Maddyness opens its columns to gather advice and testimonials from the people leading the new economy. Learning from others, that's the ambition of this 'Opinion' section
Our selection All the Opinions
THE + RECENT
Why the AI revolution hinges on effective data management
Artificial intelligence (AI) is on a significant hype curve. Worth more than £16.8 billion in the UK, the AI market is expected to grow to £801.6 billion by 2035. The use cases are almost endless, from enhancing medical diagnosis tools to fully automating repetitive tasks. But it takes more than just buying an off-the-shelf solution and expecting it to get to work straight away.
Opinion by " Andrew Carr
17.07.2024
Andrew Carr
Beyond first-mover advantage: Unleashing the power of collaborative innovation
From the Wright brothers taking flight to Google revolutionising the internet, society has always been captivated by stories of pioneering "firsts". In the business world, being a first-mover has long been viewed as a powerful competitive advantage.
Opinion by " Ellie Besley-Gould
16.07.2024
Beyond first-mover advantage: Unleashing the power of collaborative innovation
France's unseized impact VC opportunity
France's strides in green innovation are undeniable. Approximately 40% of last year's investments (€2.7B across 105 greentech operations) were directed towards climate tech. For perspective, that's €300M more than Germany’s investment in impact startups last year.
Opinion by " Agate Freimane
11.07.2024
France's unseized impact VC opportunity
Embracing the duality of foundership
Founders are typically driven by a deep passion to solve a big, meaningful problem. From the moment the entrepreneurial journey begins, everything is about that mission, and any time not spent on it feels like time wasted. There’s a constant sense of urgency, a prevailing undercurrent of uncertainty, and we carry a heavy weight of self-expectation. This creates a hotbed for mental health challenges.
Opinion by " Samantha Rosenberg
10.07.2024
Embracing the duality of foundership
Staying sane as a climate-tech founder
"Wow! That must be so purposeful!" This is a common reaction when I reluctantly tell people what it is my business does. We are a developer of carbon abatement and carbon removal projects at large scale to create a healthier earth (also our company name). In a world that is obsessed with purpose, this appears to be a holy grail of work. However, for me personally, it has been highly anxiety inducing. On top of building a business, I am also reminded daily about the reality of the challenges ahead of us.
Opinion by " Alastair Collier
09.07.2024
Staying sane as a climate-tech founder
The fallacy of the One-Person Billion-Dollar company
It’s time to stop focusing on the AI takeover of human expertise in business development and distribution. There is a thesis du jour that from the rise of AI and automation will soon emerge relatively autonomous, billion dollar companies operated by a single individual. While this thought is captivating, we believe this is fundamentally unrealistic as it underestimates the complexity of business operations - such as business development and distribution - that extend beyond the capabilities of AI, and still requires human nuance and expertise.
Opinion by " Robin Yan
05.07.2024
The fallacy of the One-Person Billion-Dollar company
They're not copycats, they're smart iterators
Paul Graham, Y-Combinator’s founder, excels at simplicity. His essays are crisp, his sentences are short and his ideas are clear. A visit to YC’s FAQ page shows that his ethos irrigated the institution he created. Answers are crisp, sentences are short and ideas are clear. Despite the diversity of startups it deals with, YC seems obsessed with simplifying how it accompanies them.
Opinion by " Timothy MOtte
03.07.2024
They're not copycats, they're smart iterators
Your competitors might just be your best friends in the fight against climate change
In a business world urgently focused on sustainability, organisations are discovering the limits of their ability to create meaningful progress alone. More than ever, senior leaders need to develop the vision, will, and skill to create radical collaborations – they need to start joining forces with their competitors.
Opinion by " Emrah Durusut
02.07.2024
Your competitors might just be your best friends in the fight against climate change
The cost of stress: The case for open dialogue on mental health in the workplace
The only positive aspect of the increase in cases of stress during the past decade is that people are at least talking about them. Conversations about stress and mental health have moved out of the shadows and into the light. This is important progress as a greater understanding of cause and effect can lead to more meaningful conversations about where stress comes from and the different ways in which it can affect people.
Opinion by " Lesley Cooper
27.06.2024
The cost of stress: The case for open dialogue on mental health in the workplace
When it comes to companies using AI, more isn’t better
At the end of March, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) took action against two investment advisers for making false and misleading claims about their use of artificial intelligence.
Opinion by " Michaela Jeffery Morrison
26.06.2024
Michaela Jeffery Morrison
The Power of C-Suite: Boosting Employee Wellbeing and Corporate Success
As a team leader, the single most important thing I can do is support my employees' wellbeing, motivation, and health.
Opinion by " Luke Bullen
25.06.2024
Luke Bullen
AI has reduced the barriers to bootstrapping - will VCs now get the boot?
Venture capital (VC) has served as the lifeblood of the startup ecosystem, providing the necessary funds for young companies to grow and scale. Unlike institutional investors, VCs are often more willing to take on high-risk investments, such as tech startups, providing the vital funds these companies need to hire staff, develop products, and market to customers.
Opinion by " David Kearney
21.06.2024
AI has reduced the barriers to bootstrapping - will VCs now get the boot?
What it's like being a first-time female founder at fifty
Chairing meetings in the latter stages of my NHS career, I remember being exasperated that more and more people would mutter and mumble their way through meetings. I had no idea the problem was actually mine.
Opinion by " Amanda Philpott
21.06.2024
What it's like being a first-time female founder at fifty
From investor to tenant: The role of AI in transforming the real estate experience
A stubborn sector reliant on manual processes has contributed to Europe’s housing market disarray. However, the real estate industry is finally recognising the opportunities that powerful new technologies, like AI, Machine Learning (ML), and automation, bring to the entire industry, from investors all the way down to the tenants themselves.
Opinion by " Hima Mandali
20.06.2024
From investor to tenant: The role of AI in transforming the real estate experience

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