Flexible working week: Co-founder at Flexa
In this blog, Maurice O’Brien , Co-founder at Flexa, shares what his flexible working week looks like.
13th May 2024
Name: Maurice O’Brien
Career Life Span: 15 years
What do you do? I’m one of the Co-Founders at Flexa, where I (loosely!) look after Finance and Ops. I’m also on the Board of Trustees at Support Dogs, and occasionally consult in my spare time.
What’s your company set up? Flexa is remote-first, and we work core hours 10-4. We meet once a month in our London office as a team, but I choose to come in 2-3x a week unless travelling.Monday: Lights, Camera, Action, and a Bit of Finance
I try to start a little later on a Monday, as I’m not a morning person at the best of times. Taking our dog, Gruff, for a walk around Victoria Park in East London clears my head and gets me set up for the week.
The working week then kicks off with a bang. Today was all about filming; we were in our studio, recording a pitch video for an upcoming funding round. There's something oddly nerve-wracking about being in front of a camera, trying to nail your lines while conveying the passion you have for your business.
Post-filming, I switched gears to some onerous banking tasks. One of the not-so-glamorous aspects of running a startup is taking care of nuts and bolts like banking confirmations, VAT returns, etc, but someone has to do it!
Ended the day with a consulting call. I spoke to a hedge fund who are lining up a significant investment in the sports betting space and wanted a little guidance on the sector. I worked in that industry for many years, so occasionally I still help out on those kinds of pieces.
After wrapping up the workday, I hit the gym to decompress.
Tuesday: A Marathon of Meetings
Today was a marathon, not a sprint. It began with a three hour (literally…) pitch to the partners at a venture capital firm. I’ve done dozens of those types of pitches over the years, but there’s still a unique buzz in the air when you're trying to woo someone who could be pivotal in scaling your dream.
Post-pitch, it was time for some quarterly catch-up meetings with members of the wider team. As Flexa has grown, the Founders manage fewer and fewer people directly, so we keep a casual chat once a quarter to ensure that everyone in the business is happy. Amidst these, I squeezed in some cost forecasting work on a substantial grant that we were recently awarded by the UK government, and had a not-so-fun dentist appointment to confirm that I need three fillings - grim!
In the evening, I went for a long-ish run; I’m training for the Hackney Half Marathon and haven’t done a half in quite a few years, so I'm trying to fit in three runs a week!
Wednesday: Analysis and Accountability
Midweek and no signs of slowing down! I started with a deep dive into some of our marketing spend this year and trying to ascertain how efficient we’ve been. We have a phenomenal marketing /growth team, and it’s great to see the fruits of their labour in numbers.
The afternoon was reserved for more quarterly catch-ups and chasing up some overdue payments — a necessary chore in the life of any entrepreneur. The day closed with the usual comforting routine: a walk with my dog and some gym time.
Thursday: Productive Conversations and a Pitch Perfect Dinner
We catch up with our Product team every second Thursday to see how everything is progressing on that side of the business. The team has been working on two huge projects (a new product release, and an overhaul of our existing website) which are about to go live. Very exciting times.
In the evening, I attended a dinner with a number of potential investors, off the back of a recent pitch event. Although less formal than the usual investor-founder dynamic, these events are no less important in terms of building relationships.
As always, the day began and ended with walks with my furry friend, which always brings a smile no matter how stressful the day.
Friday: Celebration and Early Weekend Vibes
After a quick jog in the morning, I finished out the last of our quarterly catch-ups.
The highlight of the day (well, the week really) was a Support Dogs showcase event in the afternoon, held at the Walkie Talkie building in London. It’s heartwarming to see the difference those incredible animals make in people’s lives.
Wrapped up early (we work a 4.5 day week at Flexa) and headed to The Devonshire in Soho for lunch and a few drinks with my wife, Molly (another Flexa Co-founder) and Gruff - yes, it is as good as everyone says.
A pretty hectic week overall, so I'm looking forward to chilling out over the weekend, seeing some friends, and watching the rugby!
What does your flexible working week look like?
Everyone's workweeks look different. We're curious to hear how you make it work for you. Got a routine that fits around your life? Share it with us! Whether you're an early bird, a night owl, or something in between, we want to know how you do it. Tell us about your flexible working week. Email hello@flexa.careerswith your flexible work week.