Claire is the Managing Director of DiO, and brings a proven ability to drive growth and innovation.
Before joining DiO, she served as VP of Strategy for Liverpool Football Club, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the club’s long-term vision, overseeing its investment portfolio, and leading its digital transformation programme.
Walking into the offices of Liverpool Football Club was one of the most nerve-wracking experiences of my life, but after two interviews I landed my dream job in the club’s strategy team.
I progressed quickly through the ranks and had the time of my life in the process. In 2019 I was made VP and became part of the club’s leadership team, responsible for corporate strategy and guiding the board.
One year later I was on maternity leave in lockdown. That experience gave me a totally different perspective on things, and it’s when I was introduced to the concept of “10X thinking,” which helped me push the boundaries of what was possible for my life and my role. 10X thinking is a mindset that challenges you to pursue goals that are ten times greater than what seems possible, encouraging radical innovation rather than incremental improvements.
Around this time, some colleagues of mine were setting up a new company called DiO. The start-up is all about 10X thinking, disruption, and transformational change by offering creatives a new and more powerful way to measure the emotional impact of their work.
I knew I wanted to be part of this journey and was 100% in from the first conversation with co-founders Rick Curtis and Ade Shannon when they asked me to help bring DiO to life. I was intrigued and I immediately felt pangs of FOMO if I didn’t say yes!
Jumping from a corporate environment with the safety net of structure to a start-up is not for the faint-hearted. And I can’t say I was prepared, I didn’t know any entrepreneurs, or anyone who worked in a startup. But I’ve embraced it and wouldn’t have it any other way.
The journey at DiO has been wild. We’ve moved from founding team, to start-up, to scale-up and experienced the rollercoaster of emotions that goes with it. If you’re thinking of leaping into the unknown, here are my tips:
Embrace “mavericks and mischief makers”
A phrase borrowed from Contagious, one of my favourite agencies, “mavericks and mischief makers” are people who challenge established norms and are known for their unconventional behaviour. They possess an innate ability to see beyond the obvious and find unique solutions. Above all else, they are some of the most interesting individuals you’ll ever meet.
This might feel like the Wild West (or it did for me). But you quickly learn to respect everyone’s talent and role. Here at DiO these mavericks are everywhere – they’re the technologists, scientists, and producers that comprise our team, and they’re also the creators that we serve with our data-driven insights.
Be comfortable with being uncomfortable
Personally, I loved this aspect of working in a start-up, but it isn’t for everyone. If you require structure, routines and steering groups then start-up life isn’t for you. However, the one major positive of this lack of structure is that you can make things happen really fast.
From my experience of working in large organisations it often took weeks if not months to get any sort of change signed off.
The rigour is comforting to some extent because you feel ownership from above in the decision – but the process can cripple innovation. For me – this is one of the most frustrating parts of corporate life and one of the most freeing of working for a start-up, where this formality of process just doesn’t exist.
At DiO we empower our leaders to make decisions independently and encourage everyone to make suggestions on a better way forward. These decisions are signed off quickly and there’s absolutely no blame if things don’t go as expected.
Large organisations can find it difficult to respond to a fast-moving environment. If you work for a start-up or scale-up you are perfectly placed to move quickly – spin up new products, test new technologies, and operate in new industries. Your size is your superpower.
Throw out the strategy rulebook
My background in strategic planning means that I’ve read A LOT about strategy design and even how/if the concept of strategy itself is relevant in a modern technological landscape.
I believe it is, but one size doesn’t fit all. If you make biscuits and you’ve always made biscuits and, in the future, there will always be biscuits – then a traditional vision, mission, 5-year plan and projection will work for you. If you work in a tech start-up you must think differently about strategy.
My approach at DiO was to create a shared understanding of what we existed to do (empowering creativity everywhere) and what we aspired to achieve (our long-term valuation target) and how we were going to get there: a) through being the pioneer in applications of neuroscience in creative insight and b) getting that insight into the hands of creatives everywhere.
What lives underneath that are our strategic ‘bets’. These are the activities we think are going to support our growth, if they aren’t performing or we find alternative routes – we can change where we place our bets as a board.
I loved working at LFC. I experienced Cup Finals, Champions’ League comebacks, and Premier League wins.
However, the thrill of working for a start-up is hard to beat. That each day brings a new challenge, a new chance to (responsibly) “move fast and break things,” makes for an exciting and rewarding life. It’s one I have no hesitation in recommending for you fellow mavericks and mischief makers.
