Most startup founders obsess over building the perfect product. But at DQventures, we focus on building a minimum viable business—the lightest version of a sustainable business. Hosts Ollie and Sam explain why entrepreneurs need more than just a product: you need repeatable sales, operational delivery, and unit economics that actually work.
Learn how to prove financial viability before quitting your job. Discover why founder success isn't about perfection—it's about solving real problems, winning paying customers repeatedly, and building the foundations for a profitable business. Real stories from DQ portfolio companies show what happens when you focus on viable business models, not just MVP development.
Most entrepreneurs fall in love with their solution. But successful startups begin with problem-first thinking. Ollie and Sam reveal why DQventures gets excited about founders obsessed with solving real problems—not those pitching "world-changing" solutions.
Learn to identify "hair on fire" problems worth building a business around. Discover the validation framework: does it save time or money? How frequent is the problem? What's the market size? Hear how CLVR Benefits and Dealer Docs founders turned problem intimacy into viable businesses. Get honest customer feedback using The Mom Test, win your first paying customers, and understand when you've validated enough to build.
Why are the most successful founders in their 40s—and why don’t we see more of them? In this first episode, DQventures team Oliver Palmer, Sam Middlehurst and James Green share how DQ helps experienced professionals transition from corporate life into entrepreneurship. Learn how DQ’s Validate–Build–Scale process de-risks the startup journey, the lessons from exits and failures and why the venture ecosystem needs more big problems and fewer shiny pitch decks.
Learn more about building your business with DQventures