On 24th September, I had the pleasure of introducing Ken Valledy to a room full of aspiring entrepreneurs at London Business School. Few speakers could have connected more directly with an MBA audience. After all, Ken once stood where many of us aspire to be – a successful corporate executive with an impressive track record – before deciding to take the plunge and start his own business. His story is a rare and refreshing reminder that entrepreneurship doesn’t always start in a garage; sometimes, it begins in a boardroom.
From Executive to Entrepreneur
Ken spent over 15 years working in the corporate world, including senior marketing roles at AB InBev, managing household-name brands across Western Europe. He described how, despite the achievements, he began to feel constrained by the structure and predictability of corporate life. At some point, he said, you realise that if you want to create something truly new, you have to step outside the system.
That decision – to leave behind the security of a global corporation – resonates strongly with many MBA students. It’s a defining crossroads: do you continue to climb the ladder, or do you start building the ladder yourself?
Ken chose the latter. He co-founded Progressive Acceleration, a company designed to bridge the gap between corporates and startups. The mission was simple but powerful: help large organisations work effectively with agile startups to unlock innovation at scale. That clarity of purpose, rooted in what he already knew best, became the foundation of his success.
The Broker Between Two Worlds
Ken’s insight was that his real talent wasn’t in inventing the next big product — it was in connecting people. He had spent his corporate years building relationships and understanding how big brands think. When he stepped into the startup world, he realised that many founders lacked exactly that knowledge – how to speak the language of corporates, navigate their bureaucracy, and close deals.
He described himself as a broker between two worlds: helping startups gain traction while enabling corporations to innovate without the usual red tape.
That idea immediately reminded me of a concept we explored in Daniel Effron’s “Science of People in Organisations” course at LBS – understanding your unique role in a network and how you can create value by connecting otherwise disconnected groups. Ken exemplified this perfectly. Rather than trying to be something he wasn’t, he leaned into his strengths and built an entire business around them.
For many MBA students, this is a powerful takeaway: entrepreneurship doesn’t always mean inventing a product from scratch. Sometimes it means recognising where you can add leverage – where your experience, perspective, and network intersect to create something valuable.
Redefining Success
Perhaps the most striking part of Ken’s talk was his reflection on why he started his business. While the narrative around entrepreneurship often glorifies sleepless nights, endless hustle, and “grind culture,” Ken offered a different perspective.
He shared that one of the biggest rewards of entrepreneurship wasn’t financial independence – it was time freedom. Starting a business allowed him to design his schedule, spend more time with his family, and build a lifestyle that aligned with his values.
At this point, I raised a question that I think many of us wrestle with: has modern hustle culture gone too far? The idea that we must work every waking hour to succeed seems counterintuitive to the reason most of us pursue entrepreneurship – autonomy.
We spoke about the importance of becoming a business owner, not just a business operator – someone who builds systems that work for them, rather than someone trapped inside their own creation. It was a reminder that true success isn’t about constant motion; it’s about creating something sustainable that gives you the space to live fully.
This distinction between ownership and operation resonated deeply with the room. For many MBAs who dream of starting something after graduation, the message was clear: design your business around your life, not the other way around.
The Great Escape
Ken described leaving the corporate world as his own version of “The Great Escape.” He had the credentials, the stability, and the predictability – but also a growing sense that his creative potential was being boxed in. Entrepreneurship became not just a career move, but a personal liberation.
This concept of escaping the corporate comfort zone isn’t about rejecting the system, it’s about evolving beyond it. It takes courage to step away from a well-paved path, especially when you’ve succeeded in that environment. But Ken’s story demonstrates that calculated risk, grounded in self-awareness and experience, can be the most rational decision of all.
His leap paid off. Progressive Acceleration eventually grew to work with major clients such as Mercedes, P&G, Kimberly-Clark, and Haleon, before being acquired by Anthesis Group in 2023. It’s a testament to how aligning your strengths with a genuine market need can create both impact and opportunity.
Speaking the Language of Startups
Towards the end of the session, Ken discussed how even experienced professionals can struggle when entering the startup world – not because they lack skills, but because they don’t speak the same language.
Terms like runway, pivot, burn rate, or seed round might sound like jargon to outsiders, but they shape how founders and investors think. Without that fluency, even brilliant ideas can get lost in translation.
To bridge this gap, Ken co-authored The Startup Lexicon, a book that demystifies the terminology and mindset of entrepreneurship. As he explained, “Once you understand the language, you start to understand the culture – and that’s when the real conversations begin.”
Building a Business That Works for You
Ken Valledy’s story is a masterclass in strategic self-awareness. He didn’t start a business for the sake of starting one. He identified what he did best, built around it, and structured it in a way that enhanced his life rather than consumed it.
In a world obsessed with “hustle,” his approach is refreshingly balanced — a reminder that entrepreneurship, at its best, is about freedom, purpose, and leverage, not burnout.
For anyone considering their next move post-MBA, Ken’s journey offers both inspiration and a challenge:
Build a business that reflects your strengths and your values – one that gives you time, not takes it away.
If you’re interested in understanding the mindset and language of startups – check out Ken Valledy’s new book, The Startup Lexicon. It’s a must-read for anyone preparing to make their own great escape.