About

I'm Simon Swords. I've bootstrapped two businesses to eight-figure exits. I now blog about the process and I'm writing a book: 'Exit Without Permission'.

When I was 15 I decided that I wanted retire at 35. 20 years of hard grind felt long enough to make an impact. By my maths, at 35 I'd have sufficient lifespan ahead of me to explore a host of other mad pursuits and hobbies.

In 2025 I sold Fundipedia and retired at 42; I'm not upset that it took seven years longer given the lessons I was taught in robustness and the people I met on the journey.

I now chair the IA Engine a fintech accelerator in the same investment management space Fundipedia operated in.

I also guest on podcasts, deliver keynote talks, sit on panels and share candid, sometimes funny (intentionally or otherwise) stories from the front line of building businesses from the ground up without external funding.