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FOR YEARS, JULES Coleman wanted a dog. So when she found herself with more free time after leaving the company she founded, she knew exactly what to do.
Over five years, Coleman and her friends Alex Depledge and Tom Nimmo built up their on-demand cleaning startup, Hassle. However she left the company, since rebranded as Helpling, only a few months after it was sold in 2015.
She’s now back in the startup game with a venture called BuildPath – an online architecture advice service – which already has 15 employees after its launch last year.
For the latest installment of Fora’s question-and-answer series, Coleman talks about finding her feet with Hassle in the early days, her not-so-memorable time in retail and one of the most over-hyped trends in startups.
Here’s what she had to say:
What’s your favourite question to ask in an interview and why?
I tend not to go in for the tricky interview questions because they put people on the defensive. Some people thrive and most people hate them. I tend to just ask people to tell me a bit about themselves and see where the conversation goes.
One question that does tend to be kind of eliminating is, “So what do you know about BuildPath?” It’s shocking the amount of people who turn up for an interview and know literally nothing about the company at all.
That tends to show you how serious a candidate is or how much research they’ve done. I’m not expecting them to know everything about the company, but knowing what industry we’re in would be a good start.
What has been your biggest failure to date?
Not to be a cliché, but I don’t really believe in failures. Looking back now, we see the first year or two of what became Hassle was about figuring things out.
I think it was formative, but we could have called time sooner on the approach of trying to provide 27 different services.
People were telling us this wasn’t the right approach, and we were adamant we were right. It turns out they were right and we were wrong. But it all set us up for what Hassle became.
If you weren’t doing your current job, what do you think you would be doing instead?
Realistically I’d still be in management consulting, but I always wanted to be a radio DJ. It’s ridiculous, but it’s my childhood dream.
Myself and my husband, Simon, also talk about one day running a boutique hotel, because it’s an intersection of a lot of what we’ve done to date.
How do you start a standard day and how do you finish it?
Before I get to work, I take my dog for a walk and I get to the office between 8am and 8.30am, depending on the tube in London. Then I’m headlong into the day. I probably should have more structure to my day, but I fail miserably at that.
At the end of the day, myself and my husband try to cook together. We get a meal kit box that gives you all the raw ingredients. We work pretty long hours and this way we don’t have to scramble around Tesco Express to try to find something to make.
What’s the worst job/task you ever had to do?
When I was in university I worked my way around retail stores in Liffey Valley Shopping Centre and worked weeknights in a pharmacy – that was pretty terrible.
I had to wear a nurse uniform, which wasn’t a highlight of my career. That job showed me that people buy some very weird collections of things.
What detail about yourself would surprise your staff?
Back in Hassle, because I did the technology piece, people assumed I was a complete nerd in all aspects of life.
Not that there’s anything wrong with geeky hobbies, but people might say, “What did you think of the latest Star Wars?” – when I’ve literally never seen Star Wars.
If there was one person in the world you could hire for your board, who would it be and why?
I think the Collison brothers because what they have done at Stripe is amazing. If I could get John and Patrick’s brains in this business, we would be light years ahead.
However, a piece of advice we were given when we started out was that when you’re a young company, the best kind of people you can bring in are people who are about 18 months ahead of you. So maybe a superstar entrepreneur would be the best hire.
What’s the oddest item in your office / workplace?
I got the Eir Internet Hero award last year and the award itself is in the shape of a golden spider. It’s quite unusual looking, which is usually a bit of a conversation-starter.
What’s your favourite possession?
I’m not sure if ‘possession’ the right term to use, but it’s probably my dog – Percy. When I left Hassle in January 2016, the first thing I did was get a dog.
I grew up with dogs and always wanted one but working in startups for five years meant it never really made sense to get one. But when I was out of Hassle, I had more time, so I got a cockapoo puppy.
It gives me something outside of work. There is a reason to leave the office and go home, because we need to feed Percy and bring him for walks.
What business sector do you think is the most over-hyped?
During my time at Index Ventures – after I left Hassle – we saw a lot of early-stage companies, and we didn’t see a startup come in that didn’t claim to have some artificial intelligence component.
I think there is some amazing stuff being done with AI, and we will make some great strides. But I think there is a lot of over-hype about what is being achieved currently and what is consumer-ready.
Written by Killian Woods and posted on Fora.ie
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So he got sick and she moved in 6 or 7 weeks ago? How did she afford the private rental house for the last 5 years?
Having said that, allowing her to stay until the end of Jan would hardly seem excessive, although there is probably some family that are entitled to the house waiting for years and hoping to have a place for Christmas.
Where did you get the 6/7 weeks & 5 years figures?
Agree that leaving them in the house until the end of January does not seem excessive, would really seem to be fair on the children who are grieving for their father
read the original article in the Wexford Echo – link included above
Read it there, cheers
Awful story but (and I’m ashamed to say) I’m becoming a little numb to these tragic stories as they are now a daily headline.
