Nick Telson

trumpet

Co-Founder

sequel

First Check Investor/Ideator

Horseplay Ventures

Horseplay Ventures is a Startup Playground for the new generation of startup founders. As recently exited founders we understand the pressures of being a founder and what it takes to scale and exit. Horseplay incorporates Pre-Seed/Seed Angel Investing, a free investor syndicate, a podcast and free tools for founders to use.

Co-Founder - Angel Investor

Pitch Deck - @pitchdeckpod

Pitch Deck:

- Top 10 Global Business Podcast
- Top 10 Global New Podcast
- Top 5 UK Career/Entrepreneurship Podcast 

Real investors, real founders, real pitches. In each episode, a startup founder has 10 minutes to pitch their business to Nick and guest Angel Investors/Mentors. They then all discuss the pitch and the business itself, asking questions an Investor would ask in a real pitch. The guest Angel and Nick then discuss what they make of the business and investment opportunity.

Podcaster

Proud Ventures

Member

London & Partners

Business Mentor

Virgin StartUp

Delighted to be an official mentor on the Virgin StartUp Programme; a not-for-profit organisation that exists to help founders start up and thrive.  

They provide funding, straight talk and useful advice to make the entrepreneurial road less bumpy and access to a supportive and dynamic community to help founders have some fun along the way.

Mentor

EMW Global | Sports & Entertainment

EMW Global is an international sports and entertainment marketing agency with offices in London, Hong Kong, Shanghai and São Paulo. They matchmake top class rights holders and athletes with global brands and entertainment IP. Some clients include the Brasilian National Team, Clube Flamingo, Dani Alves, Douglas Costa, Emerson and Marco Materazzi.

Advisor

The Access Group

Co-Founder of DesignMyNight . Acquired by The Access Group in December 2017. Remaining at DesignMyNight.

Co-Founder DesignMyNight

WFL Media LTD | www.designmynight.com

I am co-founder of UKs fastest growing nightlife website www.designmynight.com. Receiving over 6.5 million monthly views and several industry leading B2B softwares including Tonic, our DesignMyNight ticket platform and Collins; the first booking and enquiry management software for casual dining restaurants, bars and pubs. DesignMyNight was acquired by The Access Group in 2017.

Founder DesignMyNight (Acquired '19) 🍹 | Co-Founder trumpet 🎺 | Investor in 55+ Startups (Currently not investing in new deals) 😇 | Podcaster 🎙️| 🏳️‍🌈

Hey!

I’m a London-based entrepreneur, angel investor, podcaster, startup mentor and public speaker, whose speciality lies in talking no-nonsense founder/investor advice and help. I'm currently co-founder of new B2B sales tool, trumpet, host of Pitch Deck podcast and co-founder of an angel investing venture-arm, Horseplay Ventures

I previously co-founded DesignMyNight, back in 2010 and managed to grow that over 7 years with minimal angel funding, to 100+ employees, 15,000 SaaS customers and 8m monthly uniques on the website. We exited to Access Group in 2017.

I live for the early stages of startups - building the brand, finding product market fit, iterating quickly and building out a team. Most of my content is centred around this, as well as tips from an angel investor. Even after exiting to financial freedom, I caught the founder bug again and have co-founded my next startup, trumpet, in 2022; looking to disrupt B2B sales and kill the sales pdf deck. Follow me on here while we build out this new journey in public.

Please feel free to ask for any advice or help, whether a founder, startup employee or investor and I will always endeavour to do what I can. I'm also a regular guest on podcasts, startup speaking gigs and webinars, so feel free to reach out to me if you are looking for guests/speakers. 

I do respectfully ask not to be pitched for investment in my Linkedin DMs and instead go through Horseplay Ventures. Hopefully my podcast is also a treasure trove of information for those looking to raise early-stage investment, thinking about it or just interested in it - search for Pitch Deck by Nick Telson.

Nick Telson-Sillett

When we hit $1M ARR at both my startups, I thought we’d made it. 
I was wrong.

That milestone didn’t feel like success, it actually felt like survival.
Everyone told us $1M was “product-market fit.”

But all I saw behind the scenes was a brittle system held together by caffeine and duct tape!

Our pricing didn’t match value.
Our ICP was fuzzy.
Our team was doing too much of everything and mastering nothing.

The truth?
$1M ARR isn’t validation. It’s the starting line of the real company.

That’s where you stop experimenting and start operationalizing.
If I could go back, I’d systemize earlier and faster.

