Building a startup is a catch-22

Building a startup is a catch-22.

- You need a product to get customers.

- You need customers to raise money.

- You need money to build the product.

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During my PhD, I only had to think about one thing: the research. Depth. Rigor. Progress on a single axis.

A startup is different. In the beginning, you need product, customers, capital, and team - all at once. And none of them move without trust.

It’s like getting a car to move. All four wheels have to turn together. If one doesn’t, the car doesn’t move.

Vibe-coding makes it easier than ever to build early versions. But that just raises the bar for credibility. Prototypes are cheap. Belief isn’t.

The real challenge is getting all the wheels to turn at the same time - when each depends on the others.

For us, the wheels really started moving when Y Combinator backed us, and it allowed us to double down on what was working. Support from Innovate UK accelerated progress, and execution is what made it compound.

And today, we’re in a fortunate position: strong team, great customers, and a mission to change chemistry.

The catch-22 is mostly a beginning problem.

Getting the car moving - that’s the hard part.