Give a child a lump of clay and theyll be busy for an hour.
You just follow your instincts.
Sugru is a moldable glue that you could use to fix things or make things better.
She wanted to improve and reimagine things she already owned, rather than just buying replacements for broken items.
Evidently, Sugru is so versatile you’re free to make an entire business out of it.
I dont even know what number it is.
Or are you trying to develop new products?
Its quite a mix.
So its a really multidisciplinary team back in London.
So weve got to, all the time, be thinking about the commercial realities of growing the business.
So one thing that we love is when the whole thing kind of comes together.
For example, here in the US, Target is actually really cool.
Are you keeping up with the demand?
I would imagine theres more demandI dont know what kind of scale you have.
Well, it is a challenge.
That it would grow to become this huge thing?
Well, I dont know.
I guess Im sort of naiveI just thought from the start that it could be something huge.
But I think it people would think it was true of me to say that I workintuitively.
People kind of bear with me and then make sense a few days later.
Paper, pen, pretty much notebooks.
We use all the Google apps as a team, Google Cal and Gmail and Google Docs.
Its by a blogger friend,Swiss Miss; she teamed up with some people to make it.
So I use that on my computer basically formalizing some of my scrappy notes.
Do you have anything specific thing you do to save time or automate things?
I dont automate anything but I do take the time at the start of every day to just prioritize.
Its just more about taking the time to think through the priorities.
What kind of office do you guys have?
I imagine its an open spacebut youre probably beyond being in an industrial warehouse.
We are actually in an old building, because were got our factory and lab there, as well.
Its pretty chaotic and it can get noisy.
To be honest, none of us are happy with the office!
Its just a lot of people that are squished in like sardines trying to get their work done.
We do have a plan to expand; were trying to get a new space.
A lot of us tend to use headphones, just to kind of say, hey, Im working.
Theyre Bose noise-canceling headphones, but I dont know if Id recommend them because I havent tried any others!
Im not big onstuff,you know what I mean.
Once I find something that works I just stick with it.
Everyone saysthe Bose headphones are good so its probably a good choice!
Are you the kind of person who is always working on something?
Or when you finish a big project do you take a step back and let your mind wander?
For me it doesnt really work in blocks like that.
Our team is increasingly interesting and theres lots of really great people.
So I tend to use travel like that, as my thinking time.
I kind of miss when you couldnt get internet on airplanes.
I dont get internet on airplanes!
I didnt know you could.
Maybe you cant get it on those international flights, I dont know!
Not on the flights Im on.
Or else Im just too stingy.
You mentioned getting up early in the morningwhat kind of sleep schedule do you have?
Some CEOs keep really crazy hours.
Are you kind of an early riser then?
At home, I tend to get up at like 7-7:30, just normal time.
Then it can get quite tiring.
But then Ill really need to catch up on sleep or Ill just be wrecked.
Speaking of walking the dog, how do you recharge when you step away from work?
Or seeing friends and family.
I travel back to Ireland every few weeks to see my sisters and see my family over there.
Thats pretty important to me as well.
I find that kind of grounding: you get out of your own world and into someone elses world.
Do you listen to music when youre working?
Me too!
Is there any particular kind of music that helps you work?
Theres a Danish DJ that one of our friends put us on thats calledTrentemoller.
Its kind of trancey.
Are you reading anything interesting right now that you like?
Im reading this Dave Eggers book [Your Fathers, Where Are They?
And the Prophets, Do They Live Forever?].
Im not sure about it yet.
But I really liked the last one he did.
Is there any everyday thing that youre better at than everyone else?
Even if it doesnt have to do with work.
Everyday thing that Im better at?
Yeah, I wouldnt know how to answer this question myself!
Im pretty good at making tea.
Its important to me because Im addicted to tea.
Do you put the milk in first?
Oh so its already brewed.
If you could have someone answer these questions about their work, who would you choose?
I was reading recently about some of the Founding Fathers and George Washington.
Did you know that they were actually inventors?
And if they had Sugru they could have done so much more!
So whats the best advice youve ever received?
And understanding different peoples motivations because so often theres the story behind the story.
Why is good advice.
Is there anything else you want to say to our readers?
Just to say thanks.
This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
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