Building

from

Blank

Pages:

How

Phil

Morle

Turns

Science

into

Scalable

Startups

Building from Blank Pages: How Phil Morle Turns Science into Scalable Startups

What do theatre companies, file-sharing lawsuits, and climate-friendly fabrics have in common?

They’re all chapters in the wild and wonderful career of Phil Morle, partner at Main Sequence Ventures and co-founder of startup studio Polonizer. In Episode 12 of The Mucky Middle, we sat down with Phil to talk about building from scratch, navigating the murky waters of deep tech, and why brand is just as important as the tech behind it—maybe even more.

Whether you're a scientist with a half-baked idea or a founder trying to package up something slightly magical, this one's a banger.

1. The Best Founders Start With a Blank Page

Phil might be best known as a tech venture guy, but his roots are in theatre.

That’s right. He spent a decade writing, directing, and running a theatre company—bootstrapping everything from set design to business models. What did he learn?

“Making something from nothing with limited resources—that’s the true essence of company building.”

Whether it’s a startup or a stage play, the principles are the same: bring great people together, create something the world wants to see, and somehow—against all odds—make it work.

2. Deep Tech Isn’t Just Hard—It’s Dimensionally Difficult

At Main Sequence, Phil backs science-led ventures solving humanity’s toughest challenges. We’re talking companies working on sustainable food, infinite plastic recycling, solar hydrogen storage, and climate-friendly fabrics.

“Deep tech startups are dimensionally difficult. It’s not just the tech—it’s the supply chain, the regulations, the business model, the brand.”

Founders can’t just be inventors—they must become synthesists. Translators. Storytellers. They have to build not just a product, but a market that doesn’t exist yet.

Which brings us to…

3. Anneal the Market as You Go

You’ve heard of product-market fit. But what if the market doesn’t exist yet?

Phil introduces a concept called market annealing—coined by Andreessen Horowitz but lived daily by founders at Main Sequence.

“You forge the market at the same time as the product—like heating and hammering metal in a blacksmith’s furnace.”

Founders aren’t just trying to meet demand. They’re shaping it. That means creating shared language, building coalitions (even with competitors), and sometimes inventing the entire category. You’re not waiting for product-market fit—you’re creating the market to fit into.

4. Boring Brands Kill Brilliant Ideas

Phil’s blunt on this one:

“You might be building a company that does infinite plastic recycling, but if your brand is boring, no one wants to work with you.”

He’s learned that even in deep B2B infrastructure, brand matters. Not just because it attracts investors, talent and customers—but because it shapes the product itself. Done well, branding can clarify your value prop, focus your comms, and unlock scale by helping others champion your story.

If your pitch deck doesn’t twinkle in the eyes of your audience, you’re not done yet.

5. Founders Need to Hold On Tightly, Let Go Lightly

Phil’s advice for founders isn’t all tactics—it’s philosophy. One of his favourites?

“Hold on tightly, let go lightly.”

That’s startup life in a nutshell. You need stubborn, unreasonable belief to push through the hard parts—but you also need the humility to pivot when reality says otherwise. Founders must both believe hard and learn fast. They must lead with conviction but release their ego when the path shifts.

It's emotional aikido.

6. Don't Confuse Being CEO with Being the Founder

Phil makes a sharp distinction that many early-stage entrepreneurs miss:

• Founder = the visionary sparkplug
• CEO = the person managing the stress, spreadsheets and staffing plans

“Being the CEO is the hardest job in the world—and sometimes it shouldn’t be the same person who had the idea.”

At Main Sequence, they help new ventures build the right teams—not just the convenient ones. They even arrange startup “marriages” between scientists and commercial leaders, based on complementary skills and chemistry, not just chance.

It’s Tinder for deep tech.

7. Play the Infinite Game

Phil’s leadership mantra? Play the infinite game.

“If you’re trying to beat someone else, you’re making yourself smaller. The infinite game is about making the pie bigger for everyone.”

This isn’t a feel-good platitude. It’s a real-world strategy. In climate tech, synthetic biology, or clean energy, no one wins by hoarding knowledge or crushing the competition. If the market doesn’t exist yet, your competitors are your collaborators.

It’s time to stop chasing wins—and start changing the rules.

TL;DR: Phil Morle’s Founder's Field Guide

Here’s your cheat sheet from Episode 12:

• Founding is theatre—embrace the chaos
• Deep tech requires brand just as much as breakthroughs
• You may need to invent the market, not just the product
• Package the magic: storytelling converts doubters into believers
• Assemble the right team—even if it means an arranged marriage
• Play the long game. The infinite game. The impact game

Want to shape the future and scale ideas worth believing in?
At Paper Moose, we help visionary businesses translate deep ideas into brand stories the world can’t ignore. Let’s talk.