Not just a spinout, but a serious contender

This spin out had actual tech. They had depth, complexity and potential. No pretending or bravado. But, they were struggling to convert brilliance into business.

The problem? They didn't know their market and worse, they didn't think this was a problem.

Tech first. Customer later. Commercial thinking, somewhere else entirely. To be fair to academics, this isn't just a spin out problem. We've seen it in other technology and engineering businesses.

The didn't need a plan. They needed a path

The founding team were outstanding researchers, but they weren't naturally big picture thinkers and they weren't ready for a textbook 'design sprint'. They needed something slower and more methodical to help them step back from their tech and into a new mindset (without blowing their minds or loosing them completely).

So we started by slowly zooming out.

Strategy: from papers to positioning

Rather than finding a product-market fit, we helped frame a long-game position by asking 'what problem could their capabilities solve five years from now? Where was the terrain shifting? And, what category would they potentially own, not just compete in? That shift created breathing room. It allowed the team to stop pitching features and start spotting footholds. Most importantly, it allowed focused product development. Having clarity generated enthusiasm and fresh energy.

Story: making the invisible visible

This team didn’t need a glossy narrative. They needed shared language and, after a long and winding journey, clarity about what they were doing and why. So we worked with them to boil this down. A way to talk about their ambition and the problem worth solving without resorting to clichés. A way to describe value that created alignment internally and resonated with investors and customers - not just lab results and line graphs but in jargon free sentences.

Culture: the long game is a team game

Too often, deep tech spin-outs undervalue culture. If I mention it, i'm told they all get along just grand - end of story. But if you’re playing the long game? It’s everything(…and if anything is a long game its deep tech/ spin outs). We helped this team name their tensions, identify blindspots, share feedback, and build leadership habits that’ll serve them when the stakes get higher.

No team building away days or falling backwards into each other's arms. Just small, consistent behavioural shifts that make the journey sustainable (and ensures that the product is the best it can be).

The defankle difference

We helped this spin-out build the strategic muscles they’ll need to adapt, and endure. Ultimately, without doing anything technical, we helped create the fundamental infrastructure that enabled better technology.