What to get right in the first 1,000 days of a startup

Most startups don’t make it past 1,000 days. In this event, founders and funders discuss hard-won lessons from those critical early years.

1,000 Days to Get It Right — Founders and Investors on What Actually Matters

At this London Tech Week fringe event, hosted by Imperial College London and Nexus (Imperial x H&F), founders and investors come together to share the hard-won lessons from those critical early years. Expect honest conversation, real experience, and practical insight for anyone building in the west London ecosystem and beyond.

Whether you’re at day one or day 900, this is the room you want to be in.

Founders Panel:

• Julia Fan Li, CEO & Co-founder – Micrographia
• Claire Trant, CEO – Untap
• Rima Suppan, Co-Founder – Peachies
• Fryderyk Szydlowski, Co-Founder & CEO – Embargo

Investors Panel:

• Adam Cragg, Partner – Osney Capital
• Maureen Haverty, Investment Principal – Seraphim
• Tom Weatherall, Senior Analyst – Amadeus Capital

What the Session Will Cover

• Building the foundations of leadership: what it takes to form the right team, culture, and decision-making structures in the earliest and most uncertain days
• Navigating product development: how to stay focused, iterate fast, and avoid the common mistakes that derail startups before they find their footing
• Earning early investor trust: what founders and investors really look for in those first relationships, and how to set the right expectations from day one
• Lessons from those who’ve lived it: candid insights from founders and investors who’ve been through the first 1,000 days and come out the other side

Audience Q&A following each panel

Who Should Attend

• Early-stage founders
• Aspiring entrepreneurs
• The west London and LTW ecosystem
• Investors & VCs