Glass Eating & Wisdom: A Letter to My First Mentor
You were our first real mentor, Alex. Before we even knew what mentorship meant. It started at Lincoln Hack - a hackathon in the middle of nowhere - where you, an executive who didn't need to be there, saw something in what we were building. You validated us. Not just our idea, but our potential. Those conversations that followed in random Lincolnshire pubs would shape everything that came after.
The Unconventional Leader
I was just starting my entrepreneurial journey at 21 - young, driven, with what seemed like a simple loyalty app idea. Then there was Alex, who'd say with that characteristic mix of pride and defiance that he didn't fit any mold - this skinhead biker who'd risen to executive leadership without grades or university degrees. That was lesson one right there: authenticity isn't just acceptable, it's an advantage.
I never got to see him lead first-hand, but the stories were legendary. Here was this imposing figure - looking more like he'd stepped out of a Guy Ritchie film than a corporate boardroom - who built some of the most tight-knit, loyal teams in tech. He showed me that you don't need to change who you are to be a leader. Your different way of seeing the world - that isn't an obstacle, it's your superpower.
The Glass-Eating Philosophy
You probably won't forget his classic line about startups: "You will eat glass and it will hurt a lot, but you get to the point you might enjoy it." That was Alex in a nutshell - brutally honest but somehow encouraging. For someone like me, just starting to understand the weight of building something meaningful, his words hit different. He got it. He understood that the pain of building something meaningful was part of the journey.
Through the Years
Through our DMs from 2017 through 2022, through all the startup chaos - hiring problems, housing uncertainty, COVID lockdowns - he was always there, even when he was "homeless" himself (as he put it). He kept showing up, kept offering wisdom, kept being real. When everything seemed impossible, when we were stretched thin trying to make ends meet while building our dream, he'd drop in with just the right words to keep us going.
He watched as our simple loyalty app evolved into something bigger - a platform that could change how charitable giving works. He never blinked at the pivot. Instead, he seemed to see the potential for impact before we even fully grasped it ourselves. That was Alex - always seeing the best possible version of what you could become.
The Last Messages
The last messages we exchanged were about meeting up in Lincoln. Burton Waters, maybe. Just for tea and a catch-up. I wish we'd made that happen. There were so many more questions I wanted to ask, so many more stories to hear over a pint. But maybe that's another lesson from Alex - you never know how much time you have, so make the connections count while you can.
He always said "People will remember you for how you treat them." Not your PowerPoint skills, not your credentials, not your business metrics. Just how you made them feel. Looking at the tributes pouring in for him, it's clear he lived by those words. Everyone has a story about how Alex touched their life, made them feel valued, pushed them to be better.
Dear Future Self
So future self, when you're doubting whether you can transform a business into something truly meaningful, when you're wondering if your different way of seeing the world is an asset or a liability, when you're questioning if all this startup glass-eating is worth it - remember those pub conversations with Alex. Remember how this unconventional leader proved that being yourself isn't just okay - it's your greatest strength.
Remember that success isn't measured in degrees or titles, but in the lives you touch along the way. Remember that leadership isn't about fitting in, but about standing out in all the right ways - especially when that means standing up for what you believe in.
Remember to "Be Brilliant" - not by anyone else's definition, but by being unapologetically yourself. That was Alex's real legacy.
One Last Toast
And maybe, just maybe, when things get really tough in building something meaningful, smile a little as you chew that glass. Alex would have appreciated that.
I wish more than anything that Will and I could sit down with you one last time, mate. Share a pint and tell you about how that loyalty app you first heard about transformed into something bigger - our vision for changing charitable giving. I wish we could tell you about the journey we went on together, about how your words of wisdom guided us through the tough times, about how we finally understood what you meant about enjoying the glass-eating. You saw the potential for impact in our idea before we even fully grasped it ourselves.
Miss you, mate. Thanks for everything.
"If no one died, we're all fine and can recover" - you'd always say that when things got tough. Another piece of Alex wisdom that kept us going through the hardest days. You were right about that too.
If you'd like to honor Alex's memory, there is a JustGiving page where you can make a donation to Mind: https://www.justgiving.com/page/maia-comley-1729791775873
I wrote this as a reminder to myself of the lessons learned from an incredible mentor, Alex Gibbons, who we recently lost. If you knew Alex, feel free to share your own memories with me on social media dm's. His impact deserves to be remembered.