Year One in the Life of a Late-Career Entrepreneur

A Journey Unlike the Sun’s

In the past 12 months, the Earth has completed its predictable arc around the Sun, yet my journey from a hopeful startup founder to today has been anything but smooth nor steady. Some stretches have felt dizzyingly fast, while others were like slogging through treacle (molasses, for my American readers). On some weeks, forward movement seemed elusive.

Reflection and Growth

Unlike the Earth's orbit, I’m far from where I began. Although time feels faster as we age, it’s astonishing to think it’s been only a year since I sat in Zinc 's launch event with a fresh notebook, a flask of gourmet coffee and grand ambitions. This post is both a reflection on the past year and a stock-taking of where I am now compared to where I aspire to be.

Aligned with Purpose

This experience, with all its highs and lows, has solidified that I’m on the right path. Working in alignment with my values—especially improving health and well-being for people and the planet—is deeply fulfilling. Unlike prior roles, where I could find "good" in various missions, this is the first time I’m as driven by positive social impact as I am by growth.

Highs and Lows

On tough days, I don’t look to my paycheck for motivation. No one should join a startup expecting immediate rewards; I came in knowing there’d be sacrifices. Instead, I think of the GP practice staff feeling overwhelmed by rising chronic disease or patients unaware of the risks they face, and I’m reenergized to keep going.

Learning Curve and Camaraderie

The first six months at Zinc felt like my university Freshers’ year. Kicking off with a 3-week boot camp, I was learning at a firehose pace. Despite the challenge, I found solidarity with my cohort, learning alongside intelligent, driven peers.

Sprints and Matchmaking

After boot camp, we moved into "sprints," where the goal was to explore potential problem spaces and find the right co-founder. Zinc helped us "matchmake," with a structured week of daily sprints and an emphasis on finding complementary skills. After the initial week, it was up to us to seek out sprint partners in problem areas we found compelling.

Navigating Solo

As a "Commercial" person, I was supposed to partner with a health or environmental specialist rather than come up with my own idea. But when inspiration struck, Zinc’s founder encouraged me to pursue it, suggesting I might attract a co-founder along the way. That advice proved accurate.

A Fortunate Meeting

Just before Christmas, I chatted with Govin—my future co-founder—whilst waiting for the lift to leave the building to start the holiday. We discovered overlapping ideas, and a week later, we started sprinting together. With most people still on holiday, we had the time and space to make real progress. By mid-January, we’d officially teamed up to tackle chronic illness.

Facing the Hurdles

Matching was only the first hurdle. We soon had to face "stock-take," presenting our chosen problem space to Zinc’s team. It was a rigorous assessment, with valuable feedback to push us further. From there, it was on to preparing for the Investment Committee (IC), which was nerve-wracking but rewarding when we secured initial funding and continued support from Zinc.

Launching Zonder

With funding secured, we launched Zonder. Since April, we’ve focused on building the company, designing processes, engaging potential customers, and continuously learning through workshops and coaching. Thanks to Zinc’s support, we’ve made real progress.

The Next Chapter

Looking back, I wish things could have moved faster—though experience reminds me that all true beginnings require patience. Now, we’re on the cusp of delivering care, having hired our first clinician and with a second hire in progress. To those who have followed my journey, a huge 'thank you!' for your support. While this is the last regular installment, I’ll continue to share key updates on our Zonder LinkedIn page.

Founder Perspectives from the Cohort

A Founder’s Story – Marjo Palanee, is now focusing the spotlight of her blog on under-represented founders and their startups whilst offering her services in building communities on social media. I highly recommend her workshops!

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