Suzanne Noble

Entrepreneur

I had a desire to build a product that I thought others (including myself) would find useful and didn't exist.

Airbnb, Uber, Timbre

The most rewarding is getting positive feedback from users. The validation that all the blood, sweat and tears has been worth it is a real buzz. The most frustrating is wanting to run before you can walk. Being strategic is very important. It's easy in tech to want to throw everything but the kitchen sink in a product from the beginning but it's always best to keep it simple from the start.

Thinking, 'If you build it, they will come.' Without publicity and marketing, it's very challenging for anyone to find anything. Most entrepreneurs don't factor into their budgets how much it costs to achieve stand-out.

Everything takes twice as long as you think you will.
Take time to find people to work with who really understand and share your vision
If you're seeking investment, make sure you know what the investor's expectations are - how much involvement they want to have or not

In an age in which everyone is a micro-specialist, I like to look at the bigger picture.

My core strength is in business development with a background in PR. Over the years I have produced a TV series, written best-selling books and taken small businesses and helped them grow into bigger ones. I have a ridiculously fat address book that covers all sectors – from bankers to bartenders, graphic designers to gardeners, publishers to pole dancers.

Recently I transitioned my business into technology. In March 2014 I launched an events discovery app called Frugl that helps those on a budget find affordable things to do in London. I’m part of what David Cameron like to call the ‘tech start-up’ scene and spend a lot of time on the ‘Silicon Roundabout,’ better known as Old Street, pitching to rooms full of investors.