Sciences (https://www.atai.life)
Allplants (www.allplants.com)
Humanity (https://humanity.health)
BYP (www.byp-network.com)
Goss (https://www.goss.media)
Tribe VR (www.tribevr.io)
Thrift (www.wearethrift.com)
THIS (www.this.co)
The Sports Edit (www.thesportsedit.com)
Faction (www.factionskis.com)
Runway East (http://runwayea.st/)
London Union/Dinerama (http://londonunion.com/)
Neardesk (https://www2.neardesk.com/)


Tailored.to (https://tailored.to/)
Motivii (http://motivii.com/)
Earlybird (https://earlybird.fm/)
Upshot (http://www.upshotapp.co/)
Togethera (www.togethera.com)
Repairly (www.repairly.co.uk)
Zaboo (www.zabooapp.com)
Lissom (www.lissom.com)
Bloom (www.hellobloom.io)

Dan Murray🧠

90% of jobs can be taught. Give people a chance.

The hiring world is full of contradictions.
We demand 3+ years of experience in tools that have only existed for 18 months.

We label entry-level jobs with requirements that look like mid-level careers.
We filter out people who could actually become the best hires-because they don’t “tick every box.”

Here’s the truth:

- Most skills can be learned on the job
- Most tools can be mastered in weeks
- Most experience is only gained once someone gives you a shot

What you can’t teach is character.
You can’t teach resilience.
You can’t teach curiosity.
You can’t teach integrity or grit.

Those are the things you should be hiring for.

Every “top performer” today started as someone who had no clue what they were doing. Someone once gave them a chance. That opportunity is what allowed them to become who they are now.

When companies gatekeep potential by clinging to outdated hiring criteria, they don’t just miss out on talent-they miss out on loyalty, fresh ideas, and long-term leaders.

If someone has the right values and the hunger to learn, invest in them. Train them. Mentor them. Watch how fast they rise.

Because the best teams aren’t built by finding unicorns. They’re built by betting on people’s potential.

Question is: are you hiring for perfection-or for possibility?

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Girl Dad | Co-Founder of Heights I Angel Investor In Over 100 Startups I Follow For Daily Posts on Health, Business & Personal growth from UK’s #1 ranked health creator (apparently)

One thing I’ve learned after building multiple teams: the most valuable people are rarely the loudest.

They’re the ones who quietly upskill when no one’s watching.

You can’t teach that level of internal drive.
You can’t force someone to care about their growth more than the company requires.

That has to come from within.

And from a neuroscience perspective, people who self-educate build something incredibly powerful:
a plastic brain.

Every new skill, every book, every online course, it all strengthens their neural pathways for adaptability, problem - solving, and creative thinking.

Those traits compound.

They become faster learners.
Better decision-makers.
More resourceful under pressure.
And over time, they outgrow people who rely only on formal training.

When I hire, I look for curiosity.
Not credentials.
Not polished answers.
Curiosity.

Because someone who reads, experiments, builds, tinkers, or studies on their own time will eventually outpace almost everyone else.
They don’t wait to be told what to learn.
They choose it.

And that choice is what makes them dangerous, in the best way possible.

If you’re that person, keep going.
Even if no one notices right now.
Your effort is compounding quietly.
You’ll feel the gap before anyone else sees it.

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🖐️ P.S Join my newsletter The Science Of Success where I break down stories and studies of success to teach you how to turn it from probability to predictability here: https://lnkd.in/ecuRJtrr

20 Pieces of Advice I Wish I Knew at 20
For career. And for life.

If I could go back, I wouldn’t tell myself to “work harder” or “dream bigger.”
I’d tell myself the truth no one around me was saying.

That *discipline beats talent*.
That *mental health is strategy*.
That *freedom doesn’t come from money. it comes from control of time.*

At 20, I thought success was about acceleration.
Now I know it’s about direction.

