Growth
Second Thoughts with Rory Blundell: A Founder Success Podcast
- Growth
- Video
- 3 minutes read
In this episode of Second Thoughts, Emily Wood sits down with Rory Blundell, co-founder and CEO of Gravity, to unpack the real decisions behind scaling a startup—from first institutional funding to building trust with 180 people, and what it really takes to expand into the US while keeping your head (mostly) screwed on.
- Fundraising changes as you scale: Series A is often the toughest because it’s your first institutional process—new diligence, long agreements, and learning to negotiate while still finding your footing.
- Series C is a different game: Investors expect greater predictability, clearer pathways to the future, and a more mature operating rhythm than in Series A/B.
- Trust is built through openness: Sharing real-time dashboards and being intellectually honest creates the foundation for constructive disagreement—and better decisions.
- US expansion sharpens your edge: The market isn’t “mystically harder”, but it’s more competitive—more capital, more companies, and a bigger need to refine differentiation.
Welcome back to Second Thoughts
Founders make decisions that shape the future of their business—often with imperfect information and a lot on the line. In this episode, I am joined by Rory Blundell, co-founder and CEO of Gravity, a fast-growing API management company recognised in the Sunday Times Tech 100. Gravity began in 2015 with five freelance developers and has since scaled to around 180 people, raising over $125m and recently closing a Series C.
Rory shares a candid view of what it’s really like to step into a scaling journey—starting with the personal leap he took to join Gravity in 2020, and the realities of leading through rapid growth. Together, they explore how fundraising evolves from seed through Series C, why Series A can be the hardest milestone, and what changes when investors start prioritising predictability and long-term pathways.
The conversation also digs into leadership maturity: moving from being a “caricature” of a CEO to finding your own voice, building a culture where challenge is welcomed, and creating trust through transparency—right down to giving the board the same live dashboards as the wider team. Rory also reflects on international expansion into the US, the practical demands of operating across time zones, and the habits he relies on to stay balanced under pressure.
Listen to the full conversation below.
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