My Big Decision: Julie Meyer on launching a tech firm during the dot com downturn

Wednesday, March 31, 2010 | Posted by: Fiona Cullinan
Categories: My big decision, Financing , Women in business | Tags: business, entrepreneurs, investment, entrepreneur, technology, digital, women in business, CEO, financing, My Big Decision, Julie Meyer, Ariadne Capital, First Tuesday, backing, dot com, Dragon’s Den

Setting up a technology-oriented investment firm just six months after the dot com bubble burst may sound like risky business. But as entrepreneur and BBC Dragon Julie Meyer explains, in Grant Thornton’s My Big Decision series, it wasn’t just for the money…

In her My Big Decision video podcast, she explains that she didn’t need to work, having just sold her networking venture First Tuesday for £33 million.

The technology/entrepreneur market was also worsening following the dot com crash of March 2000. She also lists a number of other reasons for NOT jumping straight back into business.

But as CEO Meyer explains in the podcast, entrepreneurs are driven to have an impact, to be responsible for the success of a company or growth of a movement – “I think we are here to give to society not take from it… We are here to make a contribution to the world and if you don’t feel that way there’s something wrong with you, not the rest of us.”

On the podcast, Meyer also talks about life as a woman in a business dominated by men, what they respond to best – and what they don’t.

To find out more, watch Julie Meyer’s My Big Decision or subscribe to Grant Thornton’s monthly series in iTunes.

Grant Thornton’s My Big Decision podcasts offer an illustrated series of short interviews with thought leaders and prominent business individuals about a critical moment that changed their lives forever.

Previous interviewees include:
• King of the High Street, George Davies
• Freakonomics author Stephen J Dubner.
• Financial Times economist agony uncle, Tim Harford
• Online theorist Chris Anderson
• Cultural commentator Fons Trompenaars

You can also read Julie Meyer’s exclusive post for Grant Thornton’s Elevate blog revealing her 10 tips for entrepreneurs.