Startup Secrets

Lambert Labs is the brainchild of George Lambert. A couple of years ago George was, and still is I should add, a very talented developer, but due to health issues he found himself unable to type or work at a desk. When faced with the dilemma of completely changing his career path or figuring out a way to continue doing what he loved, George figured out a way to do that latter!   2 years on and George employees a team of developers at their West London office, and their developments reach end-users within the NHS and Accenture!   This is a great story about how entrepreneurship can help you overcome personal challenges, and how to adapt to your customer and opportunities!   In this episode we discuss: Starting a company when the odds are against you Scalability Filling skill gaps within your company Sales and marketing Specialisation vs generalisation And as always, plenty more...

“Say yes to everything” with Sam Jarvis   Ever been sworn at for carrying a big ol’ piece of art on the tube? Nope, me neither! But that’s exactly what prompted Sam Jarvis to start HubBox and solve the issue we all face around deliveries either not getting to us on time, being in the wrong place, or wasting a full day waiting at home.   Since founding, more than 100 retailers have signed up to HubBox, and among them are a number of top 500 retailers including Jack Wills, Warehouse, Joseph Joseph, and JOY - all of them utilising HubBox’s revolutionary click and collect options.   Sam talks us through their extensive ‘idea validation process’ and how they took the first steps to signing users on both sides: vendors and consumers. We then talk about their future plans for international expansion and how that will be managed stateside!   Enjoy!!   In this episode we discuss: Signing the big clients Finding your ‘truths’ and testing them Wider business strategy Motivation International expansion And as always, pl

With over £30 million raised in funding, and 70,000 people helped with their mortgages to date, it’s fair to say Dan Hegarty and the team have achieved a HUGE amount in a very short space of time!   Hegarty’s overall mission for Habito? “To make mortgages as easy to switch as your broadband or car insurance from the comfort of your home, and something you do in moments, not weeks.”   I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Dan at their London offices and found out how Habito are managing to ‘make the un-sexy, sexy’ with mortgages (< I said that, not him!). Their growth to date is phenomenal, and their simplistic approach to tackling such a huge problem is enviable.   If you feel like you’re facing a brick wall (or brick industry!) with your new idea, then give this a listen to find out how one man is changing the game bit by bit.   In this episode we discuss: Cashflow Investment rounds Investor expectation Recruiting secrets Tackling such a huge industry And as always, much more...

Launched in January 2015, Craft Gin Club has seen HUGE growth over the past three years to become the UK’s largest subscription club for gin lovers. Jon and John are targeting the massive £1.3bn gin market within the UK, and are well on their way to being one of the biggest names with over 230,000 newsletter subscribers and 450,000 fans on social media.   Craft Gin Club have done an unbelievable job of growing their revenue levels, and have cut off other less profitable areas when required. Their appearance on Dragons’ Den did them great favours and I’m sure they’ll continue going from strength to strength!   Looking at a subscription business? Give this a listen!   In this episode we discuss: Building a subscription model The impact of an MBA Content marketing Socials media Doing what you love Visiting the den of dragons And as always, plenty more...

“Learn to say no” with Ben Saul-Garner   Heading to the Attachment offices you immediately get a vibe of what the company is like, with celeb pics hanging on the walls, bottles of gin lining the shelves, and bose speakers in the corner - the company and what they do is just about as cool as you’d expect!   I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Co-founder Ben Saul-Garner. Ben, and his co-founder Chris, have built an amazing team of “superstars”, and an equally impressive list of clients and partners, including Google, YouTube, AirBnB, ASOS, and plenty more. And the talent they link these brands up with isn’t so bad either, with names such as James Corden, Lady Gaga, and Ellie Goulding.   We also touch on Ben’s ‘side gig’: Rebel Book Club. RBC is a network for like-minded individuals who love to read (typically non-fiction), but perhaps don’t always follow through on the action points or takeaways. We talk about the club itself (which I highly recommend you check out), and also the business element of bu

“Don’t innovate” with Peter Watson   Peter started Distract when still at university with just £5,000 from his previous business! By the end of uni, they already had a book of clients and 5 staff. Peter has been involved in marketing since the age of 16 after honing his skills in social media, PPC, and email marketing.   Peter has some pretty strong views on why going to university is an absolute must for any new young entrepreneur, and there are some very fair points in there. He’s extremely hungry and will to try anything new to disrupt and put his own stamp on things!   In this episode we discuss: Becoming a ‘Key Person of Influence’ Starting young Working different The benefits of going to uni Relationship building and your network And as always, plenty more...  

