2025: Your Year to Reach the Tippy Top 🚀

The only newsletter trusted to bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and investors.

Welcome

Dear Readers

Make 2025 the year you make money! The planets are aligned—literally. In 1884, a farmer named Samuel Benner published a book titled Benner's Prophecies of Ups and Downs in Prices. He predicted market cycles between the years 1924 and 2059 based on lunar activity. Surprisingly, his predictions have been accurate, forecasting events like the Dot-Com bubble crash, the GFC, and COVID.

The good news? We’re on the upswing toward the “Good Times” in 2026, so let’s make hay while the sun shines!

2. Weekly Spotlight - Get back in financial control

Cut up your credit cards in 2025.

Many people complain about the vice grip of the global financial system, yet consumers in the US have willingly chained themselves with $1 trillion in credit card debt. (VCTs

This isn’t entirely surprising, given the powerful marketing campaigns designed to make us want more. Credit cards even arrive unsolicited in the mail!

But we still have a choice. Choose financial freedom over that cashmere sweater, that car, that TV. Sleeping without financial worries is far more satisfying than any material possession or short-lived experience.

Imagine the possibilities if you weren’t living paycheck to paycheck, like 70% of the developed world. You could change jobs, switch careers, take the startup leap, or invest in a side hustle.

Let’s recap at the end of 2025 to see how many of you took on this challenge—and what it did for you.

3. VC Perspective

Should we keep the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trusts)?

Absolutely! Angel investors are the backbone of the UK’s startup ecosystem. EIS encourages them to invest more and take on greater risks than they otherwise might.

However, we should question the practices of some EIS and VCT funds. High fees for founders, poor returns for investors, and a “cash-out-the-door” mentality hurt the industry.

More regulation isn’t the answer. Instead, it’s up to founders and investors to call out bad practices. Share your ideas in the LinkedIn post above—let’s spark a conversation!

4. Entrepreneur Corner

Say no to EAs, office managers, COOs, CFOs, and high salaries.

If you’re serious about building a high-growth startup, watch this video and read the accompanying TechCrunch article. Avoid spending on unnecessary roles, and keep founder salaries reasonable. Your chances of success—in fundraising and beyond—will be significantly higher.

Startups and VC are team sports, but this misalignment occurs far too often. Let’s fix that once and for all.

5. Common Ground / Industry Trends

The UK Venture Capital Ecosystem is a Wasteland!

Most of you aren’t looking for VC jobs, so this might not seem like a big deal. However, recruitment is often a leading indicator of the health of a sector or economy.

Here’s what it signals: funds are still consolidating, and investor cash is concentrating in the best-performing funds.

For entrepreneurs, this is good news—it’s easier to identify who has money, so you can target your outreach.

The flip side? You’ll need to shine and nail your first pitch to stand out. Keep following me for fundraising tips—you’ve got this!

6. Ask Alex

This week’s featured question: "I want to be an entrepreneur but don’t have any good ideas. What should I do?"

Watch my video reply: “No good ideas but want to start a startup?”

In short: You’re in luck! Many co-founders are searching for talented people like you:

• Attend events and explore online pitch portals.

• Find ideas that resonate with you and ignite your passion.

• Assess the business model: does it solve a strong customer pain? Is the Total Addressable Market (TAM) big enough? Do the unit economics make sense?

Reach out—you might be surprised at the warm response you receive.

Good luck!

Pro tip: Low liabilities and being debt-free can help, so consider cutting up your credit cards in 2025!

Want to see your question featured? Reply to this email or reach out on LinkedIn or TikTok!

7. Closing Thoughts

A big thanks to everyone who subscribed to this newsletter after its launch last week. We did it! In just one week, we’ve grown into a community of over 1,000 subscribers.

It’s going to be an epic journey, and I’m super excited to have you along for the ride.

Here’s to reaching the Tippy Top—together!

Best,
Alex

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