About Toby
From Technical Leader to Leadership Guide
My Journey
Leadership involves both building and knowing when to let go. Having navigated the startup journey twice from founding to exit, I understand firsthand the crucible moments that transform technical leaders. After my own transition in 2017, I found purpose in helping others navigate similar paths with greater clarity and purpose.
My background is in technology—serving as CTO at Space Ape Games (acquired by Supercell) and Mind Candy, where we scaled to serve over 80 million users. This experience gives me practical insight into the technical and leadership challenges you face, while my psychological training helps me address the human elements that ultimately determine success.
I've experienced the full spectrum of startup leadership—from the exhilaration of creation to the weight of difficult decisions, from the complexity of scaling teams to the emotional terrain of acquisitions. These experiences inform my coaching with a depth of understanding that theoretical approaches alone cannot provide.
My Approach
While traditional coaching often focuses on adding skills at your current level, I help leaders develop the capacity to think and operate at their next stage of growth. Drawing from both practical experience and psychological training, I help technical leaders develop:
- The capacity to navigate increasing complexity with clarity and purpose
- Deeper self-awareness that transforms how you lead and make decisions
- Comfort with ambiguity and the ability to lead through uncertainty
- An authentic leadership style that inspires and aligns teams
- The ability to hold competing priorities simultaneously without fragmentation
- A systems perspective that sees patterns and interconnections
- Meaningful relationships built on genuine connection and trust
- Resilience that transforms challenges into opportunities for growth
- The adaptability to evolve as your company's needs change
Qualifications
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC) - International Coaching Federation
- Advanced Practitioner Diploma in Executive Coaching - Academy of Executive Coaching
- Member of the British Psychological Society division of Coaching Psychology
- Continued development in Gestalt Psychology, Transactional Analysis, Internal Family Systems, and Existential philosophy
- Former CTO of Space Ape Games (acquired by Supercell)
- Former CTO of Mind Candy (80M+ users)
- Venture Partner at Entrepreneur First
Recognition & Impact
Venture Capital-Backed Management Team of the Year
Recognized for exceptional leadership and business growth while at Space Ape Games, demonstrating the impact of thoughtful technical leadership on company success.
100 Best Small Companies to Work For
Ranked 25th, demonstrating excellence in company culture and employee satisfaction—a testament to the importance of human-centered leadership in technical organizations.
Industry Excellence Awards
Multiple recognitions including Business Development, Grand Prix, and Best New Studio, highlighting the business impact of effective technical leadership.
Space Ape Games Accolades
Led the company to numerous awards including Gamesindustry.biz Best Places to Work (6 years running), Develop Best Independent Studio, and Europas Best European Start Up.
Client Perspectives
"Toby's unique blend of technical expertise and psychological insight helped me navigate the transition from technical founder to CEO. His coaching was instrumental in developing my leadership style during our Series B fundraising."
"As a CTO scaling my engineering team from 15 to 80 people, Toby's guidance was invaluable. He helped me develop systems thinking and emotional intelligence that transformed how I lead my organization."
"Working with Toby through our acquisition process was transformative. His experience having been through exits himself provided practical insights that helped me navigate complex negotiations while maintaining team morale."
Professional Background
2016-Present: Executive Coach at Daijo
Founded Daijo to provide executive coaching to startup leaders, working with 100+ founders and executives through critical business and personal transitions. Developed a unique coaching methodology that integrates technical understanding with psychological insight.
2017-2019: Venture Partner at Entrepreneur First
Supported world-class technical founders on their journey to build successful companies, providing guidance on leadership development, team building, and strategic decision-making during the critical early stages.
2012-2018: CTO & Founder at Space Ape Games
Co-founded and led technical strategy for this award-winning mobile gaming company. Built a team of 130 industry leaders, launched four titles played by tens of millions of players, and generated over $70M in revenue before being acquired by Supercell. Experienced firsthand the leadership challenges of scaling a technical organization.
2006-2012: CTO at Mind Candy
Managed the design, development, and deployment of Moshi Monsters from prototype through growth to 80+ million users. Led the company's transition to Agile development and scaled technical teams through rapid growth phases, navigating the challenges of technical leadership in a high-growth environment.