Luke's Columns

It is said that culture is more important than anything in determining the success of a business. A company’s culture is mostly a reflection of the character of its leader. In short, a good boss breeds good culture. I have been fortunate enough to witness such entrepreneurs in action…

Over the decades, in my writing and in speeches, I have relentlessly promoted the idea that more people should become entrepreneurs. Some people, though, are what a friend calls “unentrepreneurs” — they work for themselves but should have stuck to being employees. There are plenty of reasons why certain…

Every venture capitalist knows that investing is often a slave to fashion. Popular themes come and go: one year it’s the internet of things, the next it’s blockchain or autonomous driving. Right now it seems that healthy soft drinks for adults are the idea of the moment. I’ve had…

Satire is a necessary antidote when any sphere of human activity takes itself too seriously. Business is surely such an endeavour, constantly making great claims over its importance. Consequently, it should be routinely mocked. The traditional vehicle for satire was the written word. In the corporate era, four books…

I am not a friend of Vernon Hill, ex-chairman of Metro Bank, but I am an admirer of his energy and ambition. I got to know him when I served as a non-executive director of his business from 2011 to 2014. Vernon and I did not always see eye…

These are strange times for investors — especially in American equities. US stock indices are at all-time highs: over the past 10 years, the total return from the Nasdaq index is almost 350% and the S&P 500 250%. And as with culture, we have copied our friends across the…

I have always believed that role models provide vital inspiration for would-be entrepreneurs; real-life exemplars who can be emulated are more important in fostering start-ups than all the business schools in the world. To contribute in a small way, I have been a judge for the Veuve Clicquot awards…

So what does 2020 hold for investors and entrepreneurs? The general election has made an enormous difference to the country’s economic prospects. The risks of nationalisation, excessive public spending and borrowing, punishing tax rises and suffocating regulations have all receded because Jeremy Corbyn and Labour have been resoundingly beaten….

Many of our working days are spent in meeting rooms. From first interview to farewell party, office lives are punctuated by meetings, and the appearance of the spaces we use sums up the character of an organisation: flashy or sombre, cutting edge or traditional, minimalist or chaotic. The ergonomics…

Occasionally one comes across an important book that is not as well known as it should be. Red Tape by Robin Ellison is one such book. I have known the author for many years — he is an excellent lawyer, an academic and an expert in pension matters. This…