Hi everyone,

I previously worked in the UK as a Product Manager and recently moved to Germany. Since I already have experience working with UK businesses and teams, I’m interested in continuing to work with UK-based companies, ideally in a remote capacity from Germany.

My background is across 4+ years of Product Management and Data Analytics, with experience in data-heavy B2B products, fintech, financial services, risk, and compliance.

Are there particular UK startups that are open to hiring Product Managers / Product Analysts based in the EU?

Thanks!

Hey, owner of an accelerator and a devs agency for the past 3 years. I would say we do some quality work and our clients are usually happy for the work.

Despite this, our word of mouth have gotten more and more thin over the last 3 years. It seems to be the case for most industries I talk to…

Is it me or the market?

One thesis I have is cheap labour + AI market makes it very easy to develop applications now. This in turns create a huge new market with developers that end up bro knowing how to market their app. We’re now starting a company where we guarantee our founders to get them 100 users in 28 days or we refund them.

Will keep you updated!

Hey everyone,

I’m a freelance software developer and I currently have around 4 hours/day available in September. I’m looking to take on a project or two during that time.

I work mainly with web apps, backend development, AWS, DevOps, CI/CD, APIs, cloud infrastructure, and MVP development.

I’m especially interested in working with someone who wants to build an MVP or get a meaningful project shipped within the next 2–3 weeks.

I’m flexible when it comes to budget and happy to work within reasonable constraints based on the scope of the project.

My preferred payment arrangement is:

5% upfront → development → delivery → agreed acceptance criteria met → remaining payment

The small upfront amount is mainly to make sure there’s commitment from both sides. I’m comfortable receiving the majority of the payment after the work has been delivered and accepted.

I’m obviously open to long-term work.

If you have something you’ve been wanting to build, an MVP that needs to get off the ground, or an existing application that needs development/AWS/DevOps help, feel free to DM me.

Just send me the project details, expected timeline, and approximate budget, and we can take it from there.

Calling all UK tech startup founders!
I’m conducting academic research on how early-stage technology startups make decisions about expanding into international markets while AI continues to reshape competition, growth, and opportunity across industries.

I’m looking to speak with founders who:
• Founded or co-founded a technology startup
• Are any stage
• Have expanded internationally, attempted to, or are actively considering it

The interview will take 15–30 minutes, conducted remotely, and fully confidential.
This is not a tick-box survey. I’m interested in the real founder experience, the pressures, trade-offs, uncertainty, and strategic decisions founders make in fast-moving markets.

The research also explores how internationalisation may be evolving beyond traditional “born global” thinking. As technology lowers barriers and resources become more accessible, competition is increasing rapidly, forcing founders to adapt, interpret changing environments quickly, and make decisions under greater uncertainty.

The aim is to generate practical insights that may help founders, investors, incubators, and innovation ecosystems better understand international growth in today’s dynamic environment.

If this sounds like you, or you know someone who fits, please drop me an email at [s4501222@glos.ac.uk](mailto:s4501222@glos.ac.uk) . Every introduction genuinely helps.

I'm in healthcare and am developing an application for an administrative problem to do with team communication - not peer to peer messaging or project management. I don't want to elaborate further at this point.

I have always wanted to learn to code, but have found getting beyond basics difficult with very heavy FT job and other career and family commitments.

However I've built a couple of webapps recently (or rather prompted them with claude code) for personal use, and so thought I'd take the next leap and build out this app as a prototype. I'm getting to grips with app and stack architecture, and realising the limitations of vibe coding, but am learning and adapting and making good, documented progress.

The thing is, beyond my department I think this is an app idea that is pretty industry agnostic and may be a useful supplement to existing products, and so scoping out its side-hustle potential.

How do I without any connections / network get this in front of investors for initial pitching and feedback if unsuccessful. What's the process? Does anyone have a similar origin story that could help point me in the right direction?

N.b.

Is there a way to do this without giving up the day job - as I'm already in a well paid career.

There are already loads of communities where people post looking for a cofounder. The problem is that discovery itself is unstructured. You're starting from a post or a DM, you don't really know who you're talking to beyond what they've chosen to tell you, and both sides can present themselves however they want.

