“What matters to me about the people in our cap table is that they’re people who really care about what we’re trying to achieve and our values, and fundamentally believe and support me as the Founder.” To kick off our brand new 40 Minute Mentor ‘Early Stage Founders’ feature series, we’re joined by the brilliant Freddie Fforde, Founder of Patch. Patch creates dynamic work clubs and community venues for local highstreets. Open and available to everyone, Patch are looking to redefine what the future of work looks like and create spaces designed to celebrate businesses and talent close to home. In today’s episode, we learn more about Patch’s journey so far, their aspirations for the future and Freddie shares some candid insights into his journey as a Founder, including:  The biggest challenges and failures he faced as a Founder [03:14] The importance of the people around him and how they’ve helped him become the Founder he is today [07:32] Why he became a Founder in the first place [10:24] Where the inspiration for Patch came from and why it all started during Covid [17:06] What the future of work will look like and how employers can embrace it [22:58] Freddie’s approach to raising investment for Patch and why it’s so important to base your cap table on skillset [26:33] His first-hand advice for any aspiring Founders listening [29:57] Some of the most common Founder life myths and what the reality of being a Founder actually looks like [39:42] The valuable experience he got from being a fractional leader ahead of starting Patch [41:52] And why balancing all aspect of his life has become one of Patch’s  company values [45:41]  ⛳️  Helpful links: ➡️ More about Freddie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/freddiefforde/➡️ More about Patch: https://www.patch.work/ ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review on https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices