Hi, I'm Tom. I help online startups grow and succeed.

I've spent the last decade managing product, marketing and operations for ambitious early-stage startups internationally, in addition to building my own businesses from the ground up. My experience can help you in your startup journey.

I'm based in Dubai, UAE.

What I do

Startup strategy

Having a clear plan is crucial for avoiding headache later down the road. I can help you ask the right questions, act as an experienced sounding board to validate your ideas, and work with you to formulate a realistic strategy for getting your business off the ground.

  • Product-market fit
  • Revenue model & pricing
  • Technology stack & cost/time estimation
  • Dimensionsing team roles and processes (eg. agile)
  • Startup coaching & mentoring

User acquisition

For most startups, initial marketing is all about user acquisition. I can help you develop approaches for getting users for your product, regardless of your marketing budget. We'll not only focus on getting more people in through the door, but also acquiring and retaining the kind of users that convert.

  • SEO & organic traffic
  • SEM & paid traffic
  • Content marketing, social media & PR outreach
  • Email marketing
  • Guerilla/creative marketing tactics

Product development

I can help you create a great product experience for your users. This can take the form of designing new products from scratch, developing new features and functionality, or reviewing what you already have to make it better.

  • Full website/app product build (from concept to production design)
  • Prototyping & wireframing
  • Visual design and branding
  • Website/app UX review

Optimisation

Optimisation is for existing products that are already in the market and have baseline data to work with. I can help you optimise your web platform or app for faster growth, better user engagement and to generate more revenue.

  • KPIs, metrics & collecting the right data
  • Funnel/conversion optimisation (signups, lead generation, purchases, etc)
  • Monetisation & revenue channels
  • User retention & repeat business
  • Load speed optimisation

Launching a new venture

Getting a startup off the ground is hard and mistakes in approach or execution can undermine a business and clip its wings before it has a chance to fly.

Having built several Internet businesses from the ground up, I can help you launch your new venture. I'll make all of my experience available to you, helping you to refine your business concept, formulate a realistic and workable strategy, develop a product that's fit for purpose, looks good and performs well, and kick-start marketing activities that enable your business to acquire users, grow and start making money.

I'll help you avoid typical startup mistakes, take shortcuts where they're available, and work with you to optimise your approach for success.

How I work

Every startup is a little different, so my work and advice is tailored to your specific needs. We'd start with a sit-down so I can learn more about what you do. I usually work on a project-basis, regardless of whether it takes a couple of days or several weeks to get you where you want to be, but I'm open to discussing retainer or part-time arrangements.

I can work in an advisory role or hands-on, either externally or with your team. I typically charge a day rate but I'm open to discussing equity arrangements. I also have a trusted network of UX designers, marketers and experienced coders to call on for specific tasks, as necessary.

If for whatever reason I'm not the right person to work with you or I can't add value to your business, I'll tell you and try to connect you to someone who can.

My background

I'm excited about startups - both building them and learning about other people's businesses. I've worked in director-level roles in product, marketing and operations in Europe and the Middle East, from small bootstrapped startups to ambitious VC-funded companies. As a startup consultant, I've helped startup CEOs reach their goals and launch new businesses - some of which have gone on to raise significant capital or had successful multi-million dollar exits.

I'm a lifelong startup entrepreneur. I created my first business in the late 1990s (an online distance learning platform) and I've since built other profitable online businesses from scratch. There's also been countless other attemps that completely fizzled out, but I've gained a lot of experience along the way about what works and what doesn't.

I have an unusually wide set of skills. I'm a self-taught full-stack developer and graphic designer, in addition to a successful past career in PR/comms. I've also been fortunate to work with many talented people and learn from them.

I have hands-on experience working with:

  • B2C and B2B products
  • Customer-focused platforms and internal tools
  • E-commerce and online marketplaces, classifieds / vertical search, comparison websites, social networking and online communities, content platforms, SaaS products and cloud-based software
  • Mobile apps and responsive web

You can check out my LinkedIn here or just reach out and I'd be happy to chat in person. I'm currently based in AstroLabs in Dubai, UAE.

Contact me

Get in touch for a friendly no-nonsense chat on how we can work together.