Founder of SpinOps, Richard Hardy, talks to us about his latest new business venture.
| Type of Incubyte Member: | Permanent hotdesker |
| Member since: | April 2019 |
| How often do you use the Cambridge office? | 4-5 days a week |
| What attracted you to IncubyteSpace? | I really like the feel of the Incubyte space and the ability to chat to clients in the lovely open atrium, with a coffee shop onsite, it is the perfect place to set up meetings with an informal relaxed feel. |
Tell us about your company
My company SpinOps is an Operations Consultancy business, which was initially setup to help spinoffs and startups with operations projects, at a time when employing a full time person was out of the question.
This consultancy isn’t just limited to startups and scale-ups; I’ve found that many established companies need operational support too; especially when doing ‘skunkwork’ projects or setting up in new premises etc. Well established businesses benefit from an external stakeholder coming in and looking at production lines and processes to help reduce waste and increase efficiency.
It’s an interesting sector to work in and I’m looking forward to exploring the various challenges and pain points out there to see how I can inject significant value. I’ll keep listening and learning!
You worked at Eight19 before you setup SpinOps, what was that like?
Working for Eight19 was a great experience. I was involved in every aspect of the business, from running the facility and processes to negotiating deals with overseas partners. It was very much a “if it needs doing just do it” style of attitude which ran through the business that enabled us to adapt quickly and perform to a high level.
Is there a ‘typical’ or common challenge which you solve for customers?
Most challenges are around operations, but as this is such a broad area it really can encompass any business type and size. So far, projects have ranged from supplier sourcing and development to lease negotiation and a major process asset transfer to overseas.
What have you got planned for this year?
This year I plan to build and maintain my professional network and to talk to as many people as possible. I believe there is a need (and a market) for a good, no-nonsense Operations Consultant that gets things done and sees projects through to completion. Not all companies can afford an Ops Manager full time, but would benefit with some support, for example: a dedicated ten hours per week on projects that can transform the business. This is where I would step in.
Has your engineering background influenced your career path?
Yes absolutely. I very quickly realised that the structured approach to an engineering problem could be applied to many different areas of business. This has given me the ability to clinically analyse, simplify problems and identify achievable measures of success that senior level managers and investors can appreciate the value of. It’s this skillset that has meant my peers and colleagues are coming to me to solve a problem.
Rob Precious, Founder of Incubyte comments:
“Having met Richard through Eight19, it’s been great to witness his transition into entrepreneurship. When you drill down into his business, he provides a niche but needful service offering for a particular type of customer. I’m really pleased that he’s chosen to cowork from Incubyte because it means even more interesting discussions about the tech ecosystem in our region can be had!”
Connect with Richard on LinkedIn or head to www.spinops.co.uk
