After 15 Years, I Need Help to Keep the RookieOven Meetup Going
I'm going to be honest with you. The RookieOven Meetup is in trouble and I need some help. I've been running RookieOven since 2011. Fifteen…
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Working to create a more vibrant tech ecosystem in Scotland.
Latest posts
April 2026 Meetup Cancelled
Quick update - no RookieOven Meetup tonight. With it being Easter Monday, we're taking the night off to spend time with family. We'll be…
February Glasgow Tech Startup Meetup - Monday 2nd February
After taking January off, the RookieOven Glasgow tech meetup is back on Monday 2nd February at The Raven from 6:30pm. If you've not been…
January 2026 Meetup Cancelled
Just a quick one to say the January RookieOven Meetup is cancelled this month. Between the freezing weather tonight, everyone (myself…
Some Career Advice
Recently I was invited along to a careers day at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). I spoke with budding tech professionals who…
Why I Don't Care About 'The Ecosystem™' Anymore
This past week has been tough. I've been utterly shattered - and not just in the typical way that parents with two young kids are. I've felt…
Inbound Marketing and Shipping - July Month in Review
As we turn the page on another month and I'm looking forward to a RookieOven Meetup (tonight as I write this), it's time to reflect on the…
August 2024 RookieOven Meetup
The August 2024 edition of the RookieOven Meetup is just around the corner. I can't believe we're in the back half of the year already…
Getting back to basics
I can barely believe RookieOven is over 13 years old now and it all started out as two simple things: A blog where I could write about my…
How Glasgow has Transformed our Driving Startup
How Glasgow has Transformed our Driving Startup When launching a product into your initial target market (in our case a small city), the…
Community Podcast Recommendations
Over the past few months, we’ve been collecting Podcast recommendations from members of the Scottish tech community. This roundup is a…
Upcoming Scottish Tech Events
RookieOven Meetup - 5th August We host an informal meetup in Glasgow every month on the first Monday of the month, with August’s date for…
TRC Special Edition 2019
Take it from me, TRC Media offer some of the best support for Digital/Tech businesses in Scotland. I was lucky enough to be on the Cross…
Top Tips for Getting Work Experience
The summer is upon us, and for many students, that means it’s time to get stuck into a work placement. If you’re one of these students and…
Meet the Founder - Mike Davis
Mike Davis is the founder of My Probate Partner and is trying to disrupt the estate administration industry with the help of technology…
What is content marketing and how could it help your startup?
As consumers, we’re exposed to advertisements thousands of times a day. You’ll see adverts anywhere and everywhere nowadays, and it can feel…
DeathTech - Disrupting the legal industry with technology
Mike Davis is building a purpose led, consumer-focused legal tech company aiming to disrupt the estate administration industry. He’s sharing…
Community Podcast Recommendations
The Entrepreneur Agony Aunt by Vicky Brock Telling the startup experience like it really is. Entrepreneur Vicky Brock and her highly…
How to Validate Your Startup Idea
So you’ve got a great idea for a product or a service - but how do you know if it’s something that your audience actually want and need…
How to Support Your Local Startup Scene
Recently I’ve written a couple of blog posts about the Glasgow tech community. One about the benefits of the city and a second one with some…
Getting to Know Your Target Audience
Previously, we’ve discussed some of the ways to find customers for your business. Your customers are a vital part of your business, and…
10 Commandments for an Effective Tech Community in Scotland
Apologies but I’m going to sound a bit preachy here. From my experience, I’m able to do my best work surrounded by talented, like-minded…
Creating a Social Media Strategy for Your Startup
Social media is a great way to build awareness for your startup, but it’s not as simple as throwing out a few tweets and expecting success…
Glasgow: A City of Opportunity
Being a Glaswegian is a weird one, we're simultaneously passionate about our hometown and equally critical. Citizens of the city will…
What is a Minimum Viable Product?
