Business Innovation Success Factors

🚨 Scotland’s VC market just posted a 19% rise in funding… and a 57% drop in deals for women-led businesses. Progress for some. Exclusion for others. Record-breaking investment in 2024 - £704 million in total. But behind the headlines lies a serious imbalance. 💰 Yes, investment rose 19% year-on-year, defying UK-wide trends. ❗️But that growth was heavily concentrated in a few late-stage mega deals, 17 deals over £10m made up more than half the total pot (£372.7m). 🧊 Meanwhile, early-stage funding, where most women-led startups sit, collapsed, dropping 17% to £331m. ⚖️ Worse still, only 3% of the total funding (£22m) reached women-led startups. 🔁 This creates a vicious cycle: lack of visibility ➝ fewer deals ➝ smaller pipeline ➝ even less investment. It’s growth that celebrates the few, while starving the many. This isn’t just inequality. It’s a missed opportunity, and a £250 billion one at that. At egg, we’re working to close that gap: We’re supporting women founders with mentoring, visibility, and access to networks. We’re building the kind of confidence and community that drives long-term, scalable businesses. And we’re doing it without waiting for permission. 💡 The future of Scotland’s innovation economy depends on whether we choose inclusion over inertia. 📣 Investors: the pipeline isn’t empty, it’s ignored. It’s time to back women-led. Stats taken from a Substack article entitled "The Scottish Paradox - A £704m boom on a Foundation of Sand" - and shared in comments. Article written by John Glover Image Anna Moffat

A common partnership snafu is that companies want partnership success, but don’t provide the resources to get there. I heard of a case where a whole marketing team quit, the partnerships team was given no marketing support, and they didn't yet have an integration with product -- and yet, the CEO expected the partnership strategy to deliver instant revenue. Wild. But not uncommon. Partnerships can't thrive in a vacuum. They need cross-functional support—marketing, product integration, sales enablement—all aligned to succeed. Before you set revenue targets for your partnerships, ask yourself: Do we have the resources to support them? If the answer is no, you have to help your leadership teams to reconsider their expectations. To help create the cross-functional support needed for partnerships to thrive, here are four strategies: 1. Involve Cross-Functional Leaders from the Very Beginning Bring key leaders from marketing, sales, and product into the partnership planning phase. Early involvement gives them a sense of ownership and ensures they understand how partnerships align with their own goals. Strategy: Schedule a kick-off meeting with stakeholders from each relevant department. Create a shared roadmap that outlines how partnerships will impact each team and their specific contributions. 2. Tie Partnership Success to Department KPIs To gain buy-in, tie partnership goals directly to the KPIs of each department. Aligning partnership outcomes with what each team is measured on ensures they have skin in the game. Strategy: During planning sessions, ask each department head how partnerships can contribute to their targets. Build specific KPIs for each function into the overall partnership strategy. 3. Create a Resource Exchange Agreement Formalize the support needed from each department with a resource exchange agreement. This sets clear expectations on what each function will contribute—whether it's a dedicated product team member for integrations or marketing resources for co-branded campaigns. It turns vague promises into commitments. Strategy: Draft a simple document that outlines the roles, responsibilities, and deliverables each team will provide, then get sign-off from department heads and the executive team. 4. Demonstrate Early Wins for Buy-In Quick wins go a long way toward securing ongoing resources. Identify a small pilot project with an internal team that shows immediate impact. Whether it's a small co-marketing campaign or a limited integration, these early successes build momentum and demonstrate the value of supporting partnerships. Strategy: Select one or two partners to run a pilot with, focused on delivering measurable outcomes like leads generated or product adoption. Use this success story to demonstrate value to other departments and secure further commitment. Partnership success requires cross-functional alignment. Because partnerships don’t happen in a silo.

