Why I started Lighthouse.
Lighthouse; Advisory with Agency.
Having spent the past four years as the sole Talent Advisor for two of Europe’s leading early-stage VCs I’ve seen the direct impact getting hiring right (or wrong) can have on a startup's trajectory. I’ve been lucky enough to partner with well over 100 of Europe’s best Founders acting as the guard rails for talent decision making and as a sparring partner helping them through tricky phases of company growth.
In my experience the smartest Founders quickly realise that the talent they hire is the foundations on which their business will thrive or merely survive.
Lighthouse
Today, I’m excited to announce the launch of Lighthouse, a new, modern boutique search partner focussed specifically on helping early-stage Founders hire their early leadership teams. Lighthouse will mix the advisory of a VC with the depth of a Search Partner and the operating speed of a traditional contingent Agency.
Many people have asked me why I don’t become an Advisor/Fractional Consultant - I have a bias to action and whilst clients will certainly tap into these elements I want to work on something where I can directly see the impact of my efforts and provide a service that is meaningful for Founders beyond words of wisdom from the sidelines.
Our Approach
High Conviction, End-to-End Partnership - We partner with you every step of the way from role scoping and process design through to onboarding and early post-hire success metric design. We work super closely with our Founders to execute strategically at pace.
Data-Driven Hiring - We map the entire relevant candidate market within a week of kick-off, giving you a clear upfront picture of the talent landscape so we can iterate on our initial briefing with data before moving to execution.
Stage-Appropriate Fees - We operate a transparent, two-part flat fee structure that aligns incentives and minimises risk for Founders. (12k kick off commitment, remainder on successful hire).
Why Lighthouse:
Building a startup is much like captaining a ship at sea; nothing is ever quite as clear as you’d like and the current has a wicked ability to either propel you forwards or drag you off course within a singular moment. Throughout my years of advisory I always tried to be a voice of calm in those moments of complexity, understanding that sometimes being a reassuring presence is as powerful as guiding. A Lighthouse felt like the perfect embodiment of this value. They exist unmoved, reassuring and quietly there in the background, ready to help when you need it most..
After hiring some initial successful ICs, the next biggest challenge I’ve seen Founders struggle with are the early leadership team hires. These roles are often fraught with complexity, you need a leader who can be strategic, someone able to hire and inspire some great ICs and also someone with the ability to know when to get in the weeds getting their hands dirty and when to step back. You need someone you can trust implicitly that will both listen to your MO whilst driving the business forward independently.