Milestones don’t necessarily mean stability. 
They mean responsibility.
Time to step up.

Co-Founder trumpet 🎺 | Founder DesignMyNight (Acquired '19) 🍹 | Investor in 55+ Startups 🤑 🏳️‍🌈

Every founder says, “We’re product-led.”
Most aren’t.

They’re product-first. Which is not the same thing.

Product-first means: “We’ll build what we think is awesome and hope they come.”
Product-led means: “The product is the growth engine, not just the feature list.”

A truly product-led company designs moments where the user experiences success before a salesperson ever shows up.

That might be a personalized trial that nails the buyer’s use case or a dashboard that instantly quantifies value or a shareable artifact that helps your champion explain the ROI to their boss.

Those are the product-led mechanisms that sell for you while you sleep.

Because people don’t buy just products anymore, they buy internal momentum.

And your product should be the one creating it.

If your product can make someone feel the win before they buy, you’re already halfway to closing them.

AI drop #4 of our AI-Suite.
Let me introduce you to Spark AI.

Write. Re-write. Ask Anything.

This is not just the usual AI writing tool that says "make it more concise"

Built directly into every Pod, Spark AI helps teams create deal-ready content in seconds, without tab-hopping, rewrites, or guesswork.

Our AI doesn’t just write, it understands who you are and who you're writing for, adapting every message to the buyer, persona, and stage of the deal.

↳ Rewrites Pod content for any audience, from CFOs to Champions.
↳ Summarises, translates, and localises content instantly.
↳ 30+ pre-trained prompts for Sales and Success teams
↳ Refines messaging with live buyer context 
↳ Helps handle objections or strengthens ROI messaging in one click.
↳ Keeps tone and quality consistent across every buyer touchpoint.

Spark AI brings the context to make that the AI efficiency meaningful.

From follow-ups to onboarding plans, it helps every team speak with precision, confidence, and intent.

Context built in. Clarity guaranteed.

I speak to 100s of founders and "growth" is what they say they are searching. Few admit they’re addicted to motion instead.

In our early GTM days, I kept mistaking speed for progress.

We were testing every channel, hiring faster than our process could handle, rewriting the strategy too regularly.

Slack looked alive. The dashboards were busy. But we weren’t actually taking big steps forward; just sideways, very quickly.

Here’s what I eventually learned:

- Most GTM problems are focus problems wearing different clothes.
- Growth isn’t found in “what else can we do?” it’s in “what can we stop doing?”
- A bloated strategy doc usually signals insecurity, not ambition.
- The best teams don’t chase motion; they compound signal.

When we started cutting; clarity returned.

Deals closed faster. Messaging sharpened. The team felt lighter and more confident.

The sharpest GTMs aren’t the biggest. They’re the most precise.

Dominic McGregor

Fearless Adventures

We invest in and support entrepreneur-led businesses with our expertise in growth strategy and talent acquisition. 

Those who travel together, travel further.

Portfolio:

Shipster
Pinter
Pets Purset
Swim Society
WalkSafe
Friendly Chemical Company 
Foudys
And growing 🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀

Email: Dom@FearlessAdventures.co.uk

Founding Partner

Liberty Recycling Solutions

Investor

Basecamp | Formerly The Fearless Academy 

Founder

The Friendly Chemical Co.

Foudys: Retail Company of The Year 2022

xUnlocked

Pets Purest | Natural Pet Care

Shipster

Illuma

Patchwork Health

Media & press  👉  annabelle@fearlessadventures.co.uk
Work Email 👉 Dom@fearlessadventures.co.uk 
Investment 👉 Dom@fearlessadventures.co.uk

Founding Partner at Fearless Adventures.

Founder and ex-COO at Social Chain.

From dropping out of University to taking Social Chain to the public markets in 6 years, Dom has years of experience in navigating the challenges that come with building and scaling a successful business.

Dom listed Social Chain @ £300m valuation in August 2019 after founding the business with Steven Bartlett in 2013.

Dom then founded Fearless Adventures alongside partners David Newns and Charlie Yates to invest in and drive growth in leading entrepreneur-led e-commerce businesses.

A mental health advocate, Dom is passionate about using not only his capital, but his first-hand experiences to support founders on their journeys to the peaks of success.

In 2024 Dom published his debut book “I’m Never Drinking Again”

Always happy to have a chat, so if you're looking for investment, please drop me a message.

Policy Fellow - Communications

Working directly with Senior Ministers and Civil Servents on shaping structures and plans for communications across Social, Digital and Content.