I believe every successful business runs on two engines: People and Profits. Ignore one, and the whole machine breaks down. Focus on both, and you create a system that drives sustainable growth and long-term success. Your people—employees, customers, and partners—are the lifeblood of your business. Engaged teams innovate and deliver value. Happy customers become loyal advocates. Strong relationships with partners open doors to new opportunities. But here’s the catch: you can’t just hire people and expect results. The key is to: - Build a culture of trust and collaboration. - Invest in their growth and development. - Create an environment where everyone feels valued. Passion may start a business, but profits sustain it. Without healthy margins, you can’t reinvest in your people, scale operations, or weather economic uncertainty. Smart businesses don’t just focus on top-line revenue; they optimize for profitability by: - Streamlining processes. - Pricing for value. - Monitoring cash flow and reinvesting wisely. When people and profits come together, the results are game-changing. An inspired team delivers exceptional results, creating memorable customer experiences that build loyalty and trust. These satisfied customers don’t just stick around - they advocate for your business, driving revenue and boosting profitability. Those profits then allow you to reinvest in your team, enhancing their skills, morale, and performance. This creates a dynamic, self-sustaining cycle where growth and success continuously fuel each other. The Real Question: Are Both Engines Running in Your Business? Take a moment to reflect: - Are you empowering your people to perform their best? - Are you building a financial foundation that enables growth? Success isn’t about choosing between people or profits—it’s about prioritizing both.

A CEO asked me last quarter why his team kept losing deals they should have won. Strong product. Competitive pricing. Solid references. But prospects kept choosing competitors they'd worked with before, even when those competitors cost more and delivered less. The answer was in his pipeline data. His team was spending eighteen months on deals that high-trust companies closed in nine. Not because they were slower, but because prospects needed more due diligence. More validation. More reassurance that this company would actually deliver. So I asked him a different question. Do you know what your pipeline would look like if your company had a stellar reputation that preceded every sales conversation? Most executives treat trust as something that lives in brand surveys. But trust creates systematic advantages that show up in every deal, every hire, and every partnership. When organizations build credibility through consistent delivery, something shifts in how the market evaluates them. Prospects spend less time verifying claims and more time exploring whether the solution solves their problem. The economics are straightforward. High-trust companies compress sales cycles by forty to fifty percent because reputation handles the qualification work that sales teams normally spend months doing. A team closing one hundred million annually can suddenly handle one hundred sixty million in opportunities with the same headcount. Not through growth hacks—with reduced friction at every stage. But cycle compression is just the beginning. Companies with established credibility see conversion rates of 60-70% with existing relationships, compared to 5-20% for cold prospects. Trust doesn't just speed decisions. It fundamentally changes win rates across your entire pipeline. The math compounds. Organizations that build trust as infrastructure create cost advantages that efficiency programs cannot match. Lower customer acquisition costs because reputation drives inbound demand. Higher retention because people stay at companies they believe in. Better supplier relationships because consistency builds loyalty that price wars destroy. And here's how it affects competitive strategy. Your competitors can copy your product roadmap, match your pricing, and hire your people. They can reverse-engineer almost everything, even your playbook. But they cannot manufacture the credibility you've built through years of authentic behavior, honest communication, and consistent delivery. That foundation takes time. It cannot be purchased or faked. The organizations that win consistently don't have better products than everyone else. They have operational trust that shows up as faster cycles, higher win rates, and lower costs across every function. While competitors are still proving they can deliver, trusted companies are already three deals ahead. What would change in your business if prospects already trusted you before the first sales call?

I’ve advised 100s of founders in my career. The secret to a successful co-founding relationship: Over the last 15 years, I’ve seen many co-founders struggle and succeed. I’ve also been a co-founder myself. During that time, I’ve identified 5 key elements to set up a strong co-founding relationship. I call it The Co-Founders’ Blueprint. This framework covers the 5 critical components for a thriving co-founding partnership: → Deep Understanding: Know your co-founders inside out → Skill Assessment: Ensure complementary and relevant skills → Conflict Management: Have a plan for handling disagreements → Ownership Agreements: Fair and adaptable ownership splits → Formalized Rules: Clear, written agreements for operations ... And what happens when each is missing. No deep understanding = "Misalignment" Poor skill assessment = "Incompetence" Lack of conflict management = "Chaos" Unfair ownership = "Resentment" No formal rules = "Confusion" Remember, these elements can be developed and refined. Here’s how to do it: 1/ Deep Understanding: Get to know your co-founders' motivations and observe them in different situations. 2/ Skill Assessment: Dig deeper into their skills to ensure they are truly applicable to your startup needs. 3/ Conflict Management: Communicate effectively and have seen them handle tough situations before. 4/ Ownership Agreements: Reflect each person’s commitment level and be ready to adjust as needed. 5/ Formalized Rules: Outline clear guidelines for operations and decision-making. The best co-founders build strong, adaptable partnerships. Start using this blueprint today. And create the co-founding relationship you deserve. Your startup will thank you!