I’ve learned that no one really knows what they’re doing. we’re all figuring it out in real time.
And that the people who seem furthest ahead are usually just the ones who started earlier and stuck with it longer.

Here’s what I wish I’d known sooner:

- No one’s coming to save you
- Most people mistake busyness for progress
- Your environment shapes your ambition
- Hard work matters less than clarity
- Being respected will take you further than being liked
- Your health is your leverage
- Money amplifies who you already are. not who you wish to be
- Systems beat motivation
- Learning to sell changes everything
- Your 20s are not a waiting room, they’re the gym for your future self

If you can internalise that early, you’ll spend less time doubting and more time building.

Because the truth is - your 20s aren’t a test run.
They’re the foundation.

Lay it with intention.

To better mistakes,
Dan

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Follow me Dan Murray🧠 for more on habits and leadership.

♻️ Repost this if you think it can help someone in your network!

🖐️ P.S Join my newsletter The Science Of Success where I break down stories and studies of success to teach you how to turn it from probability to predictability here: https://lnkd.in/ecuRJtrr

20 Pieces of Advice I Wish I Knew at 20

Every week people DM me asking, “How did you do X?” or “Can you help me with Y?”

I genuinely want to help, but with a full schedule, I can’t say yes as often as I’d like.

So here’s the solution…

I’m excited to share that I'm in the Launch Creator cohort of Skillstore, a new learning platform built for actionable skills taught by real creators, entrepreneurs, and educators. 

I’m creating short, practical lessons you can learn in minutes, and you can even request a personalised custom video for specific advice you may have. 

If you want direct, actionable skills from me, you can now get it all in one place on Skillstore.

(Oh, and you can also share your skills too, just click the link on my profile)

Head to www.skill.store/danmurrays to get started ♥️ 

PS congrats to Aydan Al-Saad 👊🏽 on a slick launch 👏

Cooper Parry

Leading our Digital Transformation business across Salesforce, NetSuite, Data & Analytics and Cybersecurity.

Managing Director - Cooper Parry Digital

Leading all firm market activity across the venture capital ecosystem.

CP's Tech & High Growth platform is the UK's #1 accounting & advisory team for start-ups and scale-ups.

Partner - Head of Early Stage, Tech & High Growth

Middlesex Cricket

Board Observer

HM Revenue & Customs

Appointed to the board.

The Administrative Burdens Advisory Board (ABAB) is an independent board comprising members from a range of business backgrounds and professions who represent the small business community. The Administrative Burdens Advisory Board's goal is to make a noticeable difference for small business by supporting HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to help make tax easier, quicker and simpler.

ABAB - Advisory Board Member

Labrys

Part of founding team.

Responsible for all finance implementation, structuring, corporate treasury, HR & incentives. Successfully raised and completed multi £m Seed Round before rolling off and handing over to full time CFO.

Now - Advisor to the Board.

Group CFO

Acclivity Advisors

Acclivity is a boutique advisory firm specialising in providing accountancy, taxation and consultancy services to entrepreneurs and high growth, early stage businesses both nationally and internationally.

Founder & Managing Director

HM Treasury

Consultative Committee member tasked with reviewing the current taxation system and providing meaningful insights that can result in a simplification of the regime.

Office of Tax Simplificiation -  Consultative Committee

Richmond Gatehouse LLP

1. Co-founder with a specific focus on early stage startups & High growth SME's.

- Full stack advisory, consisting of: structuring, accounting, (Corporate/Personal) direct/indirect taxes & systems. As well as strategic development, fund raising and founder matters.
- Particularly aim to build relationships and demystify accounting and taxation to non-finance professionals

2. Managing multi-office accountancy firm, business/brand development & strategic partnerships

3. Advising & mentoring both hopeful and established entrepreneurs on wide ranging matters including finance & strategy. In particular making meaningful introductions where beneficial.

Partner

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills

I engaged with various governmental departments, discussing frontline business matters and opportunities for innovation, in a forum facilitated by Vince Cable.