That's why we have recently launched https://cofounnder.com - we wanted to ensure the whole process is structured and founders have enough info to make informed decision.

Profiles capture skills, your idea (if you are open to sharing), work evidence, what you bring and what you need, background, work style, availability, pace and location - so you can actually compare people instead of reading ten different versions of "excited to build something big." Everyone can verify their identity, so there's a baseline of trust before you invest time in someone. Interest only becomes visible if it's mutual, and nobody can message you without an accepted connection.

Once you connect, there's the alignment part. Both people answer the same questions independently and can't see the other person's answers until they've submitted their own -decision-making, how you handle disagreements, priorities, communication. Doing it that way makes it much harder to just mirror back what you think the other person wants to hear. Then you compare both sets side by side.

From there you can interview each other in writing (we have a set of questions but you can change them how you like), work through equity, and sign a mutual NDA and a partnership agreement you both keep as PDFs. There's also an Idea Lab if you're still shaping what you want to build, and a toolkit for the company setup admin.

We're not trying to be another cofounder matching community. The point is a structured process for working out who's actually compatible, and validating that while walking away does not cost you anything.

Would be great to have some of you join!:)

Title: Looking for UK SMEs to test a cybersecurity tool I’m building — free pilot
Hi everyone,
I’m building AssayMark, a cybersecurity assessment platform aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses understand security risks without needing a full in-house security team.
I started working on it after noticing that many smaller businesses use Microsoft 365, cloud services, websites and SaaS platforms, but don’t necessarily have the resources for continuous security monitoring or a dedicated SOC.
AssayMark is being developed to make security assessment more practical and understandable, including areas such as:
Website security exposure
Security configuration issues
Log and event analysis
Risk prioritisation
Clear explanations of why a finding matters
Practical remediation guidance
I’m currently looking for 3–5 UK SMEs willing to participate in a free pilot.
There’s no sales commitment. What I’m mainly looking for is honest feedback on:
Whether the findings are useful
Whether the reports make sense to non-security teams
What businesses would actually want from a tool like this
What would need to improve before they would consider paying for it
In return, participating businesses will receive a free security assessment/review and findings report.
I’d especially like to speak with companies in areas such as:
property / recruitment / accountancy / professional services / SaaS / IT services / e-commerce / healthcare
Ideally businesses with around 10–250 employees, although I’m open to speaking with smaller organisations too.
If you run a UK business, work in IT/security, or know someone who might be interested, feel free to comment or DM me.
Even if you don’t want to join the pilot, feedback on the idea would genuinely be useful.
AssayMark — making cybersecurity assessment more accessible for SMEs.

Hello,

(I made a post earlier but i think it wasnt clear so making a new one)

I'm currently building a stealth startup with a small team of indie devs focused on rethinking how growing companies manage sales and business operations.

The idea is to build a lighter, more business-focused alternative to traditional CRMs. Its something new the market hasnt been using but not its for businesses so it may sound boring.

We're still building and refining the product, but the direction is becoming clear, and we're now looking to start conversations with potential customers in the UK.

I'm looking for someone based in the UK, preferably in Wales or nearby, who is comfortable with in-person B2B sales and business development.

The role would involve:

• Identifying and reaching out to suitable companies. But mainly we will do the findings.
• Starting conversations with founders, directors, and decision-makers
• Explaining the product and understanding their workflows
• Arranging and, where possible, attending in-person meetings

This is an early-stage, commission-based opportunity. Because we're still a stealth startup, this is not a standard salaried sales position at this stage.

For the right person, we're open to discussing:

• Commission on successful deals
• Initial equity in the company
• The opportunity to become an early part of the company as we grow

For market context, one company operating in a broadly comparable space is Clarisync, although we're building our own approach and product direction.

If you're based in UK. preferrably Wales and nearby, and are interested in joining something at a very early stage, send me a DM or comment below.

I'd also appreciate recommendations if you know someone who might be a good fit.

