James Wood
Building to solve problems
The concept of “doing something"’ has never intrinsically motivated me, but the concept of “getting something done”’ really does. It’s the results of the hard work, the end goal, the final product that gives me a sense of purpose, no matter the challenge. In my youth, I’d often build my own PCs or mountain bikes from scratch, tweaking them to get the best result possible on a limited budget and then helping my friends with the same. I’d take on challenges that no one saw coming, like climbing in the Himalayas or Army training, in the interest of building skills, developing teams, and learning new things about myself along the way.
A passion for tech
After working as a monetization consultant in the UK in a variety of industries, I moved to the Bay Area (and later to NYC) to focus on tech. That was where I found my groove. Being able to build products that innovate and add value, and working with great founders and entrepreneurs along the way has been the constant—whether it’s running pricing and packaging at Segment, creating the monetization advisory team at Insight Partners, or as Head of Product at m3ter. I’m proud to have worked with 450+ companies in the space, a lot of which have been unicorns with great exits and IPOs.
ROI is key
Joining Northlane has brought me into an environment of ex-operators that share my way of working. I’ve always focussed on real solutions that will work in practice. Partnering with founders to take their business to the next stage is always a privilege, and my background in both advising and operating helps me work out what will bring the business to the next level most effectively. You won’t find pretty slides or excel models that are only good in theory; if something can’t be applied, it won’t add value.
Family, friends and life across the pond
I’ve been lucky enough to live in a variety of places in both the UK (Bristol, Manchester, London) and U.S. (Bay Area and NYC, which I now call home). As a result, I have wonderful friends and family all over the world, in addition to an eclectic music taste and curious collection of sports teams. I follow McLaren F1 and am a life-long Manchester United fan, along with newer additions like the Warriors, Giants, and Rangers. When I’m not nerding out over tech and pricing, you’ll usually find me at a gig, playing football (soccer), or exploring somewhere on a roadtrip.