Meet the Members | David Rushton

My name is David Rushton, and I provide technology leadership to companies who lack in-house senior digital expertise. This includes working as an extension of the team as a ‘Chief Technology Officer’, as a consultant focused on specific projects and initiatives, or in a more general advisory capacity to ensure the right decisions are taken and they’re headed in the right direction.

It’s easy to assume that every company is backed by a strong technology team. But in reality, this isn’t the case. Many start-ups are built by non-technical founders, and many SMEs have never built in-house technology teams. In either case, technology is a key enabler of growth, and a lack of skills in this area can be a key blocker.

Startups and founders typically engage me to help them launch a digital product. This might be a web application, a mobile app, or an e-commerce offering. In addition, they’re also at a stage where they need to correctly choose and integrate several key back-office systems, for example CRM, ERP and marketing automation platforms.

SMEs approach me for similar things, but their situation is usually quite different. They are often ‘suffocated’ by legacy systems and ways of working that won’t scale and support them on their next stage of growth. They need help consolidating, refreshing, re-imagining, integrating and (finally) automating their ‘digital estate’. In some cases, they have identified a new revenue stream that could be realised with the right technology, which often leads to the creation of a digital product.

Regardless of their specific situation, my role is always to help provide technology that aligns with their business vision and ultimately enables them to grow. Whilst it’s often easy to think about building custom solutions (which can be expensive), I often find that there are existing offerings that can be neatly integrated to achieve a client’s desired outcome – without breaking the bank. But where custom solutions are required (or would add significant value), I work closely with teams to define requirements and engage with a partner who’s best placed to deliver them.

I’ve been at Venture X for 10 months now, and I must say, I love it! Yes, the workspace is extremely modern, well-furnished, spotless and brilliantly managed. But it’s the sense of community that really sets it apart for me. People are lovely, engaging and I’ve made some great contacts and friends along the way. Regular socials and events have been a fantastic way to expand my network with like-minded people who bring different ideas and perspectives. There’s definitely a ‘buzz’ around the place, but if you need some quiet time and to get your head down, then that’s absolutely possible too.

If you would like to know more about me or what I do, then please feel free to visit my website or my LinkedIn profile.