Leading Through Growth and Setbacks: Lessons from Tom Dunlop, CEO of Summize

Scaling a business isn’t a smooth ride. It’s a path filled with pivots, pressure, and more often than we like to admit—setbacks. But for Tom Dunlop, CEO and founder of Summize, setbacks aren’t warning signs. They’re proof of progress.

In this video and blog, we distil Tom’s leadership mindset, growth journey, and practical advice from his experience building a fast growing legal tech company for founders and leaders navigating their own growth.

“If we didn’t have setbacks, I’d probably be more anxious,” says Tom.

It’s an unusual but powerful mindset. Tom believes that if things aren’t going wrong now and then, it might be a sign you’re not innovating enough. Pushing boundaries means testing new waters, and not every move will land perfectly. The key is accepting that failure is part of forward motion.

Tom’s journey began as a lawyer, working in-house at high-growth tech companies. It was there that the idea for Summize was born, originally a tool to summarize signed contracts (hence the name). But the business quickly evolved.

Now, Summize is a full contract lifecycle management platform, helping legal teams create, review, and manage contracts. With a successful Series A led by YFM and a new office in the U.S., the business is growing fast and strategically.

“People fundamentally want to know they’re making a difference.”

For Tom, keeping teams aligned and motivated starts with clarity of purpose. Summize’s vision is to help everyone understand each other better. This is more than just a slogan. It gives the team a shared goal that goes beyond quarterly targets.

A strong mission doesn’t just inspire. It becomes a decision-making compass as your company scales.

Tom’s advice to founders facing tough calls is simple but effective:

“Take the emotion out.”

It’s easy to become emotionally invested in every decision, especially when the stakes are high. But founders often make their best calls when they approach challenges with logic over sentiment. Keeping a clear head helps cut through the noise.

Tom credits much of his success to having a strong board and leadership team early on. From day one, he sought out advisors who had been there before including former tech founders, seasoned investors, and a strong angel network.

“Stay paranoid about getting things in place now to help in the future.”

That foresight, he says, is essential. It’s tempting to hold onto everything as a founder, but building your leadership bench early allows you to delegate and focus on where you can have the most impact.

Ultimately, Tom’s leadership philosophy is grounded in simplicity:

“I just want to build a great business with great people. The rest will take care of itself.”

In a world obsessed with hacks and hypergrowth, it’s a refreshing reminder: culture, clarity, and consistency still matter most.

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