Client success is everything.

Alan Jiang

CEO, Beam

Raised $125M from Sequoia Capital, Affirma

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave has been an incredible coach to work with. He has a way of asking questions to dig to the core of challenges, suggesting solutions, and also getting actionable commits that drive real change. He has helped me to level up as a leader across all aspects of the business.

Zack Onisko

CEO, Dribbble

Raised undisclosed from Tiny

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The role of CEO is a complicated one, and can often be a lonely one. Through the roller coaster ride of wins and challenges of running a startup, having the listening ear and wise advice of a seasoned executive coach like Dave helps to clear the fog, squelch the fear, and correct the ship. I'm grateful for the guidance Dave has provided along my journey, often when I've needed it the most. He earns my highest regards and recommendation.

Jose Lorenzo

CEO, Bold

Raised $120M from General Atlantic, Tiger Global

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really look forward to my monthly sessions with Dave, as we discuss all kinds of matters that range from raising capital, to structuring teams, to planning with OKRs and to give effective feedback. What I like the most about working with Dave, is the fact that he has been an entrepreneur himself and he speaks not only from theory but from practice.

Tim Heyl

CEO, Homeward

Raised $500M from Northwest Venture Partners

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Coaching with Dave has transformed the way I show up as a leader in my business. I've clarified and learned to effectively articulate my vision and strategy with all stakeholders. This has led to successful fundraising, a more passionate and aligned team, and a galvanized customer audience. Dave has a unique ability, to uncover what's important by leading with insanely good questions, until the right problems and optimal answers are revealed. I highly recommend all startup CEOs work with Dave throughout their journey, to create more clarity for themselves and their company.

Anastasia Leng

CEO, CreativeX

Raised $30M from Guggenheim, Beringea and Index

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As your company grows, the number of people who'll tell you the unvarnished truth seems to decrease. What I like most about my sessions with Dave is his ability to cut right through to the substance: when to challenge me, when to support, and when to simply probe deeper. I'll readily admit I was a coaching skeptic when we started, but I couldn't be more of a "fan girl" today - my sessions with Dave give me clarity, focus, and a roadmap to being a better CEO and a better leader that I feel I slowly chip away at with every session.

Malte Kosub

CEO, Parloa

Raised $27M from EQT Ventures, Senovo, Newion, and others

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I can highly recommend coaching sessions with Dave. He has an exceptional ability to listen and then completely re-frame the discussed topic - allowing you to dissect it from multiple perspectives and come up with completely new ideas. This has allowed me to develop further as a leader and keep pace with the fast growth of Parloa. 

Christian Meinerding

CEO, HiveMQ

Raised $49M from Earlybird, Senovo, Molten Ventures

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave is an amazing coach. He listens, he asks the hard questions and he doesn’t let me off the hook when I don’t go deep to the roots of the situation. He has helped me hugely while navigating the transition from Founder to CEO. In particular, how best to work with other experienced leaders in the company to be successful together. I especially like Dave’s use of structures and models. This is also how I operate, I need a clear and easy framework to understand a complex situation, even if it is an emotional or people situation. I fully recommend Dave to every founder who is ready to face their challenges, go very deep, and get to the next level.

Alexandre Remor

CEO, Medway

Raised R$75M from SoftBank and others

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Working with Dave has significantly helped me to become a better CEO. What I especially notice is that I'm making smart decisions faster. Dave has a unique ability to listen to what you're saying and present it back to you with the clarity that only someone on the outside, with great experience and with no conflict of interest,  can provide. I've recommended Dave to numerous CEOs and would recommend to every CEO that is struggling to make better decisions. In my experience, that's virtually 100% of CEOs!

Tushar Agarwal

CEO, Hubble

Raised $13M from Pi Labs, JLL Spark

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Working with Dave has been game-changing for me. The single most powerful thing he's given me is confidence in myself as a manager, leader and founder. He's equipped me with the hard skills I need to be effective and world-class at my job. On top of all of that, Dave approaches his work from a place of deep empathy - not just because he's a great & experienced coach, but because he's been a Founder before and "gets it"

Mikela Druckman

CEO, Greyparrot

Raised $16M from SpeedInvest, Force Over Mass

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Being a founder is learning by doing but without reflection there is little to learn. You can learn a lot through reading, listening, etc. but nothing has the impact of reflecting about great questions that are tailored to our everyday challenges. David is exceptionally good at asking pinpointed questions that help you to move forward and grow the company.

Eugene Mizin

CEO, Job Today

Raised $40M from Accel, Felix Capital

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave brings out the best in founders. He helps them translate their insights into clear strategy and decisive 'no-turning-back' action. Dave taps into the cutting edge research in business and human psychology to help founders understand themselves better and move forward with greater confidence.