If you frequent the startup community, you’ll most likely have come across the term “MVP” and its importance for early-stage businesses. The…
Meet the Expert - Michael Hayes
Michael is the founder of software development company Add Jam and the brains behind RookieOven. Add Jam was founded by Michael and co…
Community Podcast Recommendations
The Recipe for SEO Success Show The Recipe for SEO Success podcast helps you expand your understanding of all things Search Engine…
Meet the Expert - Andrew Farquhar
Andrew is an experienced technology lawyer and founding member of Skyscanner’s legal team. He’s advised Skyscanner throughout its transition…
How to Prepare for a Holiday as a Freelancer
As a new freelancer taking a holiday can be daunting. You might have the fear of letting your clients down or missing out on work. This can…
£250k Investment Win for Pitchbooking
Pitchbooking have announced the results of their latest investment round, securing £250,000 in funding that it believes will help it become…
Meet the Founder - Raj Sark
Raj Sark is a Partner at InnovateFromZero, Founder of Connect-In Ltd. and former CEO of Xupo technologies. Raj is an active innovation…
How to Find a Co-Founder for Your Startup
Starting a business solo can be an intimidating task, and going it alone isn’t the best route for everyone. If you’re looking for someone to…
Meet the Expert - Stuart Mackay
Stuart Mackay is an Audit Manager and part of the Technology, Media and Telecommunications team in Scotland with Grant Thornton. Stuart is…
Startup Spotlight - Neonburn
We spoke to Gregg O'Malley from Neonburn about his journey as a startup founder. Tell us a bit about what your startup does? Neon Burn…
Meet the Expert - Anoop Joshi
Anoop Joshi is one of the experts on hand to chat with at the RookieOven Drop In Days each month. As part of Skyscanner’s legal team, he’s…
5 Things Every Founder Should Do at Christmas
When you’re working on a startup idea, it's so easy to pour too much of yourself into the businesses and neglect looking after your own well…
3 Low Cost Marketing Techniques to Promote Your Business
Marketing is a really important part of starting a business, but not everyone has a huge budget to dedicate to getting the word out. Luckily…
Meet the Expert - Claire Foss
Each month, we run a Drop In Day where you can come along to RookieOven and chat to experts from the Scottish tech scene. Claire Foss is one…
How to Set Effective Goals
It might be a bit of a cliche to talk about setting goals as the new year creeps closer, but there’s no denying that a new year makes for a…
Meet the Founder - Jude Cook
Jude is the co-founder of ShareIn, providers of customisable investment software that helps you raise funds directly from your own network…
Meet the Expert - Andrew Sloane
Ahead of our next Drop In Day this Friday, we’re sitting down with one of the experts who’ll be coming along to offer up their advice on the…
The Motivation Behind the RookieOven Drop In Days
Earlier this month we tried something new; a drop in day. The premise being anyone can come along to the RookieOven Coworking Space in…
RookieOven Event Roundup - Festive Focus
The Scottish tech scene is gearing up for the Christmas season and there are some great events in the calendar for the final few weeks of…
4 Easy Tools for Building a Website
A website is a pretty essential part of running a business these days, and it’s easier than ever to put one together. There are so many…
Startup Spotlight - AiroLuggage
Tell us a bit about what your startup does? Door-2-Door Luggage Delivery. AiroLuggage offers an affordable alternative to checking in your…
The RookieOven Reading List
Last month we shared some of our favourite podcasts, and now it's time to recommend some of the best books we've been reading recently…
Startup Metrics for Pirates Explained
Although every startup is different, there will usually be some similarities when it comes to customers, with each customer journey…
Meet the Founder - Shea O'Hagan
Tell us a bit about what your startup does? Pitchbooking.com is a two sided marketplace that allows the public to find, book and pay for the…
Scotland’s tech ecosystem is flourishing — but there’s still work to be done...
Why we’ve launched the first-ever Scottish Tech Startup Awards I moved to Scotland from Barcelona in 2010 — for the weather, obviously. I…
Tools for Managing Your Finances
A lot of small business owners struggle with the financial side of things, as it can be quite complicated to get to grips with when you’re…