In this episode of Seed to Success Alastair sits down with Emma Rees, CEO and co-founder of Deployed, who shares her unique journey and insights as a female founder in tech. She opens up about her experiences navigating the complexities of a male-dominated industry and emphasises the need for allyship among women in business.

Emma highlights the importance of timing, mentorship and the lessons learnt from early ventures. Discussing the very specific challenges of building an enterprise SaaS, Emma shares valuable insights for fundraising, project management and maintaining a work-life balance.

With a candid account of the struggles and successes she’s faced as a female entrepreneur, Emma offers practical ideas for real change. This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about tackling gender imbalances and fostering inclusivity in the tech world!

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Show notes:

00:00:00 - Redefining success

00:00:47 - Deployed's mission

00:01:50 - Growth and recognition

00:03:29 - From hairdressing to tech

00:09:08 - Lessons from early ventures

00:14:11 - Timing in business

00:17:08 - Managing a product team

00:20:59 - Building a strong engineering team

00:24:13 - Building an MVP for enterprise customers 00:28:07 - Working with enterprise customers

00:31:01 - CAC and sales cycle

00:32:20 - Benefits of mentoring groups

00:36:43 - Co-founding a business with family and friends

00:40:30 - Lack of female allyship

00:43:56 - Gender bias in business conversations

00:46:45 - Addressing gender roles and equality

00:48:26 - What is success?

00:51:28 - Advice for founders

00:55:22 - The struggle of present reflection

00:54:43 - Connecting with Emma