The loneliness of the long distance founder

How Matthew Stafford and Katie Lewis are building a global community for VCs and entrepreneurs with 9 Others

Hello Rainmakers,

How often have you heard it said that starting a business can be isolating and lonely.

This week I had a fascinating conversation with Matthew Stafford about how he and his business partner Katie Lewis stumbled upon the idea of 9 Others, a dinner party with a difference, that has brought together entrepreneurs from Tehran to Manchester, and from Silicon Valley to Papua New Guinea.

Matthew Stafford and Katie Lewis

For many, the entrepreneurial journey can be a lonely one. The founder’s path is often marked by long hours, high stakes, and the relentless pressure to succeed—frequently with little opportunity for candid conversation about the real challenges faced along the way. Matthew Stafford, co-founder of the global networking project 9 Others, knows this isolation all too well. His solution? A dinner table, nine peers, and a commitment to honest, supportive dialogue.

A Venture Capitalist’s Awakening

Stafford’s career began in the world of financial services, but it was his move into venture capital in 2010 that truly set the stage for his later work. “I had this appetite to work hard,” he recalls, “but in big companies, most people weren’t. In venture capital and with startups, people were working their backsides off on things they really liked.” The energy and drive of the startup world captivated him, and he soon found himself not just investing in companies, but also building communities.

It was during this time that Stafford met his future co-founder, Katie Lewis. Together, they noticed a curious phenomenon at the investment dinners they hosted: after the formalities, founders would huddle together, talking amongst themselves about the real, often unspoken challenges of building a business. “It used to really annoy us,” Stafford laughs, “because we wanted them to talk to the investors. But we figured out, actually, they’d done that bit. What they were doing for the last 20 or 30 minutes was talking to other entrepreneurs who were in their shoes, just about the ordinary challenges of business.”