Justin Michaels
Strategist, Operator and Right Hand Man.
About
***Unfortunately I have to pause taking on any new mentees for the time being *** I specialise in working across functions, tackling new frontiers and putting plans into action. I can help guide you through these challenges. I also believe a sense of purpose and a learning mindset are essential to long-term growth, in life and work, and I love helping people develop that healthy perspective for themselves. I've spent the last four years working in various parts of ustwo, an independent and creative organisation. I've led their investing arm and I'm now running biz ops within their mobile games team. I did two years running operations in a Series A startup as well. Prior to that I've done my stint as a strategy consultant and I've got an MBA from INSEAD.
Experience
ustwo
I lead ustwo's investing in creative and design-led companies, but my role entails much more. I participate in ustwo's board. I work with our venture-backed clients in ustwo Studios, and I support strategic partnerships within ustwo Games. Oh and I also happen to be the resident expert in becoming a B Corp. By the way, ustwo is a global, independent digital product studio, games company and startup investor, home to over 250 of the industry’s leading designers, developers and strategists.
Venture Scout at Indie.vc
I help connect founders who are building sustainable, profitable businesses to Indie VC and its community.
DICE FM
I spent two years as Chief of Staff within DICE, a mobile ticketing company based in the UK. This saw me go from Seed past Series A, so I understand that part of the journey pretty well. While there, I took on business intelligence (Looker), HR, Finance, Investor Relations and any legal stuff that came our way.
MBA from INSEAD
Not everyone on this platform will believe in the value of the MBA. My own view of its value has certainly evolved over time. Nonetheless, INSEAD was a wonderful place to expand my views, learn and develop my confidence. It's served me well personally, but I also believe there are many, many other ways to get the kind of expertise that comes with an MBA (like founding your own company).