Great partnerships don’t echo you. They elevate you. Same strengths. Same blind spots. Same limitations. Smart collaborators do the opposite. In 1958, Peggy Lee needed an arranger for "Jump for Joy." She didn't pick another vocalist. She picked Nelson Riddle. Lee brought raw versatility - switching between jazz and ballads like changing clothes. Riddle brought structural genius - orchestral arrangements that made her voice soar. The result? An album so powerful it's been remastered and reissued for 65+ years. Here's what this teaches us about strategic partnerships: 1. Find Your Musical Opposite • Lee's spontaneity needed Riddle's precision • Your creative chaos might need operational structure • Your technical depth might need storytelling flair 2. Versatility Wins Markets • Lee mastered up-tempo songs AND intimate standards • Range made her irreplaceable across different contexts • Multi-skilled professionals command premium rates 3. Quality Outlasts Everything • Mediocre work gets forgotten in months • Exceptional work gets reissued for decades • Invest in partnerships that create lasting value The strongest partnerships aren't about finding your twin. They're about finding your complement. ♻️ Share this with someone ready to stop hiring their mirror image 🔔 Follow Kabir Sehgal for frameworks that turn partnerships into advantages

There is always a quiet expectation people carry about you. They may not say it, but they have a sense of how you work and what you will deliver. Everyone sets a baseline in their mind. Most people simply meet that baseline. They do what is expected and stop. It is safe and familiar. But the real impact comes from the small space above that line. The extra clarity in your work, the thoughtfulness you add, the follow-through that makes someone else’s job easier. These small things shift how people experience you. In business, that gap builds trust. When you consistently deliver slightly more than expected, clients remember. Partners rely on you without hesitation. Trust grows in the margins. In leadership, that gap builds respect. Preparation, steady judgment, and taking responsibility before you are asked change how people see you. Respect is formed in the details. In relationships, that same gap builds goodwill. Showing up a little more fully, listening a little longer, being present when it matters. These moments stay with people. The extra does not have to be dramatic. It just needs to be consistent. That small gap between expected and delivered becomes your advantage. It shapes your reputation more than almost anything else. The baseline is what people assume you will do. The extra is what they never forget.

Last quarter, I told a client to RAISE their prices by 50% In the middle of a recession. While losing deals to cheaper competitors. When their win rate was already below 20%. They took the risk The results? → Win rate: Jumped from 19% to 40% → Sales cycle: Cut from 118 days to 70 → Revenue: Up 150% in just 90 days Here's what we discovered: Their low prices weren't making them more competitive They were making them less trustworthy When we analyzed their lost deals: 80% of prospects who said "too expensive" never bought from anyone The deals they won at discounted prices had 2X higher churn rates Procurement was treating them as a commodity because they positioned as one Their best customers were the ones who DIDN'T negotiate on price So we implemented what I call "Trust-Based Pricing": - We increased prices to reflect the true value delivered - We eliminated all discounting completely - We restructured compensation to reward margin, not revenue - We trained reps to walk away from price-sensitive prospects The transformation was immediate: - Prospect engagement quality: Increased 100% - Deals requiring procurement approval: Reduced by 60% - Implementation success rate: Up from 50% to 75% - Average customer lifetime: More than doubled The dangerous myth killing your sales growth: Lower prices win more business. The reality? In complex B2B sales, your price is a powerful signal about your confidence and the value you deliver. Your competitors are busy slashing prices and offering "special discounts." Meanwhile, market leaders are systematically increasing prices and watching their close rates improve. What if you raised your prices tomorrow and trained your team to confidently defend the new value proposition? P.S. If you need help with your sales, send me a message