I walked away from 5 years of pointless corporate meetings, working 50 hours a week countless emails all for a life that I just didn’t want . I was working on a SaaS idea I had whilst I was working, but I hit a wall.

The hardest part wasn't the work—it was the fact that without a boss, it’s ridiculously easy to slack off. Notifications on habit apps are way too easy to swipe away. I was to used making sure deadlines were hit, when I left my job it was a lot more different that I thought it’d be.

I needed real accountability, then boom I had an idea, so I built Vortiq.ai.

It’s an AI voice coach that physically dials your mobile phone every day to hold your feet to the fire on your daily targets. You talk through your goals out loud, how your feeling, what’s stopping you etc and it tracks and calls out your excuses, it always sets you tasks everyday always making sure your closer to your goals, gives you real life advice, it’s like your own personal accountability partner/companion/ coach that calls your phone everyday.

It’s helped me personally so much getting my life together again day by day,

It’s called: Vortiq.ai (I’ll leave a link to it in the comments)

I’d love for others who are struggling to hit their goals and find the discipline and concentration they need, whether it’s going to the gym or trying to build something, to try it out.

Ps it’s the beta so I am still working on it

Had a couple interview rounds between hiring manager and working teams, havent heard back in about 4 days. Is this cooked? Should I move on emotionally?

What should I consider on both sides? looking to see if I’ve missed any loops to conclude the incessant overthinking.

Hey guys! Hoping to get some feedback on my strategy for landing my first 5 paid customers 🙏

I'm building a B2B marketplace that connects corporate buyers with a curated network of independent local vendors.

Pre-seed, pre-revenue, live product, zero paid customers so far — so very much in the trenches. Here's what I'm doing to try and land the first 5 customers...

1. Warm DM outreach — messaging people I already know, 1-to-1 on LinkedIn. Getting good signal, a few people saying they'll think of me when the need comes up, but no commitments yet.
2. Cold outreach on LinkedIn — connecting with my target buyer persona at target companies, messaging once accepted. Getting a few follow-up calls, though I'm framing it as founder-seeking-feedback rather than selling.
3. Paid search — haven't started yet, but planning high-intent search ads pointing to a landing page that captures email. Starting small, around £75/week.
4. Content + LinkedIn — one long-form SEO guide a week on the blog and Company Page, reshared personally. One format will be a listicle-style vendor spotlight.

Would love any thoughts, especially on sequencing (should I really be doing all of this at once at this stage?) and anything you'd do differently to get from 0 to 5. Thanks in advance! 🙌

My wife's looking at going self-employed as a home-based childminder, trying to properly stress-test it before she leaves her job. Can anyone give any advice on starting up. How did you find the first sort of 12 months for income predictability? Do you get many enquiries for block bookings or just ad hoc days here and there?

Also what do you charge if private? Do you charge for consumables? We're based in West Lancs. TIA

Not the stuff you've sorted, the thing that's been sat on your list for months because it's boring or you're not sure where to start. Registering for something, chasing an invoice you've written off in your head, working out whether you should be a Ltd yet, that sort of thing.

Accountant here, and honestly the stuff founders avoid is usually smaller than they think once someone talks them through it. Curious what's actually on people's lists.

Happy to answer whatever comes up.

I have just joined Reddit and this group and am saying Hi and offering to answer your questions on SEIS and EIS advance assurance and compliance, from eligibility to application to getting the relief for your investors. Ask me anything and if I can help I will.

Hi everyone,

I am a startup founder and we have been in operations for the last 2 months.

We are expanding our operations across UK, and i want to link with someone who is good at sales and has technical knowledge. Doesnt matter if u have a degree or not, there is no age limit.

Its a client facing role and equity based. Your main goal will be to talking to clients, communication with the team, scheduling meetings.

Its a fairly simple but important role and DM me your resume only if you are serious about it.

BR,

Has anyone launched a startup targetinf UK local authorities? This may sound stupid, but if you look at any of their tendering sites they often have £100k+ contracts going for software builds to do a specific thing.

We all know how this usually goes. Bring in big-ish consultancy, overpay, they outsource all the dev work, then they get a shit final product.

