Patrick Byrne

Why we’re not selling software — and why rollups work The pace of change in tech is so rapid now that there’s a time when any market could use updating – and this is the case for UK rentals. How can we help bring the market up to speed? One option is to sell software to agencies. But we think we’ve got a better idea. That’s where rollups come in. We could talk your ear off about why the rollup model works better than sales, but instead, here are three key reasons: 🧩 Rollups let us standardise the experience: The UK rental market is fragmented and complex. When we acquire firms, we improve operations from within. Rather than just sell B2B SaaS, rollups mean we control the entire stack: this creates real consistency in a way software-only vendors can’t promise. ⚡AI supercharges the rollup strategy: We leverage AI, taking smaller businesses suitable for AI integration and forming them into a larger entity. With operations powered by top-notch tech, fuelled innovation, and synergies across acquired companies, these entities are ultimately gonna be higher value and more competitive. 🌱 Long-term value: Don’t get me wrong, selling software can be lucrative. But the UK market is clearly experiencing improvement opportunities in actual service delivery, and technology adoption. By prioritising long-term value over short-term sales, Dwelly’s rollup model boosts satisfaction for tenants and landlords. Real shifts are underway at Dwelly. We’re not about following the status quo; selling software because it’s the done thing and is potentially lucrative. Putting tech and rollups at the core of our strategy means enhanced operations, reduced agency-client friction, and better results – for all parties.

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Brilliant to host a roundtable this week with the British Business Bank and some of the UK’s most exciting scaleups to discuss the future of growth capital in the UK. We heard encouraging plans from the BBB - more freedom to invest, take risks, write bigger cheques, and in some cases, be the first to invest. Importantly, the BBB came to listen and our founders delivered a clear, timely message ahead of this year’s Budget. Risk appetite in the UK remains a defining challenge, but significant opportunities lie ahead, and progress has been made over the last few years. Founders highlighted critical barriers across deeptech, infrastructure, procurement, and the government's industrial strategy. Some of the key themes raised: ▶️ Unlocking public sector contracts to avoid the “feast & famine” cycle must be a greater priority. ▶️ Rethinking how the UK invests in deeptech & infrastructure and sees beyond B2B SaaS opportunities. ▶️ Broadening our definition of “innovation” to back bold ideas, not just tick boxes for grant providers. ▶️ Driving corporate & CVC risk appetite to better link blue-chip companies and founders. ▶️ Aligning procurement with investment to back UK companies - US companies are selected too frequently, buy British. ▶️ Exploring the role of secondaries to accelerate growth. Thank you to Louis Taylor CBE, Kristen McLeod CBE, Stephen Welton CBE and Leandros Kalisperas from the British Business Bank and to all the founders and investors who shared their perspectives so candidly - it’s clear that if we get this right, the UK has a generational opportunity to lead.

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2 years today since we launched StackOptimise ⚙️ This is the best decision we ever made ⬇️ Investing in personal brand. For a business like ours - operating in a saturated space, offering a commoditised service - brand is a super powerful differentiator. So Felix and I decided, from the get-go, to post on LinkedIn everyday. We've only missed a handful of days. And it's paid dividends: 1️⃣ Every deal we've closed has been meaningfully influenced by our LinkedIn presence, either to generate or nurture the lead. 2️⃣ We’re constantly flooded with inbound job applications. 3️⃣ Vendors & partners treat you differently when you’ve got influence. 4️⃣ We promote the tools in our stack for free usage, thus minimising our costs. A trade that only works if your brand holds weight. 5️⃣ Team members gain visibility into both the bigger vision and our day-to-day, driving employee retention. I’ve lost count of how many people I’ve spoken to who’ve either started, or plan to start, their own business - and I always say the same thing: Invest in your personal brand now. It compounds faster than almost anything else. And literally makes every part of the journey - hiring, partnerships, sales, retention - exponentially easier. ---- Here's our Ultimate Guide to Explode on LinkedIn in 2025: https://lnkd.in/eiv6Aktz

