Can Grief Spark Innovation? Vicky Wilson's journey to becoming a successful entrepreneur began with personal tragedy.

In late 2019, Vicky Wilson faced the loss of her grandmother, an event that triggered a cascade of frustrations that would ultimately lead to the creation of Settld, a bereavement notification service designed to ease the administrative burden placed on families after the death of a loved one. The concept behind Settld grew out of Wilson's own painful experience navigating a labyrinth of service providers during a time of grief.

"The idea for Settld came about because my grandma died, late in 2019. Whilst we were grieving the loss, my mum and I found ourselves contacting the banks, pension providers, insurers, utilities. Sitting on call queues, sending the same information, then spending months chasing delays. It was a miserable experience," Wilson recalls.

The frustration of dealing with the bureaucracy during a time of personal loss led Wilson and her mother to take action. They launched a petition calling on service providers to simplify the process of closing and transferring accounts after the death of a loved one. In just under two months, over 93,000 families signed the petition, each sharing their own stories of similar struggles.

That groundswell of support gave Wilson the confidence to leave her job and commit fully to the idea of Settld. "That proof point was enough to prompt me to quit my day job and pursue the goal of using technology to remove all unnecessary admin around death. Giving people back the time and space to focus on what matters most," she explains.

The challenge of an unregulated industry
While the emotional motivations behind Settld were clear, the practical realities of launching a business in an industry with no formal regulations for bereavement processes posed significant hurdles. In the UK, service providers such as banks, utilities, and insurers are free to create their own internal processes for handling the death of a customer, which results in a fragmented and often frustrating experience for grieving families.

"Formal regulation for bereavement processes does not yet exist in the UK. Meaning that all enterprise companies—banks, utilities etc.—can run with their own internal structures and processes," says Wilson.

When Settld first launched, Wilson and her team were forced to create a system that could navigate the different notification channels and processes used by each service provider. Building the trust of these companies and bringing them into partnership was slow and arduous work. But, as Wilson explains, the perseverance paid off: "The hard work paid off, and four years later, Settld now notifies over 1,500 of the biggest companies in the UK—from high street banks to social media providers."

Settld's platform now allows users to notify multiple service providers at once, streamlining the process of closing accounts, transferring pensions, and handling other post-death logistics. The service has proved invaluable, not just for its ease of use but also for the emotional relief it offers to families at one of life's most difficult times.

Government support in a challenging economy
Wilson's path was not without financial challenges. The UK's economic environment, particularly during the early stages of the pandemic, presented both obstacles and opportunities. However, Settld was fortunate enough to receive significant government support through grant funding. "We benefited greatly from winning £283k in non-dilutive grant funding from the UK government in 2020/21. This allowed us to form a small MVP team and create an early product ahead of securing seed funding," says Wilson. This financial boost gave Settld the breathing room it needed to build its initial product and prepare for future investment. It also proved to be a vital lifeline during a period of uncertainty when many businesses struggled to find footing. "Without that support, we would not have been able to build the product as quickly or as effectively as we did. It helped us stay agile and move quickly," she adds.

Evolving views on product and distribution
In the early days, Wilson was focused almost entirely on the product itself. Like many first-time founders, she believed that having a great product was the key to business success. But over time, her perspective evolved. A conversation with fellow entrepreneur Alicia Navarro helped her see things in a new light.

"A couple of years after launching Settld, a successful entrepreneur and friend, Alicia Navarro, said to me, 'First-time founders focus on the product. Second-time founders focus on distribution.' I now understand and agree," Wilson reflects.

As Settld grew, Wilson came to appreciate the importance of ensuring that the product reached users and that they knew how to use it. "For a startup to succeed, it's critical to immediately address where the product shows up to users, and how it shows up. This is just as important as building the product itself," she says. This shift in thinking helped Settld refine its marketing and outreach efforts, allowing it to scale more quickly and reach more families who could benefit from the service. Another crucial lesson for Wilson came early in her entrepreneurial journey, courtesy of Tim Creswick, CEO of Vorboss and an angel investor in Settld. Creswick gave Wilson advice that would shape her approach to business for years to come: "Never sacrifice your integrity for the easy road or quick wins."

Wilson admits that adhering to this advice often made the startup journey more difficult. "That advice made our startup journey harder at times, but it won us the trust and loyalty of our team, advisors, shareholders, clients, users, and industry," she says.

The importance of trust became clear to Wilson as Settld grew. She credits the loyalty and dedication of her network - built on integrity - with helping the company overcome challenges and thrive. "When people trust you, they protect and carry the business forwards in rocky moments, and will amplify the celebration of all highs," she explains. This ethos of trust and integrity has been fundamental to Settld's success, particularly as the company navigated the complexities of an unregulated industry and sought to partner with major service providers.

Looking back on her entrepreneurial journey, Wilson offers a simple but powerful piece of advice for aspiring female founders: "You've got this - go for it."