You can no longer get from Manchester to London in under 2 hours.

That sentence alone should worry every single one of us.

At a time when countries are investing in high-speed rail, connecting regions, and boosting productivity, the UK is doing the opposite: cancelling services, slowing journeys, and quietly accepting lower standards.

Avanti West Coast are getting rid of the 7am Manchester to London but the train will still run, just without passengers. You genuinely couldn’t make it up.
 
We’ve normalised decline to the point where a flagship intercity connection between the nation’s second city and the capital, a route fundamental to business, growth, and mobility, is no longer seen as essential infrastructure.

This isn’t about trains.

It’s about what it symbolises.

A country where slower journeys are acceptable.

A country where reduced capacity is tolerated.

A country where regional connectivity is an afterthought.

A country where levelling up is now little more than a slogan.

If we are serious about economic growth, opportunity and regional equality, then fast, reliable, affordable transport is the bare minimum, not a luxury.

You would now need to get 6.29am to make it to London for 9am

The UK deserves better than decline disguised as efficiency.

We should demand a country where expectations rise, not fall.

Fearless Adventures | Investing in Entrepreneur-led Businesses

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The job market right now is absolutely mad.

A brand I've invested in put out a role this week.

Nothing crazy. Not a £150k salary.

Just a solid Brand Marketing Manager position.

They’ve had almost 2,000 applications already.

Two. Thousand.

That’s not normal.
That’s not healthy.
And it tells us everything about where the UK economy is right now.

People aren’t job hopping for fun.

They’re not chasing “dream roles”.

They’re scared. They feel stuck. They feel undervalued.

They’re applying for anything that gives them stability, progression, or a bit of hope.

And here’s the scary bit…

Most of those applicants will be good.
Experienced people.
Smart people.
People who should be flying.

But in this economy, even great talent is fighting over the same roles.

If you’re hiring, respect the time people put into applying.
If you’re looking for a job, don’t take rejection personally.

And if you’re in government reading this, understand that this isn’t a “booming labour market”.

It’s a sign of a system that isn’t working.

The UK has world class talent.

We just don’t have enough opportunity for it right now.

Something has to change.

Increasing the minimum wage is going to have a negative effect on young people.

It’s going to make their lives worse.

Yesterday Rt Hon Rachel Reeves announced an increase in the minimum wage.

While the intent maybe good - economically this is a disaster.

Firstly inflation will go up - everything now costs more to make and produce. Wages are the biggest expenses of many businesses and especially in food production.

Secondly, many business are already slowing graduate and entry hiring due to AI and costs. This has got worse now and makes it more unappealing to hire young people.

Many businesses are looking at outsourcing countries like South Africa - where talent is cheaper but also significantly more qualified at a lower cost.

Finally, there is now a massive wage compression because of lack of growth in the UK. Entry level roles now pay close to £24k a year.

That’s not much more than some people are on who have years experience - this add to inflation and cost pressures especially for small and medium business.

Minimum wage increase is a false positive for our economy. 

It’s a driver of inflation, not a strategy to combat the cost of living.

A £75M revenue fintech. 30% YoY growth. Now backed by Bridgepoint.
That’s Zuto.

Founded in 2006 by James Wilkinson, Zuto set out to bring trust and transparency to a £30B market most people don’t think twice about - car finance.

Fast forward:
→ 450,000+ customers helped
 → B Corp certified
 → £12.5M EBITDA
 → 30% Q1 revenue growth
 → One of the UK’s quiet category leaders

Bridgepoint has now taken a majority stake, marking a huge moment for Jim Wilkinson and the team - and a strong exit for long-term investor SEP.

This is a big win for UK fintech, and proof that high-integrity, customer-first businesses can scale massively without noise.

What. A. Milestone. 👏

Follow me, Dominic McGregor, for more stories of the founders shaping UK business ♻️

☠️ Alcohol at Christmas Parties Is Dead. ☠️

The boozy office Christmas party is quickly becoming a thing of the past. 

According to The Guardian, a growing number of companies are ditching alcohol-fueled celebrations in favor of more thoughtful, inclusive, and engaging alternatives.

Why? Because the old model just doesn’t work anymore:

Younger employees are turning away from drinking culture, demanding celebrations that align with their values.

Health-conscious workplaces are prioritizing well-being over hangovers.
Companies are protecting their reputations, avoiding the risks of alcohol-related incidents and ensuring everyone feels safe and included.