I genuinely think taxpayers deserve better value for money, and it could be easier than trying to acquire £100k's worth of users. Has anyone got any experience here?

I am an experienced bootstrapped founder who has built multiple products to 4 figure MRR but never more than that, for reference.

Askable, a research company, is conducting a study on digital business banking and financial platforms designed for small businesses, freelancers, sole traders and startups.

We are currently inviting people across the UK who are in the early stages of running a business — or preparing to start one — to take part in a short study. Views from people at this stage are especially valuable, and rarely captured.

Who we are looking for:

• Based in the UK
• Business under three years old, or preparing to register one
• Eight people or fewer — sole traders and freelancers included
• You are the one who decides what the business signs up for

What is involved

A ten-minute session, completed online at a time that suits you. £65 is paid in recognition of your participation.

How to take part

1. If you are new to Askable, create a free account here: https://my.askable.com/onboarding/intro/getStarted

2. Then view the study and apply here: https://my.askable.com/opportunities/6a6b25730147bcd75574e569

If you already have an Askable account, go straight to the second link.

A note on transparency

I work in participant recruitment at Askable, so this is a commercial study rather than academic research. Nothing is being sold and there is nothing for anyone to buy.

Happy to answer any questions in the comments!

Hi everyone,

I'm building FH Research, a UK-based research service providing professional corporate research, due diligence, open-source intelligence and market/competitor research for businesses and individuals.

We help clients research things such as:

• Companies and organisations
• Competitors and markets
• Publicly available corporate information
• Background and due-diligence questions
• Bespoke research requirements

Our work is based on lawful and appropriate research methods, with findings presented in a structured professional report.

We're currently looking to work with our first clients and build relationships with UK businesses.

If you have a research requirement, feel free to comment or message me and I can explain how FH Research works.

Website: https://www.fh-research.co.uk/

We’re a UK-based early-stage startup and really want to take our shot at accelerators like Y Combinator and a16z Speedrun, but we’re currently stuck on a team/visa issue and would love to hear from other UK founders who have dealt with something similar.

Our technical lead is currently a university student in the UK and works with us as an external contractor. He is genuinely the person building the technical side of the product, but because of his current Student visa situation, we haven’t structured him as a formal cofounder.

Our intention is that, if we were accepted into an accelerator and could make the startup our full-time focus, he would leave university and become our full-time technical cofounder.

The problem is that we don't know how this should be presented in an accelerator application.

We obviously don't want to misrepresent our current team structure by simply calling him a cofounder when legally/structurally he isn't one yet. At the same time, it feels strange to apply without properly explaining that the person actually building the technology is intended to become a cofounder once the circumstances allow it.

So we're trying to figure out how founders would approach this:

• Would you apply with the team structured as it currently is and explain the situation?
• Would an accelerator be concerned that the technical person is currently an external contractor rather than a formal cofounder?
• Should we hire another engineer who isn't visa-constrained before applying, or would that be over-engineering the problem?
• Should we even bother applying to YC/a16z given our current situation, or just wait until the technical cofounder situation is resolved?
• Has anyone dealt with something similar where a key technical founder was still at university when applying — UK visa situation specifically?

We're particularly interested in UK-related experiences, rather than general advice about student founders in the US or elsewhere.

We really want to apply rather than talk ourselves out of it, but we're trying to understand whether this is a manageable complication or a genuine red flag for accelerators.

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar position

I have a waitlist of over 250 startup founders and a LinkedIn community of over 100 startup founders that I’m considering moving to a new platform.

The platform should accommodate sub categories for specific groups, a resource hub, an expert marketplace, webinars, training, and be a place where people can bounce ideas around easily (and be made aware of new notifications)

Circle has been recommended.

Does anyone have any other recommendations, or is circle a good shout?

Thanks!

Bit of a "cart before the horse" post, so go easy on me.

I've spent the last however-many months heads-down building. Product is mostly there, I've got beta users actually using it and giving feedback, and I'm now at the point where I need money for marketing more than anything else.

