Steve Livingston

Founder, IP Tax Solutions. Chartered Accountant.
Analogue Addict. Reluctant AI Enthusiast

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

https://t.co/jZifF7Vmzy

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Keep your best ideas on paper.

Never let prying (AI) digital eyes see your secret sauce.

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Announcement: https://t.co/lxZFnZ6aPJ

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

End of an era for analogue premium leather notebook manufacturer, William Hannah, as it closed its doors on 1 August 2026 https://t.co/IB7xxVUYUe

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Use AI for the grunt work (routine, tedious, repetitive stuff)

Use your brain for the creative stuff (strategy, design, brainstorming, ideation, planning etc)

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

@EXM7777 Nah, @Superwhisper were first

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

@GBC_Press 9

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Morning journal question to answer:

"What's the ONE asset I'm building today?"

Top of the page.
Underlined.

Waiting for an answer.

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

The more I see AI, the more I crave analogue.

Pen and paper.

Time to reflect and think.

Time to escape the digital frazzle.

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

@mattshumer_ Everyone needs to read this

[Matt Shumer @mattshumer_]

https://t.co/ivXRKXJvQg

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

AI Workflow Orchestration: Command Guide
🎯 Master Prompt (Start Here)
"I need to [PROJECT GOAL].

Please:
1. Break this into discrete tasks
2. Identify dependencies between tasks
3. Group tasks into parallel waves
4. Tell me what order to execute them
5. Specify what outputs I need to pass between tasks"

How I am running this with Claude Code:-

Example: Building a Startup Landing Page

Master Agent:
"I'm building a landing page for [product]. Break this into parallel tasks and show dependencies."

Wave 1 (Parallel - 4 windows in Ghostty):
Window 1: "Write compelling landing page copy for [product]"
Window 2: "Design a modern landing page layout with sections"
Window 3: "Create a responsive React landing page component"
Window 4: "Write Google Analytics and tracking code setup"

Wave 2 (Integration - 1 window):
"Integrate these components:
Copy: [paste from Window 1]
Design: [paste from Window 2]
Code: [paste from Window 3]
Analytics: [paste from Window 4]

Create the final implementation."

Result: Days-long project done in 1 hour.

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Investor dynamics change completely after your Series A. Your SEIS angels who were happy with quarterly emails now have VCs asking detailed questions.
Get your reporting infrastructure right early or you'll spend weeks firefighting later

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

EMI options valuations should be agreed with HMRC. I see founders using outdated valuations to be generous to employees. Noble intent, terrible outcome when HMRC disagrees and creates a tax charge nobody expected

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Biggest R&D credit mistake right now: claiming for work that's routine engineering. Building a website with React isn't R&D. Developing a novel algorithm might be. HMRC knows the difference and they're asking much harder questions...

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

R&D tax credits is not free money for simply engaging developers. HMRC is tightening enforcement. If you can't explain why your project involved technological uncertainty and sought an advance for your industry, you shouldn't be claiming. HMRC enquiries are still rife.

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Many founders don't realise SEIS/EIS relief can be lost retroactively, if you breach the rules later.
You can trigger a reclaim of the investors' tax relief if you mess up the capital structure or breach of the many rules within 3 yrs after the SEIS raise.

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

VCs will reject deals over messy cap tables.

Messed up S-EIS investments, unapproved and/or undefined option scheme pool. Preference stack they can't unwind.

Your cap table is your startup's second pitch deck.

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Every founder knows their revenue target.
Almost none know their BADR requirements.

You need 5% equity and voting rights at exit (held for two yrs) for the lower CGT rates. Dilute below that in growth rounds and you pay 24%. Plan the maths now.

[Steve Livingston @stevelivingston]

Biotech founder asked me when to think about Patent Box.
Answer: Before you even file patents. Structure wrong and your 10% tax rate becomes 25%.
The time to plan this is now, not when you have revenue.