Ben Stephenson

CEO, Impala

Raised $32M from Lakestar, Latitude, Stride

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave is a truly tremendous coach who really helped me through the numerous ups and downs that come with being a Founder who wants to scale. I highly recommend him for his breadth of knowledge and experience and his ability to dig into even the most unfamiliar problems.

Jonathan Lakin

CEO, Intent HQ

Raised $32M from Oxford Capital, Edge

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I've worked with several coaches. All have been good, none have stuck. Dave is the first I've stuck with. He's a rare breed of 'lesser spotted coach'. He has proper CEO and investor experience but doesn't try to solve it for you. His post-coaching notes are awesome too….well structured and highlighted.

Diego Fanara

CEO, Unibuddy

Raised $32M from Highland Europe, Stride VC

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave has been instrumental in my ongoing evolution from a founder to a CEO, elevating my thought process to becoming a much more conscious leader.
The coaching sessions are the perfect monthly think time for stepping back on the past and present while trying to anticipate the future. Dave is a fantastic facilitator and listener to get your brain thinking in the right guide rails with the framework for me to continue using them outside of our sessions.

Chris Edson

CEO, Second Nature

Raised $13M from Beringea, Connect Ventures

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Working with someone who is both so knowledgeable on being a CEO and also so empathetic to the strife of building companies is completely game changing for me. My two hours with Dave are the most valuable part of my week. I come out of our sessions invariably energised, with a fresh understanding and clarity on the problems that I brought to the session. I cannot recommend Dave enough.

Alex Omeyer

CEO, Stepsize

Raised $8.2M from Connect, Index, Stride

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave has been my CEO coach since early 2018, I couldn't hope for a better coach. I particularly enjoy the fact that he always manages to help me distill complex situations into clear decision points that help me move faster with clarity. But most importantly, Dave has taught me how truly show up for myself in ways that improved my emotional, mental, and physical health. He helped me find my own definition of "balance" and, in this sense, helped me in many ways beyond business. I often leave coaching sessions with Dave having found words that connect and explain thoughts and values that had been knocking around in my head for years.

Adrian Raidt

CEO, Laserhub

Raised $20M+ from Project A, Point Nine, Acton

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

For me, coaching is about identifying the most challenging topics you're facing, and discussing solutions from both functional and emotional perspectives. Dave helps me spend time on the most important leadership topics, tackle problems from different angles, and provides me with extra accountability. Since Dave has held several CEO roles himself, he's able to share first-hand experience that I really value. He's also extremely knowledgeable and experienced in coaching methodologies. With both sides covered, Dave is highly valuable.

Guilherme Freire

CEO, Dolado

Raised $12M from Valor Capital Group, GFC and others

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave is my 'go-to' person when I'm facing the most difficult situations. He's a great listener, always insightful, and he's helped me to think strategically and rationally and grow as a leader. One of the most difficult parts of being a CEO/founder is that people often expect you to have the answers and appear strong all the time. By having a coach like Dave, you have someone you can show your vulnerabilities, share your fears and, more importantly, have a valuable second opinion on how to make important decisions that will shape the future of your company.

Christoph Wagner

CEO, Scanbot

Raised $10M from Target Global, Evoco, e42

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Achieving clarity amidst the constant onslaught of opportunities and challenges as a CEO of a fast-growing scale-up is of the utmost importance. Dave is incredibly empathic and easy to work with. He is able to pinpoint issues quickly and keeps asking the right questions to facilitate arriving at a clear picture of a solution. Dave will challenge you - but always being in your corner of the ring. If you are taking self-development seriously I would highly recommend working with him!

Andrew Lynch

Co-Founder, Huckletree

Raised $11M from Concentric, Felix, Force Over Mass

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is knowing not to put it in a fruit salad. Dave is a fountain of both knowledge and wisdom, and is an expert at navigating the line between mentor and coach effectively. He is excellent at differentiating clearly when he is actively coaching or when he is giving advice based on experience—I know that Huckletree is in a better place because of Dave.

Sam Watson Jones

CEO, Small Robot Company

Raised $13.5M from 7%, Crowdcube

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave helped me to explain the value of our proposition which has been a massive support in our fundraising efforts. CEO coaching helps you to clarify what you want from your role and your business and then gives you the strategies to turn this into a reality. I’ve had several new business line ideas which have come directly from our sessions. He is great at encouraging you to clearly articulate your own thoughts and provides accountability and space to think. I would be less effective in my role without him.

Richard Vibert

CEO, Metomic

Raised $25M from LocalGlobe, Connect, EF

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Working with Dave has helped me understand more about myself - specifically my strengths and weaknesses. This realisation is helping me become a better person, a better thinker, and a better manager of other people. Having someone external to the company you can fall back on to get advice and feedback when you need it (which is all the time!) is the best thing about having a coach.

