simonswords82

I read that Apple warned them about a potential litigation in February so you could be correct.

It took me about ten businesses and over 20 years to "succeed". I wanted to retire at 35 for as long as I could remember, missed that by 7 years.

Sold Staff Squared in 2022 for a good sum (7 figure), reinvested most of it into Fundipedia.

Sold Fundipedia for life changing (8 figure) sum in 2025.

All businesses were bootstrapped, reinvesting profits to grow them organically.

I'm now angel investing and consulting. I'm posting more about my journey on my personal website over the coming months https://www.simonswords.com

Rough timeline:

2000 - started a computer hardware company called Atlas alongside a speed dating company (that's not a joke, I ran a speed dating company and some other weird businesses).

2002 - switched Atlas to designing websites, stopped selling hardware and associated support - fed up with call outs to fix networks at the weekend.

2004 - started to design AND code websites, grew Atlas out as a custom software shop - had about 10 employees. Made about 10% margin on a good year. Tough business.

Around 2006 - Vowed to find ARR working with our team on various software solution ideas.

2007 - built first version of what would become Fundipedia - a data management platform for buy side asset managers e.g. HSBC/Barclays/LGIM etc.

2011 - got fed up with internal HR admin as we took on more staff. Built internal HR/time off tracking system that would eventually become Staff Squared - a SaaS HR solution for small businesses.

2012 - 2016 - ran Atlas, Fundipedia and Staff Squared - not very well, but never made a mistake that killed these businesses. Although it nearly killed me - super stressful.

2017 - Fundipedia showed signs of promise as clients were coming to us via word of mouth - we did not market it at all. So I put a plan in place to grow Fundipedia and take on challenge of learning more about the asset management space.

2021 - landed massive Fundipedia client. Sold Staff Squared to a private buyer, wound down Atlas clients.

2025 - With Fundipedia leading the sector it was in - busting the rule of 40 it was now a real threat and an opportunity to our larger competitors in the space. I sold to FE FundInfo (who backed by Hg Capital).

Where? Source please?

I think most of us are hard wired to progress - progression looks different for each of us but matters all the same.

I've also had side quests in addition to my main quest which is financial stability and the extreme and total control of my circumstances. Side quests are hobbies, friendships, fitness targets etc.

I love this line from a 2024 TV show called "The Gentlemen" and I think about it a lot:

"It’s a lucky man who is happy with his place in life"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gentlemen_(2024_TV_series)

AKA quit while you're ahead

Yes! That’s exactly what we’re doing. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

Just sold my data management software business https://www.fundipedia.com.

Now bootstrapping https://www.minute-master.com - AI formal minute generation for regulated firms primarily in financial services space but also free to use for charities.

I was going to say the opposite. Seems on all the main news outlets (Financial Times et al) have disabled comments. I was happy to see this being discussed on HN and I’ve yet to see Middle East or Trump being censored but happy to be signposted to evidence of this on HN.

Without over complicating it, using AI is currently about 4x productivity in mid to senior developers.

Good on this guy for having the courage to be honest about his circumstances. Still, shitty that this is the situation.

Weird in what way?

@dang perhaps you could pin https://u24.gov.ua/ to the top of the comments?

Either way, I've donated 50 bucks; seems like a great way to show support on a difficult day for Ukraine.

Seriously? That is so cool that you were there. Sad that we lost him fairly young. Such a legend, I love his work.

I’d just like to say thank you from the bottom of my heart for making my childhood and engagement with computers all that more magical. I went on the make a career and a livelihood from them and games like yours shaped me.

You guys must have impacted thousands upon thousands of lives with your hard work and creativity.

This NASASpaceflight stream is up now: https://www.youtube.com/live/3nM3vGdanpw

If true, he probably knows this already and now just needs to work out how to fix it.

Contact your local university, most have mentorship programmes you can apply to be a part of for under and post grads.

Spotted the Brit!

Do you have a job?

Running https://minute-master.com as a side project, landed a couple of clients this year and a good pipeline of new clients for next year.

It's a board governance and minutes generation tool for fund administrators, trust companies etc. The types of firms that need to have regular meetings with directors and need those minutes formally captured.

But isn't there co-pilot for that? Yes, but no. Copilot can summarize a meeting - this is more regulatory orientated. So the agenda is set out, participants sent a pack before the meeting, and then minutes generated almost in real time to draft level of 80% accuracy. Ultimately means the process for managing and minuting a meeting is reduced from hours to minutes.

If we carry on doing well I suspect this will become more than a side project in 2025...

Yea. It’s called social dynamics and plays out in pretty much any situation.

Please don’t think I’m a fan of the people at play here, I’m not. But it’s pretty standard stuff.

Copilot really is garbage and I just don’t understand why. Is Microsoft not using OpenAIs latest models?

What car is it? I’m in the market and want something that puts a smile on my face too!

This is nonsense. It doesn’t work.

You need to be trained to use a parachute. You also can’t jump out at 35000ft doing nearly the speed of sound and expect to have a good time.

I'm having a hard time imagining how the bottom of his feet were pressed against his chest?!

Were his knees bent the wrong way?

Congratulations. I've been through the DD process and it is a seemingly infinite loop of Q & A that is so exhausting it's almost difficult to celebrate the funds finally hitting! Glad you made time for plenty of desserts.

All the best to you and your pending addition to the family.

This is timely. My wife called me out for being a bit snappy this morning.

She was right, I held my hands up and apologised.

We then had a conversation about how I'm hardwired from my childhood to look for danger. This is one of the primary "skills" that has led me to run a successful business for most of my life. The reason being that by being able to see around corners, I'm very good at not making a mistake that kills the business.

Unfortunately like all strengths, this strength brings a set of weaknesses. The weakness it brings for me is an obsession on the things that could go wrong, what has gone wrong, how to do better, how to be better and so on. Aka negativity.

I wouldn't be where I am without this blessing and its associated curses but I do sometimes wish I could just go with the flow some more.

To that end, I work out, I spend less time in front of a computer than ever before, I practice stoicism, I have wider hobbies...but still, it's an ongoing thing to manage.

I guess this is no different to people with athletic abilities who have tortured their bodies for years and now get sore knees/hips etc from time to time.