Serial Entrepreneur Explains Success Behind Multiple Business Ventures with Core Team
Harry Jones, co-founder and CPO of Motorway, has successfully launched five startups over the years along with his long-time colleagues Tom Leathes and Alex Buttle. In a recent podcast interview, Jones opened up about the experiences and lessons that have enabled the founding team to repeatedly achieve success in new business endeavors.
Jones and his co-founders first met in 2002 while working together at an early startup. They have now known each other for over two decades and worked side-by-side through various ventures. When establishing Motorway in 2017, it was the fifth business launched together by the experienced team.
Two of the previous startups had been acquired, showing proven results. However, even with experience, Motorway did face challenges in finding product-market fit. The company initially focused on a used car price comparison tool but pivoted when consumers engaged more than dealers. Refocusing on B2B led to stronger growth and the “end-to-end experience” desired today.
Jones credits the founding team’s long history together with allowing them to “get comfortable with change.” They have a process of rapidly testing small ideas to identify promising opportunities worth further investment. This scrappy approach proved successful in spotting value for prior companies as well as with Motorway.
While expansion is enticing, Motorway remains laser-focused on optimizing its UK operations first before considering new markets. As a relatively small player domestically still, priorities lie in building out product rather than distraction abroad. Lessons from past ventures also fuel better decision making around priorities and strategy.
Through resilience and an aligned vision over many years, this serial entrepreneur and his co-founders continue cracking the code on business model innovation and repeat entrepreneurial wins. Their story offers insight on sustained teamwork and the value of experience in continually creating companies that solve important problems.