Member of Entrepreneur Forum led by the Secretary of State for Business

PricewaterhouseCoopers

- Private Equity, M&A (London)
- Tax (Jersey, Channel Islands)

Senior Associate

Managing Director, Cooper Parry Digital | Head of Early Stage, Tech & High Growth |

I lead our Digital business that supports clients across their Salesforce, NetSuite, Analytics & Cybersecurity needs.

I also lead market activity for CP in the Venture Capital ecosystem. 

Our specialist team works with Founders, CFOs and Boards of early stage, scale-up and high growth businesses, navigating challenges spanning finance, strategy, technology, and deal support. We are highly active in the scale-up ecosystem and have worked as the accounting partner for leading organisations and communities and have built community platforms such as TechCFO and VentureCEO.

I started my career at PwC, then established and ran successful early stage focussed firms such as Acclivity Advisors. Following the successful exit of Acclivity to Cooper Parry, where I am now a Managing Director.

I wrote the best selling book 'The Finance Playbook for Entrepreneurs', so that entrepreneurs of ALL backgrounds could benefit from the very best teachings. 

Thinking back, I can see how my family-business beginnings have influenced where I am today, teaching me primarily how to spin multiple plates at the same time, but more importantly the significance of being surrounded by the right people.  

This unique skillset has afforded me a number of Board positions across industries within public & private sectors. At present, these include:

1. Middlesex County Cricket Club (Board Observer, Chair of Growth Committee)
2. Queen Elizabeth's Global Schools (Chair, International Schools project)
3. Labrys (Advisor to the Board)
4. HM Revenue & Customs - ABAB (Board Member)

As well as the above, I advise Government on how to innovate for SMEs & entrepreneurs through consultative committees and forums.

All of these roles have shown me the value of sharing what I know beyond my own sector;

And so, I enjoy speaking at universities, schools, accelerators and incubators on a wide variety of relevant entrepreneurship related topics.

Asif Ahmed

Profitability isn't the ultimate validation.

That's a lesson you only learn the hard way.

After working with 500+ venture-backed start-ups, here's the uncomfortable truth:

The most dangerous position to get into? 

When your P&L looks perfect but your fundamentals are weak.

Here's why being cash-focused ultimately builds stronger businesses:

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝗸𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺.

Companies obsessing over profitability develop lazy habits:

→ They don't know their unit economics deeply
→ They avoid hard decisions about efficiency  
→ They confuse "not losing money" with "building value"
→ They miss the difference between margin and runway

Meanwhile, cash-burning companies (done strategically) are forced to develop critical skills:

𝟭) 𝗥𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Every pound spent requires justification. No budget bloat. No vanity projects.

𝟮) 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆  
They know CAC, LTV, payback period, and burn multiple empirically. These aren't just spreadsheet exercises, they're critical to survival.

𝟯) 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿-𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴
They must articulate value creation constantly. This clarity drives better decision-making at every level.

𝟰) 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱-𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲
Cash management is predictive. Profit analysis is historical. One protects your future, the other reviews your past.

- - - -

The counterintuitive truth:

A company burning £100k/month with 24 months runway and crystal-clear metrics is stronger than a profitable company that doesn't know why it's profitable.

The difference is control.

Cash-focused founders know exactly:
→ How long they have to hit milestones
→ What drives their economics  
→ Where to deploy capital for maximum impact
→ When to accelerate or conserve

Profit-focused founders often know:
→ That they made money last month
→ (And hope it continues)

✅ One is building a machine. 
❌ The other is hoping the machine keeps running.

💡 What financial metric do you think founders obsess over that actually limits long-term success?

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📌 Follow me, Asif Ahmed for more insights
📌 Accounting, Audit, Tax, Salesforce, NetSuite & Cybersecurity
✒️ Specifically for: Fast Scaling venture-backed founders & CFOs

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