G’day - I’m Alex McClafferty. I co-founded WP Curve and sold it to GoDaddy.
Since 2015 I’ve helped founders of service, software and AI businesses start, grow, scale and sell.
He’s been a calm, trustworthy, and inspiring mentor to me. When I needed a solid opinion on my business or otherwise, there are few who I trust as much as him.”
Sam Parr, CEO, The Hustle (acquired by HubSpot)
Who I coach
I coach founders and CEOs of agencies, productized services, consultancies, SaaS and AI companies. Some are solo founders. Some come with their co-founder. Clients include Castos, Content Allies, Video Husky, PodcastAlly and Prospress.
Founder coaching is a good fit if one of these sounds like you:
- Every decision still goes through you.
- You want to raise or sell, and you want the best price.
- Growth has stalled and something has to change.
What a founder coach does
A founder coach helps you lead your company and look after yourself while you do it.
Some coaches only ask questions. I ask plenty, but I’ll also tell you what I’d do. I’ve made most of the expensive mistakes already, so you don’t have to.
My advice comes from doing the job:
- I co-founded WP Curve and took it to a $1M annual run rate in 18 months.
- When GoDaddy bought WP Curve, I brought 32 people with me. Nobody left.
- At GoDaddy I was Director of Product Management, then acting VP. WP Curve grew 7x in 12 months, and I launched WP Premium Support - it lives on, ten years later.
- At Canva I was a Group Product Lead. I delivered a turnaround for Canva China: it went from missing its goals to beating them in 12 months.
- I started coaching founders and CEOs while I was still running WP Curve.
What we work on
A business that runs without you
If the business stops when you take a week off, it owns you. We work out which decisions to hand off first, who takes them and what they need to do it well. Then you let go.
I am not stressed because I have been able to build a team of quality people around me and give them autonomy and direction they need to run this business.”
Jake Jorgovan, CEO, Content Allies
More value when you raise or sell
Buyers and investors pay more for a business that doesn’t need its founder. So this work starts long before the sale. I’ve sold a company myself, and I’ve helped clients on both the buy side and the sell side. Want a number first? My business valuation calculator estimates what a buyer might pay today.
Five years later the sale of my business (Bali Bodyboarding) is complete, and I couldn’t be happier with the result.”
Aidan Salmon, Founder, Bali Bodyboarding
Turning the business around
Sometimes the business is in trouble. Sales have dropped, or a key person has quit. Then we skip the theory. We pick the few moves that matter and you make them fast.
Alex has this rare ability to empathize while calling me out on all of my bullsh*t excuses. He’s always there to keep me honest and challenge me to think bigger.”
Andrew Case, CEO, Moonbrew
Staying sane while you do it
Scaling a company can cost you your hair, your waistline and your sleep. I learned this the hard way. I used work to hide from other problems, and selling my company didn’t fix them. So we plan the business around the life you want.
I took time off to be there for the first two years of my son’s life.”
Jon Tucker, CEO, Helpflow
How founder coaching works
- Book a free 25-minute call. Tell me where the business is and where you want it to go. We’ll both know quickly if I can help.
- If we’re a fit, we meet regularly. Many clients meet with me weekly. Co-founders can come together.
- You do the work between calls, and I keep you honest about it.
- Stay as long as it helps. Patrick needed one call before his launch. Stefan Teulon and his co-founder worked with me for eight months, through their exit.
If you dare to hear hard truths, do the homework, and put it into action - you’ll get the results you’re looking for with Coach Claff.”
Stefan Teulon, CEO, Zunos (acquired by Bigtincan)
Questions founders ask
Is founder coaching worth it?
Not always. If you want someone to agree with you, save your money. Coaching pays off when you bring a real problem, do the homework and act on it. That’s why the first call is free. We both find out if I can help before you pay for anything.
How is a founder coach different from a mentor or an advisor?
A mentor tells you what worked for them. An advisor gives you an opinion when you ask for one. A coach meets you on a schedule, helps you decide what matters and holds you to it. I do some of each. I ask questions, I tell you what I’d do, and I check that you did the work.
Do you coach co-founders together?
Yes. Some clients come with their co-founder. Stefan Teulon and his co-founder worked with me for eight months, through their exit.