You might've heard something about Silicon Valley types being out of touch with the general consequences and realities of ordinary humans. Englishman and "digital strategist" Ash Read is here to fix your mind: America doesn't have a monopoly on obliviousness.

Read's 21st century bildungsroman post sounds a bit like a college application essay:

We came up with our concept, researched it, wrote our business plan and secured bank funding for our new venture. Everything was great. We were destined for success. We were going to be the young entrepreneurs people would read about.

[...]

I’ve had ups and downs throughout these 1,611+ days; I’ve hit rock bottom and bounced back, lost over £13,500, doubted myself and questioned my ability. At the same time I’ve met some amazing people, been recognised for my work, had some great experiences and learned more about life than any Professor or course could ever teach me.

To some, losing twenty grand would be a "ruinous" experience and not a "great" one, but such is tech privilege: you've got to spend money to lose money, and maybe lose more in the future. You're always just thirteen thousand quid away from changing the world.