A Founders Notebook — 5 learnings

Noel Dykes
2 min readJan 8, 2022

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Starting a business has thought me many things. Here’s five that stand out.

In sharing, I hope it helps other founders in how they think about leadership, growth & early priorities.

Now, let’s dive in.

Get Personal

I’m all in when it comes to letting my guard down at work. Sharing my feelings and tuning in to our people in a similar manner is very important. Getting personal binds people and teams together at a truly unique level. It’s never mattered more.

Be Consistent

As a founder, people will look up to you and model behaviours. Consistency is something I care deeply about in how I approach my role, my work and my colleagues. Doing the small things in a consistent way daily allows you to gain respect from your peers. Do the same for your customers and partners.

Hire Your Heroes

These three words have become a personal mantra of mine when I think about growing our team. You can’t do it alone. Surround yourself with exceptional people, better than you! Great people are also attracted to great people, so there’s a hiring strategy there too. :)

Customers as Partners

Your early customers ensure you get paid but equally help you understand what’s working, what’s not and crystallise the real-life scenarios and problems your business solves. Listen closely to them, share in their journey and treat each one like a long-term partnership.

Long Term Thinking

You’ll get knocked, challenged and have the vision for your business pulled apart. Stay grounded, focused and believe in what you’re doing. One of the things I’ve found very useful is to think long term. People I’ve met with great ideas, tend to give up too soon. Envisage a world where what your building has a chance to have the impact you believe it can.

Thanks for tuning in. Regarding your own journey, I wish you well. 🚀

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Noel Dykes

Passionate about the intersections of great design, people and business. Founder @ www.frankli.io