The 6 things I’d tell my younger self

If I could sit down with my younger self now, I wouldn’t start with strategy or ambition.

I’d start with this:

1. You don’t need to know it all

You don’t need to have it all figured out to build something meaningful because, for a long time, you’ll think you do.

You’ll begin your career at Intel, then later down the line, spend six years at Arm working in AI and machine learning before it becomes mainstream.

On paper, it will look like a clear, intentional path. It won’t feel that way.

You’ll be following curiosity more than certainty. Trust that. It’s not a lack of direction. It’s how you find it.

2. Listen to advice, but don’t always take it

There will be a lot of voices. Well meaning ones. Experienced ones. Loud ones. But no one sees the world the way you do.

For a long time, you’ll feel slightly out of place. Like you don’t fully fit the mold of what a ‘successful’ corporate career should look like.

You’ll want more depth. More meaning. You’ll question things others accept without thinking. You’ll think that’s a flaw. It isn’t.

That feeling of being different, of wanting more, is not something to suppress. It’s something to lean into.

Can founders survive on 4 hours sleep a night?

Because one day you’ll realise those uncomfortable traits are actually signal. They are the traits of a founder.

You see the world differently. You question the status quo. You see solutions where others don’t.

You crave depth in a world that often settles for surface. That’s your edge.

3. Losing my dad

In 2021, you’ll lose your dad and it will change you.

Not just because of the loss, but because of what comes with it.

You’ll realise that so much of him, his photos, his memories, his story, is inaccessible. Locked away across platforms, devices, accounts.

That experience won’t just stay with you. It will shape what you go on to build.

You’ll create Memorify Technologies because of that moment and because you couldn’t access his memories. You’ll see how broken our relationship with digital memories really is.

We capture everything. But we experience very little of it meaningfully.

You’ll go on to build something that uses AI to turn fragmented photos and videos into structured, emotionally rich memories. Something that brings joy back into people’s lives and preserves it for future generations.

You’ll raise investment. You’ll win an Innovate UK grant. You’ll be recognised across the UK tech ecosystem.

But those won’t be the real milestones. The real milestone will be building something that matters.

4. Know your worth

You will underestimate yourself. A lot. Especially as a woman in tech.

You’ll sit in rooms where you feel like you need to prove more, say more, be more prepared than everyone else.

You’ll question whether you’re ready.You are. No one else has it all figured out either. Some people are just more comfortable acting before they feel ready.

Do it anyway because confidence doesn’t come before action. It comes from it.

5. Resilience is built

Resilience isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build.

There will be setbacks. Failed grant applications. Long nights. Moments where it feels like everything is stacked against you.

And then one day, the email will land. ‘You’ve been successful.’

Every setback will suddenly make sense.

People will see the wins. They won’t see the path to get there. But the path is where everything is built.

6. Make it personal

Build something that means something to you, not what sounds impressive. Not what feels safe. Not what you think you should do.

Something you care enough about to keep going when it’s hard, because it will be hard.

For you, that’s Memorify. It won’t just be a business. It will be about memory, identity, connection, and legacy. It will be about making sure future generations don’t lose the people and moments that shape them.

The real reason so few female founders secure funding

So remember this: You don’t need permission. You don’t need all the answers. And you don’t need to wait until you feel ready.

Trust that instinct that tells you there’s more. Lean into what makes you different. Don’t be afraid of feeling like you don’t belong.

Those aren’t weaknesses. They’re the reason you’ll build something extraordinary. Start anyway.

• Memorify is an award-winning, Innovate UK–backed technology platform on a mission to organise the world’s memories. Launching in July 2026, the startup’s first product, Yoree, helps people capture, organise and reconnect with their most meaningful life moments.