What We Offer
Building a business is hard. Having the right people around you makes it significantly less hard. This service gives founders and business leaders direct access to experienced advisory support - not generic frameworks or advice from someone who's never run anything, but practical, informed guidance from people who have.
Our founder and strategic advisory service draws on the combined experience of Michael and Abbie across technology, operations, commercial delivery and business building. We work with founders and senior teams on the questions that matter: what to prioritise, how to structure growth, which systems to build, where operational gaps are creating risk, and how to make better decisions with the information available.
This is not a coaching service and it's not a boardroom advisory product. It's practical, direct support for founders who need a thinking partner and occasional extra capacity - someone who understands both strategy and delivery, and who will give you honest assessments rather than comfortable answers.
Key Benefits
A trusted thinking partner for significant business decisions
Independent perspective on strategy, systems and operations
Support across technology, operations and commercial questions in one place
Honest assessments - including when the answer is 'this isn't the right move'
Help prioritising when everything feels urgent
Practical input on hiring, consultant selection and team structure
Support through transitions - growth phases, pivots, new markets, team changes
Access to both Michael and Abbie's expertise depending on the question
Our Process
Initial Conversation
Understand where you are, what's working, what isn't, and what you're trying to achieve.
Priority Assessment
Identify the highest-impact areas for advisory support - operational, strategic or both.
Structured Engagement
Establish a working rhythm - regular advisory sessions, ad-hoc support, or project-based involvement.
Active Advisory
Provide input, challenge assumptions, help think through options and support decision-making.
Delivery Support
Where needed, move beyond advice into hands-on support - owning workstreams, reviewing output, managing delivery.
Evolving Relationship
Advisory relationships evolve as the business changes - we adjust scope and focus as priorities shift.
Case Studies
See how we've helped our clients achieve their goals with this service.
Strategic Advisory During a Rapid Growth Phase
A founder had grown their business quickly and was facing decisions about team structure, systems investment and whether to take on a significant new client that would require operational changes. We worked with them over three months - challenging assumptions, helping them model the options, and providing input on the technology and operational changes needed to support growth.
Results:
Founder made a clear decision to take on the new client with a structured onboarding plan in place. Team structure clarified. Systems investment prioritised and implemented without disruption.
Operational and Technology Advisory for a Business Pivot
A business shifting from a project-based model to a retainer-based service model needed to rethink its operations, pricing, technology stack and team structure simultaneously. We provided advisory support across all four areas - ensuring each decision was made with an understanding of its downstream effects on the others.
Results:
Pivot completed over six months without loss of existing clients. New retainer model generating 40% more predictable monthly revenue than the previous project model.
What Our Clients Say
Having Michael and Abbie in my corner has changed how I make decisions. They understand both the technology side and the operational reality, which means the advice is actually useful rather than theoretical.
James Caldwell
Founder & CEO, Caldwell Ventures
I'd been trying to do everything myself for two years. Having an adviser who could look at the whole picture - systems, operations, technology, team - and tell me honestly what to focus on was exactly what I needed.
Sophie Marchetti
Founder, Marchetti Studio
The combination of strategic thinking and actual delivery capability is rare. Most advisers tell you what to do but can't help you do it. Hyrdle does both.
Richard Foster
Managing Director, Foster & Associates
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from a business coach?
We're not coaches and we don't use coaching frameworks. We give direct opinions, challenge your thinking with our own views, and often get involved in delivery rather than just asking questions. If you need someone to work through the decision with you and then help you act on it, that's what this is.
Do I need to be at a specific stage for this to be relevant?
No. We work with founders at early stages figuring out how to structure the business, and with more established companies navigating growth, operational challenges or strategic pivots. The nature of the support adapts to where you are.
What kinds of questions do you help with?
A wide range - should we build this product feature or buy a tool? How do we structure the team as we scale? Where are the operational risks in how we're running this? What technology investments actually make sense right now? How do we improve delivery without burning out the team? We're generalists with deep expertise in technology and operations, so we tend to be most useful on questions that sit at the intersection of those things.
How often do we meet or talk?
It depends on what you need. Some clients have a weekly check-in. Others work with us on a monthly basis or bring us in for specific situations. We're flexible - the structure should serve the business, not the other way around.
Can this be combined with other Hyrdle services?
Yes, and it often is. Clients who work with us for strategic advisory frequently also use our operations support, technology consultancy or website maintenance services. Having one team across multiple functions means nothing gets lost in translation.
Do you work with non-UK founders?
Yes. We work with founders across Denmark, the UK, Malta and Europe. Most advisory engagements run remotely with occasional in-person sessions where useful.
Related Services
Technology & AI Consultancy
Technical strategy and hands-on implementation from Michael.
Operations & Business Support
Day-to-day operational support to back up strategic decisions.
Payroll & Administrative Support
Keep the back-office running while you focus on building the business.