Rebecca Kelly

CEO, VenueScanner

Raised $3.5M from British Business Bank, Rianta

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave’s expertise has helped me think through how I communicate with my team, my investors, and other stakeholders in order to really get my message across effectively.

Will Read

CEO, Sideways 6

Raised $2M from 24Haymarket

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Working with Dave has given me more confidence in my decision-making and an awareness of my own thought patterns, feelings and actions. We've touched on just about everything across our business and my own thinking, and I believe there has been a positive impact across the board.

Manuel Bruschi

CEO, Timeular

Raised $1.5M from SpeedInvest

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Working with Dave has given me more confidence in my decision-making and an awareness of my own thought patterns, feelings and actions. We've touched on just about everything across our business and my own thinking, and I believe there has been a positive impact across the board.

Alister Rollins

CEO, Move

Raised $9.5M from ADV and Downing Ventures

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave’s insightful coaching and powerful questioning helps me achieve clarity of focus—an essential requirement in the startup world. Highly recommended!

Alex Eid

CEO, Homie

Raised $8.2M from Connect, The Family, Venture Friends

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David will be there to prompt you, question your thinking, steer you in directions you may not have pondered, give you insight from the lessons and experiences that have shaped his career, and connect you with his vast network to help unlock problems you are facing.

Daniel Jacobs

Former CEO, Avanoo

Raised $8M from Storm Ventures, Access

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David is a rare coach who has the wisdom and empathy required to support entrepreneurs in building their businesses and driving results.

Michael Vanaselja

CEO, Keebo

Raised $7M from Breega, Connect Ventures

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave is the best - hands down! I make better decisions, quicker. Highly recommend.

Louise Schofield

CEO, PreKure

Bootstrapped

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave helped me to believe in myself again. Ultimately, this allowed me to be future-focused and to truly believe that my best work is still ahead of me.

Siddarth Vijayakumar

CEO, GrubClub

Acquired

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave’s support and true partnership were invaluable to me through a very challenging period, which ended up in an acquisition.

Holly Dunlap

CEO, Stylindex

Raised from Techstars

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave helps me to separate the wheat from the chaff and refocus on the truly important priorities Dave’s coaching has been invaluable in helping me stay focused on the truly important priorities for my business, and not lose sight of the big picture.

Pradeep Raman

CEO, Burrow

Acquired by DPR

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

David is a terrific coach. He is a brilliant blend of EQ and IQ. His entrepreneurial and investment experiences combine to put him in a very uniquely advantageous position to help emerging entrepreneurs best negotiate the rollercoaster of start-up life. I would very highly recommend him!

Guilherme Vieira

CEO, Pelando

Internal Startup

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave helps me to reframe my doubts and my whole team has said how much my leadership has changed as a result. I've even started to practice coaching with them. I never thought I would recommend coaching, but now I'm the guy that raves about it, the same way people do about crazy fitness trends.

Joe Cripps

CEO, Trail

Acquired

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave’s empathy and keen mind have helped us focus on what's important...which in every case is people.

Rory Stirling

Connect Ventures

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave Bailey is an incredible coach, subject expert and speaker and it wouldn't be the same without him. He combines a very rare set of magic skills... practical company building experience, an ability to communicate and inspire, and the patience to coach others. We can't recommend him highly enough (so long as he still saves some time for us!).

Andre Retterath

Earlybird Venture Capital

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave gave a great workshop to 30 of our portfolio CEOs in Berlin. His mix of materials, frameworks and personal stories led to amazing discussions which he perfectly moderated and summarised in clear takeaways.

Heitor Benfeito

Portugal Ventures

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

In Dave, we found not only a likeminded person, but a coach and speaker who delivered exactly what we were looking for at our CEO “Get Together”. He provided a multitude of insights, coupled with strategic views, as well as a clear actionable path which both our CEOs and our team could follow. We consider Dave to be one of the top start-up CEO coaches and would recommend him to our fellow VCs.

Harry Rhys Davies

Tech Nation

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave led a workshop for 29 of our AI-focused venture-backed entrepreneurs. The session was brilliant and delved into important topics that are usually very challenging to cover. Having been a founder, a VC, and a coach, Dave brings with him a unique and practical perspective that has immediate value to any founder navigating a scaling journey.

Alex Gordon-Furse

Startup Grind

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dave has done Conference keynotes, intimate workshops & webinars for our founders at Startup Grind. We keep getting him back because the feedback we get is fantastic. His content is always incredibly well thought-out, well organised & super engaging and it is always jam-packed with actionable insights. Highly recommended!