At twelve, I built a search engine. It taught me something about business that I've never forgotten.

I was an only child, and the summer holidays were long.

While my friends were out playing, I spent most of my time at the computer. The internet was still a strange and wonderful place where a kid with enough curiosity could build almost anything.

At twelve, I built an eco-friendly search engine called eSearch.

I thought the clever part was building it.

I was wrong.

Because you can build something brilliant, spend months perfecting it, and still have absolutely nothing if nobody knows it exists.

Building something good is one problem. Getting the world to care is another.

I've been fascinated by that second problem ever since.

At Fuel Ventures, I saw it from the investor's side. Hundreds of ambitious founders, all convinced they were building the next big thing.

At Feel, the wellness company I co-founded, I saw it from the founder's side. Suddenly it was my own money, my own customers, and my own sleepless nights.

At Velloy, I built a private members' club around travel, experiences, and the good things in life.

Different businesses. Different lessons. But the same question kept coming back.

How do you take something good and turn it into something people actually want?

Today, I spend my time answering that question from two sides.

I run Traction, a B2B growth company helping fintech and SaaS businesses acquire customers through performance marketing, better funnels, and go-to-market strategy.

And I'm Managing Partner at Particle, where I invest in ambitious founders building internet companies across fintech, SaaS, and AI.

One is about helping good companies grow. The other is about finding great companies before everyone else does.

I like the internet because it still gives a small group of determined people the chance to build something extraordinary.

No permission required. No pedigree necessary. Just a good idea, the willingness to work, and a way to get it into the right hands.

That's what interests me.

Making good things. Getting them found. And backing the people who do both.

If you're building something the world ought to know about, say hello.

I'd love to hear your story.

Hugo