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The UK has created 163 unicorn companies to date. Each one had a strategy that matched their vision. If you're aiming to build a billion-pound business, your strategy must reflect that level of thinking. Far too often, founders stop at the surface-level decisions. They don’t align the mission, vision, and actions that drive long-term growth. That's why this infographic is really helpful. It breaks down strategy into three simple but powerful layers: ✅ Purpose ↳ Why do we exist? What matters to us? This is where your mission, values, and vision come to life and keep your team aligned. ✅ Strategy ↳ How will we get there? This is the bridge between aspiration and execution, covering plans, focus areas, and enabling tools. ✅ Execution ↳ What will we do next, and how will we track it? This is where actions, targets, and KPIs create real results. I’ve seen too many businesses stall because they ignore this process. But every billion-pound business I've backed or built has done the opposite. They've had a crystal-clear mission, a strong strategy, and consistent execution. And more importantly, they believed it was possible to build something big. That belief needs to show up in every step of the funnel.  If you’re building a business with serious potential, My book How to Make a Billion in 9 Steps will help refine your strategy. You can order the book here 👇 https://lnkd.in/eRYDKXdT What’s one part of your strategy that you’re currently refining? I’d like to hear how you’re approaching growth. ⬇️ ♻️ Repost if you believe Britain needs more billion-pound businesses. And for more on scaling with purpose, Follow me Richard Harpin.

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In the UK, we’re often hesitant about selling. There’s a cultural discomfort with it as if being direct about value is something to be avoided. But in business, selling isn’t optional… it’s essential. Every founder needs to learn how to sell. Not just how to talk about a product, but how to position it, how to create urgency and how to communicate its value clearly and confidently. Because no matter how good your product is, it means nothing if no one knows about it. Visibility is just as important as quality. You can have the best product in the market but if you can’t convince people to care, it won’t go anywhere. Selling isn’t just being pushy it’s a skill. And it’s one every successful entrepreneur inevitably masters, whether selling to customers or investors.

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Our data shows a clear pattern: Founders outside of financial hubs give away more of their company, right from the start. A founder in Wales raising £500k might be diluted 22%+ But a founder in London raising the same amount would be closer to 13% And that single round can set your company on a certain trajectory: Less equity for the founder, less upside for early employees, and even less room for future investors. The downstream effects are massive and long-lasting. It isn’t to do with the quality of talent or ideas. It comes down to the limited number of fundraising options available in those areas. Being further from financial hubs means there are fewer angels, VCs, and corporates at your disposal. And it’s why regional founders often face tougher fundraising journeys, even when they’re building equally strong businesses. In 2025, geography shouldn’t be a factor when it comes to dilution (especially in a country as small as the UK) but the numbers tell a different story. My advice for founders outside of financial hubs is this: Don’t spray-and-pray. Do your research, identify and target the most relevant investors in your space (regardless of their location, especially if you can demonstrate traction in the geographies where their fund is based), and avoid over-reliance on a handful of local players. Otherwise, you risk giving away too much, too soon. At shipshape.vc, we’re committed to levelling that playing field - helping founders anywhere, not just in London or New York, raise smarter and protect more of the companies they’re working so hard to build. #Fundraising #Startups #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #RegionalFounders #Equity #ShipshapeVC

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Some entrepreneurs just get it done. In Aberdeen’s energy scene, Steven Gray Stuart McLeod and the team at Ventex Studio Robert Aitken, Eddie Moore, Chloe Watson, Luis Toral are ones to watch. In the past six months they have: ✅ Establish a climate tech venture studio turning existing energy businesses into net zero leaders. ✅ Made their first investments into high performance robotics and rahd.AI – repurposing oil and gas expertise for renewables and decommissioning. ✅ Built a venture model anchoring low carbon innovation and local jobs using homegrown talent. They move fast. They get stuff done. Their brand is already known and respected, and their presence on Union Street fits right into Aberdeen’s regeneration vision championed by leaders like Geoff Aberdein, Fergus Mutch Ryan Crighton Allister Thomas at True North Advisors, Bob Keiller Our Union Street and Russell Borthwick Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce. This is a team to keep a close eye on. Big things ahead. #Energy #NetZero #Innovation #Aberdeen #Entrepreneurship #ClimateTech #CleanEnergy #VentureCapital #Decommissioning #Renewables #EnergyTransition #Startups

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