Instinct is your own personal AI. Mike Anderson — Executive Coach and Human Connector — turns 40 years of newsroom, boardroom and startup leadership into a fast, human, slightly cheeky companion for anyone building a business without losing their soul.
Mike Anderson is a leadership coach, entrepreneur and adviser whose work sits at the intersection of instinct, performance and the human emotions of business.
He brings a rare mix of big-media leadership and startup-building experience: more than 25 years across News UK, Metro and the London Evening Standard — including senior leadership roles at News UK and Associated Newspapers — followed by founding Chelsea Apps Factory in 2010 during the mobile app revolution.
At Associated Newspapers, Mike was part of the team that launched Metro, later helping grow revenue from £100,000 a week to £1 million a week in twelve months. Chelsea Apps Factory went on to work with blue-chip clients including Waitrose, Ladbrokes, KPMG, Network Rail, TfL, Telefónica and Vodafone before Mike exited the business.
Today he coaches founders, boards and senior leaders through two of the most common emotions in business — loneliness and frustration — showing them how to turn both into momentum, perspective, and even fun.
Available now
"There has to be a better way to do this. There is. And it starts with you."
In a world obsessed with systems, dashboards and artificial intelligence, leaders still make their hardest decisions through judgement, courage, timing and emotional awareness. Mike's new book turns decades of leadership experience into a practical, cheeky companion for people building businesses, leading teams and navigating uncertainty — arguing that human judgement, curiosity, connection and a sense of fun are becoming more valuable, not less, in the AI era.
Serious Fun in Business: A Human Algorithm has a 5.0 out of 5 star rating on Amazon UK.
Featured on the front cover and in a two-page London Daily feature about Mike’s newspaper career, the launch of Metro, and Serious Fun in Business: A Human Algorithm.
“A lively, funny and thought-provoking book”London Daily
What an absolute breath of fresh air!! Inside full, humorous and completely engaging. From the first paragraph of the preface I was pulled into a simmering world of power and intrigue. Buy it now, you may find it hard to put down!!
What a great read! Mike has managed to blend both the storytelling of his impressive career history with a powerful list of takeaways for having serious fun in business. Perfect for anyone stuck in a corporate role they hate or those looking to get started with their portfolio career. It's like grabbing a cuppa together.
This is a book for everyone. For someone who's already in a work environment, to thinking of building something for themselves, or if you're deciding on moving to a plural career. Mike leaves you with practical tips to focus on and avoid. He shares his mistakes so you don't have to do the same thing! It's a book with a lot of heart!
Mike writes with great wit and engaging experience about his career and life. Full of insightful anecdotes that make you laugh and cry, often at the same time. A rare treat...
Thoroughly enjoyed this adventure :)
Very insightful and obviously very amusing. Great read and learnt a lot. Recommend highly. Hope you enjoy the book as much as I did.
Mike speaks to founders, boards and leadership teams on staying human, instinctive and effective while AI reshapes how business gets done.
Keeping business human while embracing AI at scale — the core keynote from the book.
Practical ways to use AI without losing judgement, creativity or culture.
Building a career and business with range, resilience and commercial edge.
What corporate and startup worlds can learn from each other.
Turning loneliness and frustration into momentum, perspective and fun.
Fireside chats, panel moderation, and interactive masterclasses for teams.
A new solo show from Mike, and the podcast companion to the book Serious Fun in Business: A Human Algorithm.
One guest. One cup of tea. The conversation you’d actually have if you sat down together — the wins, the wobbles, and the bits most business podcasts politely skip.
First episodes land in September. Drop me a line and I’ll tell you the moment episode one is live — no spam, no newsletter, just the launch.
Co-hosted with Zed Vakil — an unfiltered look at the journey from corporate life into portfolio careers and entrepreneurship. Every episode is still up, and still worth your commute.
A structured monthly partnership — not another hour on the calendar. Mike works with founders, boards and growth-stage leaders navigating scale, reinvention and the rise of AI.
Pricing? That's a conversation for after your first cup of tea.
"Mike was one of the best coaches I've worked with. Candid, fun, practical, and tailored to the realities of leading a large international team."
Jeff Sharpe, AmazonMike was one of the best coaches I've worked with. He brought ideas and concepts from his own expansive experience, and examples from so many other senior business leaders he works with, to life in a way that made me think differently about my own path and how to reach my goals. The sessions were candid, fun, practical and tailored to the realities of leading a large international team in a complex business. I came away from each meeting with new ideas, clear actions, greater focus and more confidence in how I lead my team and support our business internationally. I'd happily recommend Mike as an executive coach to any senior leader navigating big transitions or thinking about what might be the next step in their career.
I have had the privilege of being mentored by Mike for over 25 years. He doesn't just offer generic advice; he takes the time to listen and craft personalised action plans that resonate deeply with my goals. Since leveraging his services, I have experienced an unparalleled surge in demand, allowing me to scale my operations from a humble garage to securing national Government contracts.
Mike has an inspiring approach to mentoring. His calm, considered and creative nature enables transparency to flow and I always walk away from each session with a plan, a resurgence in confidence and complete clarity. He can turn any complex and challenging situation into a simple next step.
I am pleased to recommend Mike Anderson in his capacity as an executive coach and accredited business mentor. His focus on sustainable leadership and his insights into building adaptable business strategies have already made a significant impact, and his commitment to creating meaningful, long-term relationships with his clients makes his mentorship both impactful and rewarding.
Mike is fab! Intelligent and insanely experienced, yet humble. He is a good listener, creative problem solver and has an amazing network that he will leverage to help his clients.
It's a structured monthly partnership: one 2-hour deep-dive session every four weeks, plus up to two hours of ad-hoc support in between for the moments that can't wait. It starts with a 3-month minimum so we can build real momentum, then continues rolling monthly with one month's notice to end.
The core keynote is Serious Fun in Business — staying human while AI reshapes how business gets done. Mike also speaks on instinct as your personal AI, portfolio careers and modern leadership, and what scaleups and corporates can learn from each other, in keynote, fireside, panel, or interactive masterclass format.
Forty years of first-hand experience, not theory: more than 25 years in Fleet Street newsroom and boardroom leadership — including the launch of Metro — followed by 15 years founding and running Chelsea Apps Factory through the mobile app revolution. He's made the payroll, made the mistakes, and made the recoveries.
Clients report clarity and confidence after every session, sustainable leadership strategies that hold up under pressure, and — in some cases — the kind of growth that takes a business from a garage to national contracts. Every engagement starts with your goals, not a generic framework.
Yes — Serious Fun in Business: A Human Algorithm is available now on Amazon, in both Kindle and paperback, with a 5-star reader rating so far.
Send a note through the contact form or email mike@dottt.co.uk directly. Mike replies personally, usually within 24 hours, and is always up for starting with a cup of tea before anything else.
Whether it's a speaking enquiry, a coaching conversation, or you'd like a signed copy of the book — drop a note and Mike will reply personally, usually within 24 hours.
no generic forms, promise.