Nanode Ltd - forming a Tech Startup Company in 21 days!

From it's early beginnings last March, Project Nanode has grown from strength to strength. It was now time to start a company www.nanode.biz and open an online store - problem was - we only had 3 weeks to do it in - so no pressure!

What started out as a back-bedroom tabletop operation has now morphed into a fully fledged tech startup company, Nanode Limited - marked by the Certification of Incorporation of a Private Limited Company - 30th January 2012.

Morphing a sole trader operation into a limited company came not without it's own fair share of growing pains - and it didn't help that I had just 3 weeks in the UK before jumping back on a plane and starting a new career in Northern California.

However, it was becoming increasingly important that Nanode had it's own identity, and the safest way to ensure it's success was to separate it's operations from that of my own limited company Arbour Wood Ltd - and set it up on it's own legal standing as Nanode Ltd.

Debbie Davies, who I have worked with on Project Nanode since last August, has been appointed Managing Director, and she will run the sales and marketing and day to day operations out of the London office. I am taking a backroom role as Technical Director - or should that be CTO, and I will be responsible for the technology roadmap- and more long term strategic planning. This can be done remote to London - which is fortunate, because I will be spending significant periods from now on, working abroad.

Parachuting into one of the biggest Tech Communities on the Planet (Silicon Valley) gives me an ideal opportunity to promote Nanode on the West Coast. This role will be done in association with Dirk Swart, and Victor Aprea - who are based on the East Coast - in Ithaca, New York, and are handling US sales and distribution. Between the current "Nanode Team" we cover London, New York, San Francisco and Shenzhen, China time zones. A true global organisation - of just 5 people.

The last 3 weeks have been a buzz. Flying back to London from San Francisco overnight on 8th/9th January - I realised that I would have a challenge on my hands. Firstly, to unwind myself from my position with my current employer, start a company - leave it in capable hands, and then ramp up into my new role as Head of Electronics, with All Power Labs, in Berkeley, California - so that I could hit the ground running by Monday 6th of February.

The first week was a little hectic - made Solomon Grundy's week look a bit dull:

Sunday: Leave Berkeley, BART to SFO international and get a 5pm overnight flight back to London
Monday: Arrive Heathrow 11am, tube to central London, half a day working at Nanode HQ
Tuesday: Go into work - resign by 11pm. Have 2 days to handover current project and tidy my office.
Wednesday: Handover Day - sorting out 18 months of work so that others can pick it up (or can it)
Thursday: I am now officially "between jobs" - go to pub to celebrate
Friday: Full Day working out of Nanode HQ
Saturday: Full Day working out of Nanode HQ
Sunday: Full Day working out of Nanode HQ

If that wasn't exciting enough - the next 2 weeks got even busier!