David Jones

You don't need 100% of people to think your idea is good. We had six investors who thought this is really interesting. I think we tell the stories as if it was easy. It's really hard. And probably the hardest thing, it's not the hard work, it's just that you're constantly in the face of people basically telling you.

You don't need 100% of people to think your idea is good. We had six investors who thought this is really interesting. I think we tell the stories as if it was easy. It's really hard. And probably the hardest thing, it's not the hard work, it's just that you're constantly in the face of people basically telling you.

You can't imagine how many times I heard there wasn't a need for the business we were building. There's all these big global holding companies, why would a client? Then within a few years, we were the world's top 10 global advertisers, 49 of the top 100 billion dollars in revenue, grown over 20% organically every year since launch. Actually, there was a need for it after all.

You can't imagine how many times I heard there wasn't a need for the business we were building. There's all these big global holding companies, why would a client? Then within a few years, we were the world's top 10 global advertisers, 49 of the top 100 billion dollars in revenue, grown over 20% organically every year since launch. Actually, there was a need for it after all.

Suddenly, we're fortunately quite a long way ahead in the Gen AI space because, again, we were doing that back when people were like, well, why would you buy a Gen AI company? And then obviously, thank God we did.

Suddenly, we're fortunately quite a long way ahead in the Gen AI space because, again, we were doing that back when people were like, well, why would you buy a Gen AI company? And then obviously, thank God we did.

I just sat there and thought, I know there's a huge opportunity for this because basically all of my clients are saying this is what they want. I mean, they would say, look, we don't want 300 ad agencies around making TV commercials for us. I was sitting there going, actually, I don't want the future of my career to be recommending to my clients what I wouldn't do if I were them.

I just sat there and thought, I know there's a huge opportunity for this because basically all of my clients are saying this is what they want. I mean, they would say, look, we don't want 300 ad agencies around making TV commercials for us. I was sitting there going, actually, I don't want the future of my career to be recommending to my clients what I wouldn't do if I were them.

Can we just do this with 10 out of agencies? Yeah, you could. Yeah. But then suddenly your revenue goes. So I just I'd much rather be on the end of solving their problem rather than trying to convince them they're wrong when you know they're right. And so I was absolutely confident about what they were looking for and what they needed. And I was pretty confident in my ability to build it.

Can we just do this with 10 out of agencies? Yeah, you could. Yeah. But then suddenly your revenue goes. So I just I'd much rather be on the end of solving their problem rather than trying to convince them they're wrong when you know they're right. And so I was absolutely confident about what they were looking for and what they needed. And I was pretty confident in my ability to build it.

But I was probably even more worried that someone else was going to do it. I'd always wanted to have my own business. I had a fabulous 15 years at Havas. I loved it. Great place to be. great people. But, you know, every time I was getting a bit restless, you know, I've been four years CEO of us. Oh, go run global. Oh, go run New York. Oh, run this.

But I was probably even more worried that someone else was going to do it. I'd always wanted to have my own business. I had a fabulous 15 years at Havas. I loved it. Great place to be. great people. But, you know, every time I was getting a bit restless, you know, I've been four years CEO of us. Oh, go run global. Oh, go run New York. Oh, run this.

So every time I got a bit restless, there was a new thing to do. And then obviously I ended up at the top gig. So there wasn't a new thing to do, but I kind of was sitting there going, someone's going to do this. I'll be so pissed off if I'm sitting there five years from now going, could it be me? But

So every time I got a bit restless, there was a new thing to do. And then obviously I ended up at the top gig. So there wasn't a new thing to do, but I kind of was sitting there going, someone's going to do this. I'll be so pissed off if I'm sitting there five years from now going, could it be me? But

And then at the end of the day, going back to, if it doesn't work, it's not the end of the world, you know? You'll have learned a ton. You leave a big job. And often people would say to me, you know, because I'd fly like crazy. So I was a Brit running a French business from New York.

And then at the end of the day, going back to, if it doesn't work, it's not the end of the world, you know? You'll have learned a ton. You leave a big job. And often people would say to me, you know, because I'd fly like crazy. So I was a Brit running a French business from New York.

So I basically commuted to Paris from New York, which sounds glamorous, but it isn't because you spend your life in planes. I was in Paris at least every two weeks off and once a week, add side trips to Asia, Latin America, go to the West Coast. And people would often say, you know, God, your life. And I was like, you know, I've got a choice.

So I basically commuted to Paris from New York, which sounds glamorous, but it isn't because you spend your life in planes. I was in Paris at least every two weeks off and once a week, add side trips to Asia, Latin America, go to the West Coast. And people would often say, you know, God, your life. And I was like, you know, I've got a choice.

You know, like most people can't choose to be the global CEO of a big company. I can choose not to be. So if ever I feel sorry for myself, whatever. It's easy to step away from it. But likewise, when you make the leap to go set your own thing up, it's like, if it doesn't work out, you've learned a ton. You've learned so much.

You know, like most people can't choose to be the global CEO of a big company. I can choose not to be. So if ever I feel sorry for myself, whatever. It's easy to step away from it. But likewise, when you make the leap to go set your own thing up, it's like, if it doesn't work out, you've learned a ton. You've learned so much.