Naïma Ella

My First Time at Websummit as a Startup Founder

It's not often that you'll find the founder of Black Lives Matter, Ayọ (fka Opal) Tometi, Facebook whistleblower, Frances Haugen and the CTO of Amazon, Werner Vogels at the same event. But that is the beauty of Websummit. It manages to at once question the role that tech plays in

Hot Book Summer: What I’m Reading This Summer

This Summer I'm after some light reads. Business books, romance, and a few more philosophical picks. I'll most likely be reading these sunbathing on a blanket on the grass with a green tea in hand.

Finding What Work Means to Me

Three months into my long COVID diagnosis, I was told I could only work three or four hours a day and I struggled to fill my days without the humdrum of busyness I'd grown accustomed to. A healthcare professional asked me: "what is meaningful to you apart from work?"

Why I Left London

I left London yesterday after living there for over 15 years. It's where I learnt to speak English and where I went from being a very clumsy child to an even more haphazard young adult. I still think it's one of the best cities in the world, but I no

Why Are Metrics Important as a Startup Founder?

I recently joined Seed Sprint: a 2 month sprint for startups who are about to start their fundraising journey or are actively raising pre-seed/seed investment run by SeedLegals and Spice Startups. The aim: to pair fundraising efforts with generating and demonstrating growth investors want to see.

I Read 3 Productivity Books and Here's What I Learned

I've heard so many people use the same saying, 'work expands to fill the available time.' I've often given myself four hours to complete a task that could take an hour and spent the first three hours procrastinating. I decided to really test this theory by halving my working hours.

Best Books of the Second Quarter of 2021

It has been a great few months for reading. I've been using reading to transport me as far away from London as is humanly possible and to quickly learn everything I need to know to effectively run a business. There were three books in particular that I felt compelled to write about.

Tech

Traction: What is it?

During investor meetings, master classes and speaking to other founders, I kept hearing this word over and over again. Traction. Traction. Traction.

5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Got Long COVID

It’s been over a year since I had COVID and well over six months since I was completely incapacitated by my long COVID symptoms. It has been the most challenging period of my life. Slowly but surely, I am getting better at managing my symptoms. Photo by Alex Ivashenko on Unsplash

Tech

5 Things I've Learnt Since Becoming a Startup Founder

I realise now that I had all of these pre-conceived notions about what it meant to be a "business owner", "founder" and even more so "entrepreneur." I had this vision of a team of professionals that knew exactly what they were doing at any given moment. I now know this doesn't exist.

Culture

Best Books of the First Quarter of 2021

Pretty sure I’ve read more books in the last three months than I have in my entire life. The infinite number of books that I can sink my teeth into at any given moment has definitely been a great comfort during this time. Photo by Seven Shooter on Unsplash

Tech

Beyond Lean: the 2 Best Books to Work Like a Startup

Inspired by Marty Cagan has been the most impactful book to me since becoming a founder. It's very complimentary to Lean Startup. Inspired is based on the notion that "there is a tremendous difference between how the best companies produce products. Photo by Mario Gogh on Unsplash

Long COVID

Long COVID: 1 Year Anniversary

I was in denial for months of the severity of my condition. Any emotional, physical or mental exertion can cause me to deteriorate. In the first month or so, I was able to kid myself that every bad spell would be the last, but once those hopes were swiftly dashed I began to despair.