Scaling the business starts with you

Scaling a company brings new challenges not only for the business, but for the people leading it. As organisations grow, founders and senior leaders must evolve just as quickly. 

We spoke to alumni of our Shott Scale Up Accelerator to learn more about how the programme supports them through transition and growth: 

• Jonathan Brown, Chief Strategy Officer of Hypermotive,
• Sakthy Selvakumaran, Founder and CEO of BKwai,
• Nico Fenu, Co‑founder and Chief Operating Officer of Nami Surgical.

Together, their journeys highlight the power of personal development, reflection and a strong peer community.  

For leaders facing the challenge of scaling a high potential deep tech start up, the takeaway is clear. Growth at scale starts with the founder, and investing in your own development is just as important as investing in the business. 

A highlight from the alumni was the depth of connection within the cohort. Learning alongside peers facing similar pressures created trust, perspective and long-term value. 

Jonathan Brown discussed the value of the cohort as one of the most powerful aspects of the programme. He described his cohort as a “trusted network of peers”, with leaders that were willing to share real experiences and challenges. Jonathan felt the safe space within the cohort enabled all to share challenges openly, and the perspectives of others helped to reflect on his own approach to his role and across the wider business. 

For Sakthy, the cohort provided an unexpected but vital source of support. She reflected on the value of being surrounded by founders at different stages, but all facing similar scaling pressures. For her, the cohort provided reassurance during a demanding period of her life.  

“I joined the programme and had just come back from maternity leave, which was incredibly challenging. Part of the experience for me was understanding how to navigate my new reality with my identity as a founder.” 

The £10,000 leadership training grant enabled participants to tailor their learning to the skills most critical for their growth stage. Founders could use the grant to address specific gaps, whether that meant strengthening commercial capability, improving decision-making, developing negotiation skills, or building confidence in leadership roles. 

For Nico Fenu, this training grant was life changing. It meant that he could target areas that would strengthen his decision making as the business scaled. He spoke about how choosing a course that focused on negotiation and fast decision making suited him perfectly. He learnt tools that he could immediately apply in high-pressure situations, which included pitching to investors.  

“I did a course on negotiation and quick decision making, it was the best decision of my life. It was life changing.” - Nico Fenu 

Nico reflected on how the course not only improved his practical capability but also boosted his confidence when approaching complex discussions and strategic decisions. 

Jonathan chose a strategy execution course with his training grant, which he described as both intensive and highly practical. The course strengthened his ability to translate strategy into action, Jonathan said, equipping him with tools that he used to adapt his working style. 

“One of the courses I did was with Warwick Business School, and that was a strategy execution course which really gave me a lot of practical toolsets.” 

One to one Coaching: space to think, not just react  

Beyond training, alumni consistently highlighted one-to-one coaching and time for reflection as some of the most transformational elements of the programme. Coaching offered protected space to step away from day‑to‑day pressures, gain deeper self-awareness as leaders, and apply learning with intention, rather than simply reacting as the business grew. 

For Jonathan, the combination of coaching and training provided a structured way to translate experience into practical leadership action. He reflected on how the coaching helped him reflect more deliberately about his next steps, and how he could use this personal development in the realm of his innovation.  

Sakthy explained how the focus on personal development, specifically in coaching sessions, helped her reframe how she viewed leadership. At a time when her responsibilities were increasing, the programme created a space to step back and reflect on how she was showing up as a founder.  

For founders navigating the transition from early traction to sustained growth, the question is not just how do I scale this business? but how do I scale myself alongside it? 

Because in the end, the two are inseparable. 

The companies that scale successfully are rarely just well-funded or well-positioned. They are well-led—by people who have invested in their own development with the same seriousness as their product, their team, and their market.