So, what’s replacing it? Here are the activities forward-thinking companies are embracing:

🎭 Murder Mystery Parties – Immersive fun that gets the whole team involved.
⛳ Crazy Golf or Bowling – Relaxed, competitive, and perfect for team bonding.
🔍 Scavenger Hunts – Adventure meets collaboration.
🧗 Tree-Trekking and Adventure Courses – Thrilling experiences that build trust and camaraderie.
🎨 Creative Workshops – Wreath-making, pottery, or festive baking for hands-on fun.
📽️ Movie Nights – Laid-back seasonal entertainment.
🎶 Live Music or Karaoke – High-energy fun without the booze.

This isn’t just about swapping drinks for mocktails—it’s about creating celebrations that reflect modern values and foster genuine connection.

What do you think? 

Are alcohol-fueled parties a relic of the past? Let me know your thoughts or how your company is planning to celebrate this year.

🚨 U-Turn announced 🚨 

Some times I wonder if talking about things has any impact.

A few days ago, I posted about how you can no longer get from Manchester to London in under 2 hours. 

Another symbol of a country quietly accepting lower standards.

Today… they reversed the decision.

Not because of me alone. But because enough people said, “No. This isn’t good enough.”

And that’s the point.

We’re living through a time where drift becomes decline and decline becomes the new normal unless people push back.

Not shout. Not scream. Just speak up with facts, with reason, with a bit of pride in what we should expect from the UK.

I don’t post to moan. I post because standards matter.

Connectivity matters.

Ambition matters.

And silence is how countries slide.

So yes, a U-turn on train times isn’t going to fix everything. But it shows something important:

- When people challenge bad decisions, those decisions can change.

- When we stop accepting mediocrity, standards rise.

- When enough voices speak, someone listens.

Small win.

Bigger message.

Speak up. It matters more than you think.

Key people like Andy Burnham have played a major role in this, and those people do listen to our voices.

Great work.

More people left the UK in 2025 than have left the UK since 1923.

The biggest problem is who these people are.

A net 110,000 British people aged 16 to 34 emigrated in the year to June, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), accounting for two thirds of all departing Britons.

The future of our country are leaving in their thousands.

Why?

Well, personally I think it’d because the culture towards those who are ambitious, wanting to better themselves and start a family is toxic.

The UK is on a great leveling down agenda and those who want to seek more for themselves are choosing to leave.

Worryingly, there is no sign those leaving will return.

And who are replacing them? 

Individuals coming from countries and a large proportion come at a cost to the state .

This is the start of the end.

Built in a uni bedroom.
Just raised $10M to take on the UK and the US.
That’s Housr.

Harry Neil Panter started Housr while studying at Manchester - no industry background, no big network, just the belief that student renting was broken and someone needed to fix it.

Fast forward:

→ £7.5M raised, backed by two Texas investment firms
→ 186% YoY revenue growth
→ Expanding across the UK & into the US
→ Aiming to reach 1M students in the next 12 months
→ Building an all-in-one “student OS” - rentals, deals, ride-sharing, roommates + more

Harry and I spoke about the journey - from early naivety to cracking distribution, innovating in a stale market, and why he thinks Housr can hit a £1B valuation within four years.

Snippet below 👇

What. A. Vision. 👏

♻️ Follow me, Dominic McGregor, for more stories of the founders shaping UK business.

I don’t think there was one thing in that budget about growth.

We have 3 options to get more money into our economy to fund public services.

1) Raise taxes

2) Reduce spending

3) Drive growth.

All I’ve seen from a Labour government is point 1.

Tax tax tax.

Policy focus on envy and levelling everyone down.

A real forward thinking government would focus on point 3.

Driving growth, innovation and opportunity.

Unless it’s in the small print, growth seems to not be in this government mind set.

Excited to share this…

For our January intake of the Fearless Accelerator, we’re adding something special:

London founders will officially get access to co-working days inside the NatWest Business Accelerator - a space to focus, create, and connect.

And our finance module for this cohort will be delivered with support from Mettle by Natwest!

With that…
 Applications for the January Fearless Accelerator are now open.

If you’re a side hustler, freelancer, or small business owner in Cheshire, Warrington, or London - and you’ve been too busy working in the business to actually work on it - this is for you.

12 weeks. 1 day a week. Real progress. Real clarity. 

Starts January 5th. 

Apply via link in comments!

