Emily Bremner heads up operations & scaling at Signal – a UK scaleup who’ve raised $52m in funding from the likes of Redline Capital, MMC Ventures, Hearst Ventures, GMG Ventures & Frontline Ventures. Signal’s solution uses machine learning to help their clients track the competitive landscape & monitor their reputation & key regulatory changes — empowering them to make smarter, faster, business decisions.

We explored:

• Why ESG – Environmental, Social and Governance – objectives are crucial for tech ventures & for society
• How Signal’s solutions help their clients embrace ESG
• The initiatives Signal has implemented to strengthen diversity & inclusivity including:
  • diversity shortlist quotas
  • prioritising candidate abilities rather than focusing on “markers of prestige”
  • recalibrating their Board and Advisory Board to better reflect and lead their D&I aspirations
• How Signal has changed – in terms of structure and hiring practices – to handle rapid growth in revenues & headcount
• Since “businesses grow exponentially and people often grow linearly” – ideas for supporting employees who cannot grow with the business
• Why startups & scaleups need to be careful not to be seduced large blue chip employers on candidates’ CVs
• Tools & techniques Signal have implemented to build a harmonious & highly effective global team that performs effectively in a WFH environment

We also discussed how Emily’s inspirations come not from the Tech/VC community – but from the likes of Dave Chapelle (stand-up comedian) & Neil deGrasse Tyson (US astrophysicist) who’s advice includes: “if you’re good at bullshitting people, you’re not hanging out with the right people”!

And Emily recommended all startups and scaleups can learn valuable lessons from these 2 books: The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team (Patrick Lencioni) and The Lean Startup (Eric Ries)

For more insights into Signal check out https://www.signal-ai.com/