Startups
Published: July 19, 2023 | Updated: 18th July 2023
It’s Wednesday, which means it’s time for another round of part fun, part serious questions with one of Hampshire’s leading lights.
With us this week is serial entrepreneur Steven Northam, Founder of Incuhive, BioTeq, Northamtec, you name it – and Senior Lecturer at the University of Winchester.
Among the items he’d bring to a desert island is a Starlink satellite dish, and over the years he’s employed some fairly unorthodox hiring practices…
What is your favourite TV show?
I watch a lot of Netflix in the evening, chilling out – but as a kid, The X Files was probably my favourite. I was a big sci-fi fan!
Who would you like to share a car with?
Elon Musk. He’s pretty out there, pretty whacky. We probably think on the same wavelength. He’s clearly passionate about what he does, and I think we’d share a lot of synergy.
The best bit of my job is…?
It’s probably a bit cliché, but just being able to do what I want to do, which doesn’t really make it a job. Even teaching – I just love doing it. That’s the ultimate freedom, doing what I love every day.
And the worst…?
Not having enough time. And admin work bores the hell out of me. Accounts, tax returns, bane of my life!
Who was your childhood hero?
Michael Jordan. I was quite a basketball fan as a kid and he’s obviously very successful business-wise as well.
What’s your favourite smell?
It’s a hard one to capture, but on a warm day when it rains – that smell of fresh rain.
Where’s your favourite place in Hampshire?
I’m going to say Winchester, because I went to uni there as a student, got married there, lived there for years. It’s a really nice place.
What advice would you give to anyone starting out a career?
Don’t chase the money. Go into something you love doing, and the money will come. If you want to put in the hard work and the passion, if it’s what gets you out of bed, that’s what you’ve got to go and do.
What was your first record/CD?
Probably Guns N’ Roses. I think Appetite for Destruction was my first CD – or probably a tape back in the day. Old school rock.
What makes you angry?
Not a lot really, I’m pretty chilled out. I can’t get angry at the state of the world, because, y’know… I could say road rage, interest rates, all sorts, but I don’t really get ‘angry’.
Do you have a favourite piece of music?
It varies massively depending on my mood and what I’m doing. At the moment I’m quite a big fan of Fred Again – electronic-y house music as I’m driving around. A bit of Guns N’ Roses now and then as well.
What qualities do you look for in a new employee?
I’m not the best at employing people. I hire on the basis of, ‘are they a laugh? Will they be fun?’ – which I don’t think has always worked out as the best way. If you’re really good at a job but boring, I probably wouldn’t hire you.
What’s your favourite food or dish?
Indian food. I think the curry houses of Winchester know me by my first name, I’m in there weekly!
What three things would you take to a desert island?
I reckon a solar charger, laptop, and Starlink satellite dish for Elon Musk’s internet access. I can’t remember a time I haven’t been online every single day – I get withdrawal symptoms!
What’s the best thing about living/working in Hampshire?
The surroundings, the countryside, the people. It’s just a spot-on place.
If you were Prime Minister for a day, what’s the first thing you’d do?
I’d organise a massive party at Number 10. Sorting out the mess the country’s in over one day just isn’t feasible, so you may as well just get drunk and forget about it.
What’s your biggest frustration?
Bureaucracy, and bureaucratic processes. My mantra is JFDI – just f*****g do it. Red tape drives me nuts!
Where’s your favourite holiday location?
I’m definitely not the kind of person who sits on the beach all day reading a book, I’d go mental. Vegas was probably my most recent trip – gun ranges, helicopters, funky things like that. I also really like Thailand and Vietnam.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years’ time?
Hopefully doing what I’m doing now, but even more bonkers. I’ve got half a jumbo jet, so I’m trying to work out what I can do to really top that!
What would you like to be remembered for?
I want to be the bonkers lecturer who’s doing business in the real world and helping students start their own businesses and succeed. That’s the best thing to be remembered for – helping people.
