Kieran James is the CEO and co-founder of Stryde, a UK-based finance firm that helps ambitious business owners bring clarity, structure, and strategic direction to their finances. Through Stryde, he works closely with founders and leadership teams to build finance functions that go beyond reporting and actively support better decision-making, stronger cash flow management, and sustainable growth.With experience supporting businesses across a wide range of sectors, Kieran has developed a reputation for making finance practical, accessible, and genuinely useful to growing companies. His work is driven by a belief that finance should not simply record what has happened, but help leaders confidently shape what comes next.Alongside his work with clients, Kieran has sat on the boards of several not-for-profit and fast-growth organisations, providing strategic and financial oversight at leadership level. He is also an active investor, giving him a broader perspective on what drives long-term value and resilience in business.Underlying his approach is a philosophy he calls The Deliberate Formula, a personal framework for building systems, making decisions, and leading with intention across both business and life. This thinking influences not only his work at Stryde, but also the ideas explored throughout this book.As a business owner himself, Kieran understands the realities of leadership first-hand. Stryde operates as a remote-first business with a distributed international team and runs on the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS), giving him practical insight into the challenges of scaling organisations while maintaining clarity and momentum.Outside of business, Kieran has competed for Great Britain at age group level in triathlon and, together with his family, has chosen to home educate their children, reflecting a shared commitment to intentional living, long-term thinking, and continuous growth.