I’ve Built 24 Startups & a $400M Fund: Here’s What I Learned

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Open Equity With Thomas Cornwall

Thomas Cornwall

15 episodes

6 days ago

Open Equity with Thomas Cornwall takes you inside the world of scaling companies, private equity, exits and wealth creation. Every week, Thomas - founder of Open Equity, who has helped scale companies to $200M+ revenue and exit for up to $1.75BN - shares unfiltered conversations and actionable insights featuring top founders, investors and dealmakers.

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I’ve Built 24 Startups & a $400M Fund: Here’s What I Learned | Jamil Shinawi

Open Equity With Thomas Cornwall

1 hour 4 minutes 16 seconds

4 months ago

I’ve Built 24 Startups & a $400M Fund: Here’s What I Learned | Jamil Shinawi

Jamil Shinawi has built 24 companies over the last two decades, achieving multiple nine-figure exits and co-founding both deep-tech company AHOY and venture fund Actual VC.

Most people assume that successful fundraising requires prestigious degrees and corporate credentials. This episode challenges that misconception head-on, as Jamil shares how he's repeatedly built valuable companies without traditional “pedigree” and why the venture capital industry's obsession with "safe" founders is actually stifling real innovation.

You'll hear his unconventional approach to scaling teams, why he believes IPOs kill startups, and the unique equity structure that keeps his companies nimble and entrepreneurial.

Do you want to scale? We’re looking for more great companies to invest in and help grow: https://www.openequity.co.uk/book-a-call

What’s your scale score? Take the free test: https://www.openequity.co.uk/the-scale-scorecard

Join the Open Equity newsletter for weekly insights: https://www.openequity.co.uk/newsletter

00:00 Introduction
01:00 Running two companies and gaps in Middle East VC thinking
05:16 What it really means to be a hands-on investor
09:30 Why Jamil prefers private liquidity over IPOs
12:55 Scaling by spinning off teams into micro-startups
16:04 Forcing turnover with 4–6 year employee lifespans
18:15 The origin of Ahoy and a tech stack for developers
21:52 Pivoting into logistics and cold chain during COVID
25:06 Getting rejected by VCs for not fitting in
28:48 Cultural differences in how failure is seen
30:51 Building emotional resilience over 24 startups
37:46 Solving extreme problems out of raw curiosity
41:47 How to turn breakthrough science into real companies
44:50 Why universities are failing science-based startups
47:12 What “deep tech” really means at Actual VC
50:10 Building a value stack across the tech chain
52:05 Merging failing companies to unlock their value
56:03 Why taking early exits can be the wiser move
58:59 Key advice for founders scaling beyond product-market fit
1:01:42 A vision for the Gulf as a global innovation hub

→ Follow Thomas & Open Equity
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascornwall/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/open.equity/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@open.equity
Website: https://www.openequity.co.uk/

→ Follow Jamil
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamilshinawi/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamilshinawi/?hl=en
Website: https://www.ahoyholding.com/