👋🏾 Hi friends!

Where does the time go eh? First half of the year done and I may just to a bit of a retrospective on the state of the market from my perspective in next week’s Off Balance, but today is all about my conversation with Asif Ahmed, Partner and Head of Early Stage, Tech and High Growth at Cooper Parry.

Last week, I was blown away by the Tech CFO ‘24 event that Asif and the Cooper Parry team held and where they announced their partnership with Founders Forum to create the CFO Forum, which will launch later this year - not only that, but Rory Sutherland of Ogilvy fame gave us a rip roaring romp through his thoughts on how to influence behaviour and why you should only execute on a decision when you’ve made it sober, and then drunk - just like the ancients apparently did!

I’m well underway writing about all the things I’ve learned from the last couple of decades as founder, CFO and CEO, so sign up for early access to Off Balance - The Book and feel free to share with anyone else you think might enjoy it 😄.

Now let’s get down to business…

𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁.

This week on Nothing Ventured, I sat down with the incredibly thoughtful Asif Ahmed, Partner and Head of Early Stage, Tech and High Growth at Cooper Parry, an accountancy firm rooted in working with entrepreneurial, fast growth businesses across the UK to help them grow, become more tax efficient, get up to speed with their Tech and transform their culture.

Prior to joining Cooper Parry, Asif was the founder and managing director of Acclivity Advisors, co founder of The Finance Department™ - a resource for entrepreneurs and their finance teams and is the author of the best selling book 'The Finance Playbook for Entrepreneurs'.

Our top takes:

𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝗲𝗱

Asif emphasised the importance of focusing on what founders need rather than what they want. By providing the right guidance and solutions tailored to their actual needs, businesses can thrive and grow effectively. This approach ensures long-term success and value creation for startups.

𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗥&𝗗 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗙𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿-𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿 𝗙𝗶𝘁

We discussed the evolving landscape of R&D relief and the challenges founders face in navigating the complexities of tax legislation. Asif highlighted the significance of founder-advisor fit, where aligning with advisors who understand the founder's journey and needs can lead to better outcomes and strategic decisions.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿

A fascinating trend they explored was the rise of the solopreneur in today's tech-driven world. With advancements in technology and the creator economy booming, individuals are empowered to unleash their inner artist and creativity. This shift challenges traditional VC models and opens up new possibilities for self-sufficient entrepreneurs.

We also discussed:

🧩 Whether there is such a thing as founder advisor fit.
👩🏼‍⚖️ R&D is a term from legislation, not from the dictionary.
🖖🏽 Segregating the business from the founder.
❓ Are we witnessing the rise of the solopreneur.

Check it out!

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I hope you found Off Balance #42 valuable. As always, I’d love to get your feedback and understand the sort of topics you would love to hear about.

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🚀And that’s a wrap for this edition of Off Balance - I’d appreciate your feedback so just reply to this email if you’ve got something you’d like to say.

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That’s it from me so until next time…

Stay liquid :)

Aarish