Episode 68: Navigating Business Growth and Team Dynamics with Abeed Janmohamed

Guest Bio

As a Consulting Partner, I leverage my 20+ years of experience in the digital and technology sectors to help ambitious founders and executives achieve their growth and exit goals. I specialize in helping ambitious founders develop and execute growth strategies with a focus on commercial & revenue strategy, building high performing teams, investment strategy, and M&A, across AdTech, MarTech, Commerce/Retail Tech, Blockchain, IoT, FinTech, EdTech, and Health.

Recap & Takeaways

Key Takeaways

• Dane Groeneveld, CEO of HUDDL3 Group, hosts The Future of Teamwork podcast and is joined by Abeed Janmohamed, founder and director of Volando, an M&A and growth advisory for technology businesses.
• They discuss values, culture, and people in growth environments. Abeed took a different route to get into M&A, starting in digital advertising sales and then moving to start-ups before transitioning to a central role in corporate development and partnerships.
• The speakers discuss the importance of team dynamics and cultural alignment when navigating complex deal structures. Understanding the people involved, whether on the buy or sell side, is key to achieving successful outcomes.
• Culture is critical to a company’s success and cultural alignment is essential for growth, investment, and M&A processes. Ultimately, success comes down to people.
• When expanding into new markets and cultures, a strong company culture and value set is crucial. It’s important for founders to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of their teams, and build teams accordingly.
• Understanding the type of business you are in is crucial for success. Businesses can be head-to-head, big fish in a small pond, or creating a new game. Each type has its own risks and benefits.
• Abeed discusses the importance of reassessing a company’s culture and values to ensure they are still relevant and effective in current times.
• Abeed mentions the need to consider factors such as a shift in leadership, changes in the workforce, and evolving business environments. He believes that a strong culture and value set is crucial for business success and cites Ralf Specht’s book, “Building Corporate Soul,” as a resource on the topic.
• The conversation discusses the gig economy for professionals and fractional legal support, which is a business that provides commercial work for lawyers who want more freedom in their lives.
• There is a misconception that working with top law firms is necessary for growth and scale-up stages, but many professionals who had worked for these firms before and now have children or want more autonomy are still competent and could work on a project basis.
• The conversation also touches on the importance of corporate soul and attracting graduates or returning mothers to help build talent and capabilities.
• Abeed Janmohamed and Dane Groeneveld also discuss Volando, Abeed’s tech business that helps other businesses take their tech to Europe.
• Where and how to find Abeed.