An independent perspective to get a unique point of view.

Perspective

I partner selectively with founders and creative entrepreneurs building design-led, tech-enabled ventures. The work is not advisory in the conventional sense — it is sustained attention to a company’s direction, its product, and the patterns it has not yet noticed in itself.

I

How I partner

One or two engagements at a time, each running six to twelve months. I sit alongside the founding team rather than reporting to it, and I stay long enough to see decisions through their consequences. Board seats and non-executive roles are considered where the fit is genuine.

II

What I bring

vision and product clarity
Turning a broad intention into a product decision that can be built and tested
strategic refinement
Narrowing scope; naming what the company will not do
pattern recognition
Two decades of ventures across media, commerce and technology, read against your situation
relational connections
Introductions to strategic connections that I believe could be valuable
creative direction
Brand systems, visual language, and the judgement to keep them consistent
III

Where I add most value

Companies between a first proof and a repeatable business, where the product works but the direction has become crowded. The engagement follows the same three movements each time.

First
Attention
A month of listening — customers, team, numbers, and the founder’s own account of the company. Nothing is proposed in this period.
Then
Definition
The situation written down plainly: what is true, what is assumed, and the three decisions that matter most in the coming year.
Finally
Integration
Working alongside the team as those decisions are made, revisited monthly, and allowed to change the roadmap where they should.
IV

Projects shaped by my perspective

the local edit
Co-founder. Design-led marketplace for South African makers
the pretty blog
Co-founder. Acquired by The Apiary Group, 2019
Nieuwe Sion
Luxury Hospitality Guest Farm in the Cape Winelands, 2025
Zomerlust
Luxury Hotel in the Cape Winelands, 2026

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