- Can you tell us a bit about 30 Minute Chat, and how did you start?
Sure, 30 Minute Chat (or 3MC, as the cool kids are calling it) is a platform that lets students interested in a legal career request a one-off, 30-minute chat with someone a few steps ahead of them for career insights, CV/application reviews (or both!).
After my first startup – bkynd – didn’t quite take off, I was walking in the park, wondering what to do. I wished there was another social impact startup founder I could talk to that was a few steps ahead. Just to get their insight. But I couldn’t think of anyone. That feeling of a lack of access to someone doing what I wanted to do took me back to when I was younger and wanting to break into law. And that was really the lightbulb moment.
I started by making a profile for just me and offering it to law students at my old university. I got my first chat with a PhD student, who was deliberating entering into the social impact tech world, too. The magic moment was the sense of connection I felt after doing something so simple as sharing my career insights to help someone with their own journey. This was when I thought there was something worth building, so I went from there.
- What made you want to become an entrepreneur?
I guess it was slightly existential. I got to a point where I wanted to do something that I felt helped people on a big scale. I always felt connected to entrepreneurship, having grown up helping my dad who ran a small shop in Wolverhampton. So I always had an itch to do something entrepreneurial and put two and two together.
- What is the experience like a growing business in the UK?
The UK has a really strong tech scene, so even though being a founder is inherently difficult, it’s made easier by having access to such great resources and knowledge.
- How did you finance your business?
I’ve always bootstrapped. I think it’s important to have skin in the game. Whilst I understand the reasons for seeking external funding when starting a business, using your personal savings means you’re even more driven to make it work and operate using lean startup principles.
- Did the pandemic impact your business development, and did you benefit from any of the government grants for businesses?
One of the things I noticed about the pandemic was how a lot of people really reassessed what’s important, gained an increased sense of community and showed real acts of kindness. Both of my startups have benefited from that perspective shift. I didn’t benefit from any of the government grants for either startup.
- As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?
The main thing that motivates me is making a difference in people’s lives through my work.
- What is next for 3MC?
I’m just going to keep pushing so 3MC can help as many people as possible and see how things go from there!
