With a decades-long track record in digital, creative strategy, and leadership across the tech and agency worlds, David Hamilton joins us at a pivotal moment. He brings not only sharp commercial insight but also the kind of emotional intelligence and pragmatic energy every growing startup needs.
Our CEO Daniel Marrable and David sat down recently to talk about why Forumm, why now, and what he thinks startups get right (and wrong) about scaling, culture, and clarity.
Dan: Let’s talk about scaling. Where do you see Forumm going from here?
David: You’ve built a strong foundation in education. But I see potential in adjacent sectors, places with similar community-building challenges and values.
That said, you can’t chase every opportunity. Too many platforms lose their soul when they chase scale. But I think Forumm has the maturity and self-awareness not to do that. The challenge will be resource allocation. You’re a small team, and stretching too thin risks what you’ve already built. The next phase is about catalyzing smart networks, not brute force growth. Think agentic AI, think organic expansion.
Dan: Totally. We’ve felt that tension. There’s opportunity, but also risk, especially with a lean team.
David: That’s where smart AI use and network effects come in. You don’t need brute-force to scale. You just need to spark the next cluster. Do that well, and the momentum builds naturally.
Dan: What’s something founders don’t ask their NEDs, but should?
David: It’s: What am I not seeing? Founders are deep in the day-to-day. They think they see it all. But they don’t. The NED role is to fly the helicopter, to offer a different perspective. You don’t need someone to always agree with you. You need someone who’s willing to challenge you, and you need to be open to it. If I ask you a question and you can stand up to it, I’m with you 100%. But if you get defensive at the basics, we’ve got work to do.
Dan: That level of detachment is harder than it sounds. We want to believe we’ve got the full picture. But sometimes we’re just… in it.
David: That’s why I’m here. Not to be a contrarian, but to make sure no one’s flying blind.
Dan: Last one, what’s something you do that people might not notice, but really matters?
David: I listen. I ask the hard questions quietly. When things get blurry, I’ll be the one saying, ‘Let’s cut through it.’ I’ll ask, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ I won’t fix it for you, but I’ll help you find your answer.
And sometimes, I’ll seed an idea and let it float. If it comes back around in three weeks and someone else owns it? Great. I’m not in this for credit. I’m in it to help the right things happen.
Dan: That’s one of the things I’ve already seen in action. You’ll ask something casually, and then days later we’re rethinking the whole approach, not because you pushed, but because you nudged at the right moment.
Dan (closing): David, we’re lucky to have you. Welcome aboard.
David: Thank you. Delighted to be here.
David joins Forumm at a moment of real momentum. Our platform is proven, our community is growing, and our vision is sharpening. We’re not just a promising startup anymore, we’re becoming a confident scale-up. And having a critical friend like David around makes the road ahead a whole lot clearer.
