Learning to Sail

I should probably start by saying - this isn’t a blog for sailors. I don’t sail. Or rather my only real experience was some childhood sailing lessons (evidenced by this photo) and maybe the odd day out with friends in their boats over the years. But for clarity if you’re reading this for tips and advice on how to master a trans-atlantic crossing, you’re going to be disappointed.

Lately though, I’ve been thinking more about what sailing has to teach us about entrepreneurship - how it’s a great analogy for business and how we need to adapt our strategy and ideas to the market. The need to respond to forces bigger than you. To adjust course. To wait. To move decisively when the moment is right.

There’s a particularly helpful idea from sailing: when the wind is coming straight at you, you don’t try to force your way through. You can’t. So you tack - zigzagging across the wind, sometimes sailing at an angle that feels completely away from your destination. But you’re still progressing. It’s not always a straight line. But it’s smart. And it gets you there eventually.

Not every venture has a tailwind

Some ventures I’ve been part of found themselves in tough sectors. In the early days of Maze Theory, we were building high-concept VR games - in what was essentially a niche within a niche. The work was bold and creatively ambitious, but the market wasn’t there yet. There were constant headwinds. Progress required relentless effort, and even then, it was slow-going.

In contrast, some of my other ventures have benefited from real momentum. When the wind is with you - even lightly - everything becomes more fluid. Your energy is amplified. Progress compounds. You don’t have to force it quite so much.

Don’t just chase the next big thing

I’ve jumped into hot markets before. It’s easy to do. When something’s new, exciting, and full of momentum, it can feel like a smart play - or at least the fun one. But in hindsight, I can see there were times when I was caught chasing the hype and trying to play in areas where I didn’t have enough credibility or understanding.



And I’ve seen plenty of others do it too. Whether it was rushing headfirst into crypto, launching the next CBD brand, or throwing energy into subscription boxes for things no one really needed. More recently, AI has had the same gravitational pull - drawing people in before they’ve really understood the terrain.

In sailing terms, I’d imagine that’s like climbing into a high-performance racing yacht in the middle of a storm, with no idea how to sail. You don’t just get wet - you can quickly get out of control, or worse, break something expensive.

There’s a world of difference between spotting an opportunity and chasing momentum. The best entrepreneurs I know don’t jump ship every time the forecast changes. They adjust course, sure - they tack when needed - but they’re anchored in something deeper: purpose, experience, instinct. And that makes all the difference.

What’s happening in climate tech and ESG right now

We’re in an interesting moment in the climate tech and ESG space. Back in 2019 when we founded Ecologi, there were early gusts of energy, policy focus and capital. We were fortunate to catch that movement - and build real momentum as the wind picked up.

Now the conditions feel different. There’s a softening. The ESG conversation is shifting from moral leadership to economic justification. Policymakers are under pressure to focus on growth and savings. Investors are looking at climate through the lens of risk, not just responsibility.

And maybe that’s not a bad thing. The market is different to where it was, the wind direction has changed. The real opportunity now is to show how climate and nature can de-risk infrastructure, reduce insurance costs, protect supply chains, and unlock long-term economic value. 



That’s a more pragmatic message - but it’s the one the wind is carrying.

In some sectors like renewables there’s actual commercial upside to be gained from picking a greener choice. So selling that message and those products becomes much easier to do. There is economic momentum.

For founders and innovators, this is a moment to be sharp. To sense the direction of travel. To tack if necessary, and keep moving forward.

The art of entrepreneurship is not just conviction - it’s timing

Being an entrepreneur isn’t just about passion or originality. It’s about timing. Awareness. Pragmatism. There’s no point trying to plough forward into a dead headwind. And there’s no wisdom in launching yourself into a hurricane with no compass.

But if you can tune into the conditions - if you can read the market, the movement, the pressure - you can position yourself to move with it. Even if you have to shift, pause, or steer away from where you thought you were going.

You don’t need to be a sailor to get this.

You just need to be willing to learn, adjust, wait, or trim the sails when the wind changes.

Because it always does.