Magnetic Leadership

It’s not how loud you are; it’s how far your influence reaches.
Most people hear “magnetic leader” and imagine a charismatic Founder with a strong brand, someone who speaks at all the big conferences, who appears on all the podcasts. However strength in this trait is not just about a strong personal brand it’s about the ability to have a multi-layered impactful influence across three totally different audiences at once:

• Investors

• Customers

• Internal teams

It’s rare because very few leaders can naturally operate across all three spheres with equal effectiveness. Impact on Investors and customers is more common as these two spheres are extrinsically motivated. That multi-channel influence requirement sets Magnetic Leadership apart from traits like Drive or Resilience, which are more internally oriented.

I’m on a personal mission to eliminate bias in this process and bring data to founders that will help them scale themselves and their teams all the way to successful exit.

The result is six key traits that define founder success and eliminate bias in investment decisions. And, we’ve created a test you can use to benchmark yourself.

In this series, week by week, I will share each of the six traits, the data behind it and why it’s important.

At EQT Ventures, I meet all of the Founders we bring forward for investment. What I’ve learned is that founder success isn’t random: it follows measurable patterns.

Approximately 90% of startups fail.  

That failure rate is high enough to scare promising would-be founders off the journey. It scares me just to look at it.  

In today’s hyper-connected digital landscape, attention is the new currency, and credibility can be won or lost in the second it takes to post. For ambitious tech companies, growth doesn’t just happen because you have a groundbreaking product. It happens when you communicate your story effectively, build authority, and earn trust in the marketplace. That’s why our clients understand that social media, content, and influencer marketing are far more than marketing tactics – they’re the three most powerful levers for growth, credibility, and lead generation they can have. 

I first realised that talent and opportunity don’t always cross paths when I was still a child. Born in France, but growing up between Paris and Tel Aviv, I was brought up in a big family having to navigate two very distinct cultures. That experience taught me very early on that the world isn’t a one-size-fits-all. There are lots of possibilities. But you have to know where to look for them.

The intersection of biotechnology and wearable devices is quickly becoming one of the most exciting frontiers in health-tech. As chronic conditions rise, populations age, and demand grows for real-time, personalised health insights, the global wearables market is projected to surge over the coming decade. 

My hardest lesson from fundraising? You probably don’t need to fundraise. Or at least as much as you thought you did. Fundraising itself is hugely distracting. And once you get a big raise done, now you have investors to manage, board meetings to prep for, and major decisions are now a negotiation. And if you raise money – trust me, you’ll find a way to spend it. After every raise, your monthly costs will step up. That’s fine if revenues rise nicely in line. But it’s a problem if something unexpected happens – and it normally does.

Introduction: The Employment Law Landscape in the UK
Employees based in the UK have a number of mandatory legal protections. Some of these may feel intuitive and obvious to founders, whilst others may take some getting used to.

Introduction: The Funding Landscape
Raising your first investment round is hard work. Founders often spend months cold-emailing investors, refining pitch decks, presenting to rooms of sceptics, and navigating the long road of due diligence.