Technology decisions boards cannot defer.

Both services start from the same point: an organisation has a technology decision to make, and the people who need to make it are not fully equipped to evaluate it. The question is not whether the organisation needs help. The question is what kind of help produces the right decision.

Primary service

Board Advisory and NED Roles

When the CTO presents an AI investment proposal to the board, the board has two choices: approve based on confidence in the team, or ask the question that changes the decision. Most boards choose the first option. Not because they are incurious, but because they do not have the framework to ask the second question with confidence.

  1. Entry A paid board assessment: a structured AI readiness review that produces a written report the board can act on.
  2. Position Advisory board position: quarterly meetings, ad hoc availability between meetings, and a written perspective on one significant technology governance decision per quarter.
  3. Independence No firm affiliation. No secondary interest in a follow-on engagement. No vendor alignment. The advice is the only deliverable.

For boards of established mid-sized companies in financial services, defence supply chain, critical infrastructure, or professional services — typically GBP 10 million to GBP 100 million in revenue — with AI deployments underway, regulatory obligations arriving, or significant technology investment decisions to govern.

Enquire about a board advisory engagement

Secondary service

Commercial Strategy for Deep Tech Founders

Most deep tech companies lose deals they should win. The product is credible. The commercial narrative is not. Steven has spent 30 years on the commercial side of technology companies — inside three that were acquired by IBM and EMC. The service is a structured repositioning from what the product does to what the business delivers.

  1. Audit A structured review of current messaging, pitch materials, and sales narrative — identifying the gap between what the company says and what the economic buyer needs to hear.
  2. Workshop A focused session with the founding team to identify what the economic buyer actually needs to hear, and analyse the competitive landscape and buyer language.
  3. Deliverable Repositioned value proposition, sales deck structure, website messaging framework, and pricing rationale. Delivered in writing. The founding team executes from it.

For Series A-C deep tech and AI founders in the EU or UK with strong products and weak commercial narratives. Trigger scenarios: a deal lost that should have been won, investor feedback pointing at go-to-market, or a funding round not landing with non-technical investors. This is a project engagement, not a retainer.

Discuss your commercial narrative

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Use this form to enquire about either service. Steven reviews all enquiries personally and responds within 48 hours on working days.

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