On Pausing, Taking Stock, and Finding My Path - A Vision Shaped by 5 Books

What if the problem wasn’t startups, but the model funding them?

In October, I left investment management to build Archimax, after 25 years in the industry and 15 as a Group Managing Partner.

It was a significant decision that I did not take lightly.

In hindsight, I left a bit prematurely, without a grand master plan, just a strong sense that I needed to do things differently.

The shift had been building for some time.

I had begun to question whether the traditional VC model, with its structural incentives and growing headwinds, was still the right fit for how I wanted to invest and build.

After stepping away, the real introspection began.

There were many late nights,

quiet mornings,

long walks,

and a lot of reflection, where I often felt stuck and going in circles.

Then in January, my dad passed away unexpectedly.

I put everything on hold.

It delayed my initial plans by several months.

At the time, I had been considering something somewhat different.

Books and podcasts became my anchor.

They did not have all the answers, but they helped me ask better questions.

Some slowed me down.

Others gave language to things I had not been able to articulate.

This time gave me clarity and helped connect the dots between what I already knew, what I valued, and what I wanted to build.

So how did I fix the VC model?

I didn’t…

The answer for me was not to tweak it, but to step away.

From the fund structure.

From management fees.

From the pressure to chase one unicorn, knowing most others would not succeed.

There are many great VC investors I would recommend, including Milltrust International.

But for me, finding my path was different.

What if I brought institutional investment rigour to buying and growing small, cash-generating businesses from retiring founders?

What if I applied the same frameworks I had used for years to a space that had been largely overlooked?

I chose the holding company path:

To own real businesses.

To align incentives.

To build something calm, steady, and real, without the fund fees

Acquisition entrepreneurship, done patiently and professionally.

As my new model came into focus, these highly recommended books played a key role in shaping my thinking:

Buy Then Build – Walker Deibel

“Buy a business, and you skip the hardest part: finding product–market fit.”

Go Do Deals – Jeremy Harbour

“What people need to buy a business is not money. It’s know-how and nerve.”

Main Street Millionaire – Codie Sanchez

“Boring businesses are beautiful because they compound quietly.”

HBR Guide to Buying a Small Business – Ruback & Yudkoff

“A good small business is a money machine. If it is not, do not buy it.”

The Snowball – Warren Buffett and the Business of Life - Alice Schroeder

“Our favourite holding period is forever.”

If you are on a similar path or thinking about buying a business, maybe start with these. I would love to hear from you and am happy to help if I can.