What. A. Fully Funded. Opportunity. 👏

Ways to check in on a man’s mental health this Christmas without feeling “awkward”:

-Ask him how his year has gone
-Ask if he fancies a games night and chat
-Ask him how things are going with his partner
-Ask him how work is going
-Ask him how his family are
-Ask him if he fancies a catch-up

Most importantly:

Ask him.

We all need to ask more, talk more, and listen more.

It’s the only way these conversations will ever be normalised

If a man is going to die under 45 year olds, the most likely way is them taking their own life.

This stuff really matters. 

Check in on the men in your life.

Built while carrying her baby on her hip.
Back in the business two weeks after giving birth.
Now one of the fastest-growing recovery brands in the UK.

That’s MyoMaster.

Lottie Whyte started MyoMaster on maternity leave - no funding, no network, just a belief that athletes deserved better recovery tools.

Fast forward:

→ £5M+ revenue
→ Featured in the Sunday Times 100 List 
→ Growing fast in a booming wellness category
→ A brand built on authenticity, community, and obsessive customer experience

Lottie and I sat down recently to talk about building a business while raising a family - the challenges, advice… and the fire it can give you.

Clip below 👇

What. A. Leader. 👏

♻️ Follow me, Dominic McGregor, for more stories of the founders shaping UK business.

🚨 Dream Role Alert 🚨 

3 years ago we invested in Emma Tapper & Scott Rudd in that time they’ve scaled Miniml into a household brand that’s stocked in some of the biggest UK supermarkets.

Now we are on the look out for someone to help take the brand to the next level.

I think this is one of the most exciting roles around and we need someone great!!!

Details below 

👇 

 https://lnkd.in/efs9gsSM

We need more entrepreneurs in politics and government.

Last year Labour apppointed James Timpson CEO of Timpson Group to the department of justice.

Because of the work he did with employing previous convicts in his business.

Last year Matt Clifford did a year helping shape the government AI direction.

This year Tom the founder of Monzo Bank as the UK's AI ambassadors.

His role will be to convince british talent to think bigger and be more ambitious.

Great moves by The Labour Party bringing in experts to help shape our countries future.

Havana Blackledge went from unsure where to start → to a role at THG

natalia R. went from freelancer → to video lead at noticed.

Penelope Silver went from full-time mum → to business owner

Now I’m looking to speak to anyone in Sheffield, Doncaster, Rotherham, or Barnsley who wants to upskill in digital marketing.

I meet so many people juggling work, side-hustles, and family commitments - but they’re not building the career they actually want.

That’s why we built the Digital Marketing Skills Bootcamp: 12 weeks. Live online. Hands-on. Industry-led. Designed to give you the tools to take control of your career.

It’s worked for over 800 learners so far.

This is for anyone over 19 who’s ready to stop reacting and start building. Career changers. Freelancers. Small business owners.

Cohort 17 starts 7th January 2026. Fully funded for South Yorkshire and London-based learners. One day a week, you focus on your future.

Tag someone who needs this 👇

30 million visitors a year. 95% organic traffic.
That’s Days Out With Kids.

JAMES MORGAN built a business that turns huge organic reach into real revenue - without having to chase every new visitor.

Fast forward:
→ Massive audience built on content and SEO
→ Multiple revenue streams, from ads to partnerships
→ A platform trusted by millions of families every year

The secret? Focus on your audience first, then figure out the ways to serve them - and monetise along the way.

I sat down with James to talk about scaling a content-first business and turning attention into income. Watch the snippet below 👇

What. A. Builder. 👏

♻️ Follow me Dominic McGregor for more stories of founders shaping UK business.

Even this short snippet can show the power of entrepreneurial vision.

Lottie Whyte built MyoMaster from maternity leave into recovery tech trusted by elite athletes - all because she stayed true to her clear, authentic vision.

Here’s a glimpse of how that vision drives everything from product design to brand trust 👇

What. A. Founder. 👏

♻️Follow me, Dominic McGregor, for more stories of UK founders shaping business.

Taking over a business that’s already proven? Genius.

That’s exactly what JAMES MORGAN did with Days Out With Kids.

I sat down with James to talk about Management Buyouts, and why we think more entrepreneurial people should consider them.

Key takeaways:
→ There are fantastic businesses out there with owners ready to step back.
→ You don’t always need private equity or a competitor to take the reins.
→ MBOs are a way for operators to step in, grow the business, and take it to the next level.

For anyone looking to scale, buy, or just think differently about growth - this is a smart path to consider.

Watch the snippet below 👇

What. A. Builder. 👏

♻️ Follow me Dominic McGregor for more founder-led business stories.

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