Where did she live before she moved in. She should have thought about her children before she left her own house.
She moved in with the children’s father to care for him during an illness. They must of got to see more of their Dad before his death, I think that would of been the most important thing for them.
Thanks Dara, I’ll try remember that next time
Why wasn’t she living with him all the time? before his illness? I’m sure it’s not as it seems tbh.
That’s really none of anyone’s business Donna.
None of these stories are what they seem
They split up years ago and only moved in at the end of September
Donna, the story from the Wexford Echo says they were married but separated with 5 years.
Alan , she went public about it herself so there’s bound to be questions asked .
Indeed there will be Suzie but why someone isn’t living with their children’s father isn’t relevant to the story. They were separated, beyond that is personal between partners and no one else’s business. Just because she went public doesn’t mean her life should be dissected.
Alan, it is relevant when she is looking for her estranged partners house. This just stinks of her trying to jump the housing list at the cost of someone else on the list who has probably been waiting the 10 years she is refusing too and now playing the sympathy card
You may need to read the piece again vocal. She’s not looking for the house. She has, in fact, said its not suitable for the family long term. All she’s looking for is a bit more time to sort out a new place to live and let her children grieve for a reasonable length of time. A couple of months shouldn’t make that much of a difference.
Also, the reason for a couple not being together has nothing to do with the housing list and is a personal issue and should be left as such.
You’re a quite heartless individual vocal……I really think some commentators here should be cast into the sea …how do some people become so hard faced
She is not entitled to keep the house and I know that’s harsh but the family at the top if the waiting list could be in more need of this home.
Read the article. She’s not asking to keep the house. She makes it very clear that she’s just asking to stay in in for a couple more months while she and her children get over a the loss.
Bereavement and moving house are two of the most stressful things you can go through, surely it’s not too much to ask that they not have both at the same time?
Who in the name of Jesus takes a picture at a loved ones grave?
Agreed, creepy looking smiles. Is that for this story or this a normal thing to do now?
Picture added for added sympathy
Seems to be. Was on Facebook a few days ago and seen a pic that was taken with a corpse at the wake – really, really creepy looking
Thank god someone said it, I get creeped out quite regularly on a daily basis from people posing for photos at a grave
People under the influence of Guinness farts perhaps?
The media does it all the time, they also film entire funerals and burials and put them on TV.
From the report she moved in to help with his illness – not because she knew he was dying, the house isn’t suitable for the family, their relationship seems to have not been conventional as in she lived elsewhere, maybe in private accommodation.
All she is looking for is some time, up until the end of January until she can save and move on – she will continue to pay the rent which is fair enough.
Have to say that some people have a cold and bitter outlook on the world.
They see the words “council house”and it’s open season.
Wants to work all of a sudden??? Moved into council house when she knew her partner was going to die. YeaHHHHH. Does she take us all to be fools?
Mary , there is people who will be fooled by this .
All of a sudden? Where’s that from? She’s got 1 lung and her surgeon says she’s not fit to work. She’ll hardly be able to do much if she needs oxygen regularly.
*Correction – occasionally, not regularly
Save for a deposit and buy a house like eveyone else or just dont have kids.
Maggie not everyone want’s to own a house
Yes they want everything free instead!
Some of the posters on this thread make me ashamed to be part of the human race…..this woman buried her children’s father 6 weeks ago….she has a serious life threatening illness…2 children could possibly be orphans any day …some posters here should be completely ashamed of themselves
Agreed Derek. It’s 2 kids who’ve just lost their father here. Letting them stay (in what they probably see as dads house) until after Christmas isn’t really asking too much. The mother is only asking for some time.
Pure heartless decision, lacking any common sense or human decency – like many posters here. Like you, this right here is the reason I don’t like people.
I don’t understand what could be so wrong in some people’s lives that they have to abuse a fragile woman and 2 small children who have lost their father and now they will lose their home ..shame on anybody who supports this decision ..
F**kheads Derek. It’s not their lives, it’s them.
If she knew he was dying she should have married him to avoid all of this.
They were both parents and should have looked after the children.
Tough situation but anybody with a bit of common sense would be looking out for the best option going forward not just ignoring it.
they were married – separated 5 years ago according to the Wexford Echo story
I heard her on the radio this morning but only got the tail ended of it. She moved in with him due to him being sick but also because the rent in her own place went up and the rent allowance went down so she could no longer afford it. Think the plan was to help out while he was sick and save towards a deposit for a new place. All she is asking for is to be allowed to stay till Janurary so her kids can grief for their father properly over christmas which is going to be hard for them and also to give her time to save.
I suppose we can take some comfort in the fact that people here are being almost as unkind to this family as they warw towards the bereaved travellers a couple of weeks ago. Equality at last!
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