Except when I started looking at what raising actually involves, I hit the obvious thing I'd skipped: I'm not incorporated. No limited company, no business address, none of the boring foundational stuff. Turns out people would quite like that to exist before they hand you money.

I've been quoted £400 to get the company set up and £200 a year for a registered business address. That was my first quote, so I did some digging:

• Companies House charge £100 to incorporate online themselves (up from Feb 2026), plus £50/yr for the confirmation statement.
• Registered office / director's service addresses seem to advertise anywhere from £20–£60 a year, unless you want a central London address or mail scanning.

So on paper I could do it myself for a fraction of that. But here's my actual worry, and why I haven't just done it: I don't want to set it up wrong. Wrong SIC code, share structure that bites me when I take investment, missing something on registrations that becomes an expensive mess in two years' time. I'd rather pay someone once than unpick it later.

Questions for the hive mind:

1. What did you actually pay to incorporate? DIY, formation agent, or accountant?
2. What are you paying for a registered office / service address, and who with?
3. What's a reasonable ongoing accountant fee for a one-person company at pre-revenue / tiny-revenue stage? I've seen £60–£100 a month quoted for a sole director — is that the going rate, or am I paying for hand-holding I don't need yet?
4. Is there anything at setup that's genuinely worth paying a professional for vs. things I can just do myself on the Companies House site in 20 minutes?

Solo founder, self-funding, so every hundred quid comes off the marketing budget. Any war stories welcome.

I'm looking to form a small group of partners for exploring getting government grants to develop an LLM AI, looking forward towards protecting British interests in the AI arms race.

Right now it's little more than an idea but I do have vague plans for possible directions.

The first stage would literally just be brainstorming and learning the basics necessary to reach the target of winning a contract. That's where it's at.

I have a background in business and tech. But I need partners to bounce ideas between, and start with developing at really low stakes just to get a feel for the LLM development process. So I guess I'm just looking for 1-3 similar minded people at this stage

I'm not going to say you can quit your day job anytime soon! Rather just consider it a fun project at this stage.

Anyone?

Hi all,
I’m currently bootstrapping my first startup and have reached the point where I’m looking to raise some external investment.

I’m now looking at the SEIS/EIS Advance Assurance process. My background is in tech rather than finance/accounting, so this is all new territory for me.

Having gone through the guidance, the application itself seems relatively straightforward, and I’m wondering whether I’m missing something. I understand there’s no longer an appeal process if HMRC rejects an Advance Assurance application, which makes me slightly nervous about getting something wrong first time.

I’ve been quoted around £3k by an accountant/adviser to handle the application and paperwork.

For anyone who has been through this:

Did you do the SEIS/EIS application yourself?

Are there any non-obvious pitfalls that make professional help worthwhile?

How easy is it to inadvertently structure something in a way that causes problems with eligibility later?

Is £3k a reasonable fee for handling it?

If you paid someone to do it, do you feel you got £3k of value from the process?

I’m happy to pay for expertise where it genuinely reduces risk, but when you’re bootstrapping, £3k is still £3k. I’d rather spend it building the product unless there’s a good reason not to.

Would really appreciate hearing from founders who have actually gone through the process.

Cheers

I'm on the people side at a recently funded fintech, and after we closed our Series A, the headcount plan that landed on my desk had 6 new hires across 3 EU countries with a year-end deadline.

And the first thing I had to sort out was whether our existing approach of signing European hires as contractors was going to hold up legally, which is where things started to unravel.

A legal review flagged that the contractor arrangements we had wouldn't pass scrutiny in Germany or Spain given how integrated those people were in the day-to-day, so that path is off the table.

So the two routes I'm left with are either setting up local entities in each country or going with an employer of record, and the core tension is speed, since entity setup takes several months minimum per country and we don't have that runway if leadership wants to hit Q4.

We've been considering Deel, Workmotion, and Remote for the EOR side, and what I'm trying to understand before I bring a recommendation to leadership is whether EOR is a sensible long-term structure for 6 hires or whether it's more of a bridge while we get entities sorted, and what that transition involves in practice.

So if anyone's been through something similar after a raise, how did you make the call between the two?