As someone who began my career in a very different industry—playing drums professionally—I’ve always valued the importance of recognizing both your strengths and where you need help. When you’re in a band, each musician has a distinct role, but the magic only happens when everyone plays together. As a drummer, I knew exactly what my contribution was, but I also knew there were things I couldn’t do—like write lyrics or lead a guitar solo. To create great music, it wasn’t just about playing well; it was about knowing my limits and collaborating with those who could fill the gaps.
This lesson carried through to my experience as a CEO when I co-founded Captify, a company that would become one of the most successful search intelligence firms in the world. The transition from a musician to an entrepreneur wasn’t as far-fetched as some might think. Both roles required creativity, teamwork, and the ability to pivot when needed. But the key insight I took from my music career was the need for brutal honesty with yourself—knowing where your strengths lie and, just as crucially, knowing where you need support.
When I started Captify, we were excited about the possibilities of using search data to provide better, more actionable insights to brands. We had an ambitious vision, but the reality of building a company from the ground up quickly set in. Over the years, we faced our share of challenges—everything from scaling the business to finding product-market fit, navigating financial complexities, and managing the growth of our team. At times, it felt like I was back behind the drum kit, playing my part but knowing I needed other instruments to make the performance a success.
The hardest part about being a CEO, particularly in the early stages, is that you often feel like you need to have all the answers. There’s immense pressure to know everything, make the right decisions, and steer the company toward success. But the truth is, no matter how skilled or determined you are, building a company takes a village. You need partners, advisors, and mentors to help you navigate the pitfalls, provide fresh perspectives, and help fill in the gaps where your own expertise falls short. It would have been invaluable for me, as a CEO, to have had an accelerator partner by my side—someone who could provide mentorship, leadership advice, financial structure guidance, and access to resources that would have allowed us to expand even faster.
That experience—the long, often difficult journey of growing Captify—shaped my understanding of what entrepreneurs really need to succeed. While venture capital is an essential part of the equation, money alone isn’t enough. Startups need more than just financial backing; they need the right combination of expertise, mentorship, and infrastructure to thrive in the fast-paced, high-pressure environment of building a business. And that’s exactly why we set up Creative Capital Ventures (CCV).
At CCV, we provide not just investment but also the operational support that I would have loved to have had during my Captify days. We believe in the power of accelerators—bringing together capital and strategic guidance to help companies overcome their hurdles faster, smarter, and with more confidence. Whether it’s helping to refine a business model, offering leadership coaching, or ensuring a company’s financial structure is solid, we’re committed to partnering with entrepreneurs in a way that goes far beyond the traditional VC approach.
I know from personal experience how valuable it is to have that kind of partnership. Entrepreneurs often feel like they’re on an island, trying to figure out everything themselves. Having a trusted partner, especially one with the right expertise, can make all the difference. We wanted to create CCV to be that partner—one that not only funds businesses but also actively supports founders in navigating the complexities of growth.
If I had access to that kind of support when I was building Captify, I truly believe we could have scaled even faster and avoided many of the bumps along the way. That’s why I’m passionate about what we’re doing at CCV: giving startups the mentorship, leadership advice, financial clarity, and resources they need from day one. The entrepreneurial journey will always have its challenges, but with the right support network in place, those challenges become much easier to navigate—and the path to success much clearer.
