Peter Cochrane
My business life has four main strands; consultancy, public speaking, start ups, and publication/media. Each strand feeds the others and allows me to stay in touch with the leading edge, latest developments and current problems. It also gives me a broad perspective that supports my engagements in education and other activities.
In order to minimise risk and maximise my resources I employ 4 simple rules when starting any new business:
I never enter a sector where there is active competition
I never start anything unless I can get it to market in < 9 months
I never start anything unless it has the potential to become, or become part of, something really big
I only work with friends & people you can really trust
And implicit in all this - it has to be fun
When I engage with any existing business or group I always look for uniqueness - I never engage with any 'me too' operations.
Before and after leaving BT I invested my own time, money and effort in building a broad range of new companies, and advising and supporting others. The grid below gives an overview of my current portfolio including my home company - ConceptLabs - which has a further 7 start-ups on 4 continents.
For an outline history of this build go to Start Up Experience
Company | Enter | Exit | Founder | Director | Non Exec Director | Advisor | Investor | Shareholder | URL | |
Cochrane Associates | UK | 2005 | x | x | x | x | ca-global.org | |||
ConceptLabs | USA | 1998 | 2006 | x | x | x | x | conceptlabs.net | ||
Concours | USA | 1999 | 2008 | x | x | concoursgroup.com | ||||
Corebridge | UK | 2007 |
2010 |
x | corebridge.com | |||||
Design Build Run Systems Ltd | UK | 2006 | x | dbrukltd.co.uk | ||||||
eBookers | UK | 1998 | 2003 | x | x | x | ebookers.com | |||
Etenna | USA | 2001 | 2005 | x | x | etenna.com | ||||
EZD | UK | 2002 | 2004 | x | x | x | www.ezdglobal.com | |||
First Circle | 2009 | x | x | x | x | www.firstcircleclub.com | ||||
iSolon | UK | 2000 | x | x | isolon.com | |||||
KnowledgeVector | USA | 2001 | 2008 | x | x | x | x | knowledgevector.com | ||
Mind Media | UK | 2003 | 2006 | x | x | www.mindmedia.tv | ||||
Last Mile UK | UK | 2007 | 2009 | x | x | x | lastmilecoms.com | |||
Nomadix | USA | 1998 | 2007 | x | x | nomadix.com | ||||
Pico Second Pulse Labs | USA | 2000 | 2006 | x | x | picosecond.com | ||||
QTech | India | 2006 | x | x | QTechinc.com | |||||
Shazam Entertainment | UK | 2000 | x | x | shazamentertainment.com | |||||
Swapitshop | UK | 2004 | 2009 | x | x | swapitshop.com | ||||
Sharedband | UK | 2006 | 2012 | x | x | x |
sharedband.com | |||
Technis | UK | 2009 | 2011 | x | x |
technis.co.uk | ||||
TrackaPhone | UK | 2007 | 2010 | x | x | x | trackaphone.com | |||
Venture Capital Funds | ||||||||||
Portview VC Fund | Israel | 1999 | 2006 | x | x | x | portviewcommunications.com | |||
CreateVentures | UK | 2000 | 2006 | x | x | x | createventures.com | |||
Variable Pitch | UK | 2010 | 2012 | x | x | variable-pitch.com |