Founder and explorer of technology ventures. Building products and businesses that elevate the human experience. Weightlifter & Former Britain's Strongest Woman
Every few months I log into this platform and it makes me feel a bit sad/nostalgic for how I used to spend so much time here. It was the epicentre of events, conferences, etc. I met some great people here, and now my feed is just tumbleweed and junk.
This week, @Skype is being switched off.
Skype didn't just change how we talked, it changed how we loved.
It was an icon of its time. A lifeline for long-distance relationships, cross-Atlantic meetings, and uni students calling home.
I remember nights where couples would fall asleep with Skype open, laptops warm on pillows, just to stay connected. The call would hum quietly through the night - probably with the video frozen, or the audio crackling - but the feeling was there: you’re not alone.
It was this quiet intimacy - the desire to be with someone, even when you physically couldn’t - that led to the creation of Pillow Talk.
Skype didn’t just let us talk. It let us stay.
It gave us presence, not just communication.
So here’s to the product that helped redefine what it meant to be close.
The one that paved the way for an entirely new category of relationship tech.
The one that taught us love could travel through a cable.
Thanks, Skype. You changed the game.
I hadn’t thought about that moment for years, until last week when a young lady was asking me about my journey raising investment as a female.
Did I feel like I belonged in the room? Had I ever changed my behaviour to fit in?
Many years ago, when I was desperately trying to make a failing relationship work, someone said to me;
"One of the hardest things in life to learn is the difference between giving up and letting go."
Being wise enough to let go of something is empowering, proactive, and brave.
And knowing when to do it is a superpower.
The magic thing is; it applies to so much. Toxic relationships. Unfulfilling jobs. Hobbies that no longer bring you joy. Failing businesses. Lousy friends.