It's been a whirlwind week of media coverage, with an appearance on CTV Your Morning leading to articles in CTV News, BNN Bloomberg, and Inc. Magazine. I've been talking about the gender gap in AI adoption. 18 global studies covering 140,000+ people revealed that women are 20-25% less likely than men to use GenAI tools at work. Researchers found the gap is nearly universal, and it persists even when access is equal. If this disparity continues, systems will learn from data that under-represent women, widening existing gaps in technology adoption and economic opportunity. The reasons for the gender gap vary. Women have lower familiarity with AI, and are more likely to want training while men "just try it." Women are afraid of being penalized at work for taking a risk with AI tools. As I said in an interview: "A man using emerging technology is called 'innovative.' A woman using emerging tech is 'cheating'. " Women are also concerned about bias in AI outputs. All of this adds up to a confidence gap - not a capability gap - and it slows adoption. If women sit on the sidelines of the AI revolution, they risk falling further behind. Their career growth stagnates, and gender pay inequities grow. I'm particularly interested in AI adoption amongst entrepreneurs. The top reasons why businesses adopt AI are to be more efficient and productive. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab says that GenAI could lift Canada’s labour productivity by 6% in the next decade. A report from Microsoft suggests that the average ROI for companies is $3.50 for every $1 invested in AI. If 20-25% of women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs sit out AI adoption, that's billions in GDP that Canada will never see. Even worse, we don't see the economic benefits of women-led businesses. The World Economic Forum says women-led firms are proven 'regenerative forces' - they reinvest locally and create greener, safer jobs. If women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs are left behind on AI, we don't just lose efficiency; we lose the very businesses that knit communities together. This is why I'm proud to be working on the AI Skills Lab Canada program (https://aiskillslab.ca). It's a national, women-led pilot from The Forum, Camp Tech Inc, and Growclass, with co-investment from DIGITAL. The program features free training and support for women, transfemme, and non-binary entrepreneurs to grow their businesses with AI. Our Labs blend short lessons and guided practice on core tools with a responsible AI lens, including data privacy, human-in-the-loop checks, and the Canadian legal context. Our goal is to move participants from awareness to first wins, then surround them with peer and mentor support so they keep going. If you lead, fund, or influence innovation and skills in Canada, this is a moment to act. If you are a gender-diverse entrepreneur, join us. If you already use AI, be a peer champion and show how you work. Let’s close the gap and grow the economy together.

As a creative who specializes in photography filmmaking, I usually receive emails and messages from creatives seeking advice. Over the years, I’ve written down and reminded myself of certain key points with each project. I thought it would be beneficial to share some of these ideas here on LinkedIn. 1. Debrief: After each project, taking the time to debrief is essential. Reflect on what you did to achieve the goals, identify the challenges faced, and consider how you and your team can learn from the experience. Evaluate whether your ideas were too ambitious or if the brand or client didn’t fully connect with your vision. Gathering all this information helps you refine your approach and apply these lessons to your next project, guaranteeing continuous growth and improvement. 2. Clear Communication: Establishing open and transparent communication from the start ensures that everyone is on the same page, from the production team to the client. This helps manage expectations and keeps the project moving smoothly. 3. Collaboration: Successful projects are built on collaboration. Engaging with your team, valuing their input, and working together towards a shared vision is key to creating something special. 4. Adaptability: Flexibility is crucial in creative work. Whether it’s adjusting to last-minute changes or finding creative solutions on the fly, being adaptable keeps the project on track. Remember to be Nimble! 5. Storytelling: At the core of every project is a story. Whether it’s a photo shoot or a film, the ability to tell a compelling story that resonates with the audience is what sets the work apart. Story is everything. 6. Attention to Detail: The little things matter. Paying close attention to every element—from lighting and composition to styling and post-production—elevates the final outcome. It's all in the details. 7. Client Relationships: Building and maintaining strong relationships with clients is just as important as the creative work itself. Understanding their needs, keeping them involved, and delivering on promises fosters trust and long-term partnerships. Remember no client is the same. 8. Passion and Purpose: Bringing your passion and sense of purpose to every project keeps the work authentic and impactful. It’s not just about the final product, but the process and the message behind it. This is your personal stamp and DNA don't forget it. 9. Professionalism: From meeting deadlines to maintaining a positive attitude, professionalism sets the tone for the entire project and ensures a smooth experience for everyone involved.