We’re excited to be working with David Pattison on the campaign for his new book, The Money Train. We asked David our 5 questions to find out more about him, his book, and his vision:

1. Pitch in 10 - sell us your book in less than 10 words

What founders really need to know about fundraising and investors.

2. Audience of One -  If you could choose ONE person to read your book who would it be and why? 

My ambition for the book was to sell one copy to one person who didn’t know me. On the face of it that doesn’t sound very ambitious. But if you look at it then two things have happened, it means that the book got published and it was useful to someone who bought it on it’s own merits and found it useful. My ambition was to be helpful so the ideal reader is someone who needs help and the book helped them in some way.

3. Behind the Book - Who or what inspired you to write this book?

I have been involved in a lot of fundraising. Coming out of a particularly bruising fund raise, I saw how earlier negotiations under a different regime had painted the business into a corner for future fundraising. There was little or no room for manoeuvre and the managements hands were effectively tied in the negotiation. The temptation was to write an anti-investor rant but of course there are some really good investors out there, and I then decided even I didn’t want to read a rant. So, I decided that a guide that prepared founders and companies for the process would be much more useful.

It’s called The Money Train because once you take investment it is a proper ride with a known destination. If you get it wrong it can be a runaway train, get it right and it can be a smooth journey.

4. Guess what? Tell us one thing that readers might be surprised to hear about you. 

At the age of fifty-six I fulfilled a lifelong ambition to become a racing driver. I had six years of racing against people a lot younger and a lot more experienced than them. I am a competitive person, so I worked hard employing business principles to my racing and my racing training. I ended up winning races, beating those eighteen-year-olds and having a wonderful time. It was a thing in my life that I was getting better and better at. I have retired now but getting to do it was an unexpected bonus and a pressured pleasure.

5. The next chapter - what’s next for you?

At the moment I am still chairing businesses and helping a range of companies fulfil their potential. And I want to continue doing that.

But there are things I can see in the not-too-distant future that will take me to the next chapter in my life.

I want to write a book about my racing experiences and how I used business disciplines to get win races. I have also just been added to the faculty at Manchester University Business School and will be teaching as part of their MSC and MBA courses. Some of that will be at venues around the world.

To get a review copy or to book in an interview, contact Alice Rowe at alice.rowe@thebookpublicist.co.uk