1 of 20 businesses selected out of 3,500 for an accelerator. Offers from all 5 dragons on Dragon’s Den. And acquired within 3 years. Ben Corrigan and the team haven’t done so bad!!   Ben joined me very very shortly after Pouch had been acquired as part of a cash buyout. To reach that stage after 3 years of founding (and only 2.5 years from product launch) is insane, and so it was great to speak to him fresh off the back of this acquisition.   We touch on the growth, product testing, preparing for Dragon’s Den, and how they managed the acquisition process.   In this episode we discuss: Pitching and raising funds Dragon’s Den Finding the right co-founders Accelerator programmes Acquisition and the details And as always, plenty more…  

*** GIVEAWAY***   Want a snack? ;)   Sara and the team at Well and Truly have very kindly given us some of their goodies to pass away to our listeners! Simply share this episode on social (FB, IG, Twitter) and tag the Startup Secrets page (links on website) and we’ll pick some lucky winners :D   In this episode we speak with the brilliant Sara Trechman - not only because of the unbelievable business she’s built, but also because she’d had her newborn baby just 6 days before this recording and still joined us!!   Sara and her co-founder have managed to build a widely recognised product and business with Well and Truly: they’ve raised chunks of money, have exported overseas, are stocked in Tescos and Sainsburys, and rocked an electric tuk tuk around the streets of London (why not)!   If you’re in the product and/or FMCG sector then give this a listen!   In this episode we discuss: Focus groups and testing Manufacturing Marketing Selling to the big boys Internationalisation and exporting And as always, plenty m

“We’ve burnt a hell of a lot!” with Dan Jeffreys   In this week’s episode I speak with the refreshingly honest co-founder and COO of Resooma: Dan Jeffreys. The student accommodation platform has gone from strength to strength, after some harder times in the early days!   One of the great things about speaking with Dan is how open he is about not only the good times and their amazing achievements, but also the challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve overcome those challenges.   If you think entrepreneurship is all a walk in the park with multi-million pound raises, 100s of staff, and beautiful exits… then give this a listen :)   In this episode we discuss: Grants and investment Identifying skill gaps (and filling them!) Outsourced development KPIs and metrics for success Growing/hiring too big Forecasting And as always, plenty more...

“The product has to earn your respect” with Louise Doherty   Did you know it can take over 9 apps, 22 app switches, 77 swipes, 13 minutes on the phone and 10 texts to make a plan, and even then, 40% of the time planning fails completely!? Well now you do, and that’s exactly the problem that Louise and the team at PlanSnap are solving!   In this episode I chat with Louise Doherty, Founder and CEO of PlanSnap, the revolutionary new app to help you and your friends manage all your plans! PlanSnap amazingly signed its first brand partnership contract for £46,500 before a single line of code was written, and have since completed Techstars Connection in partnership with AB InBev in New York. Techstars is one of the world's top business accelerators. 1000+ companies have completed the Techstars program and 90% are still active or have been acquired, with a market cap of £8.3bn. Louise and the team also ran a crowdfunding campaign which was a resounding success after funding 152% of their target!   In this episode we

“Don’t try and be superman” with Harry Hugo   Offices in London, New York, Singapore, and Monaco. 100+ staff. Working with some of the world’s biggest brands. A $50million business. Oh yeah… and they’re only 3 years old!!   In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Harry Hugo, Co-founder of The Goat Agency. I joined Harry at their stunning offices in London and we chatted about their amazing growth in such a short period of time, his backstory and previous experience, and future plans for what sounds like world domination!   In this episode we discuss: Rapid growth and how to manage it Recruitment Team culture Internationalisation Social media influencing and the future of marketing How the role of the co-founder changes as the team grows And as always, plenty more...

“Fail to plan, plan to fail” with Chris Forbes   In this episode I was joined by Chris Forbes, Co-founder of The Cheeky Panda, a massively innovative company offering sustainable tissues made exclusively from bamboo!   Starting out in 2016, The Cheeky Panda have managed to gain a presence in 15+ countries, won various awards, and have been featured in numerous publications. They have been through a number of funding rounds, including Crowdfunding and offering equity, both of which surpassed their target, and eventually gave them a multi-million pound valuation!   It’s great to hear Chris talk about specific challenges of working in the product sector, so if you’re eyeing up the FMCG market then give this a listen!   In this episode we discuss: Sustainable companies Supply chain management Running a successful crowdfunding campaign Market testing Product launches Company valuation Angel funding Cashflow Funding and bootstrapping Working overseas and internationalisation And as always, plenty more...

“The idea of perfect evidence is a trap” with Rob Fitzpatrick   Ever since I first read ‘The Mom Test’, I’ve been obsessed with recommending the book to friends and entrepreneurs who are looking for business advice. For me, it’s the ultimate ‘how-to’ guide when it comes to validating business ideas, understanding your customers, and deciding whether you have a real idea of value. To say I’m excited to have the author, Rob Fitzpatrick, as the guest on this episode is a huge understatement!   Rob’s background is in tech companies, where he was part of incubator/accelerator groups alongside the likes of Dropbox. After running a number of his own successful companies, and (in his own words) a ‘failure’ or two, he’s extremely well-placed to write about how to best validate ideas to see when you’re on to a winner, and when you’re not!   When Rob’s businesses didn’t end up exactly the way he wanted/expected them to, he felt like he was doing a lot of work, and having a lot of conversations, but soon realised he wasn

“Insecurity drives improvement” with Phil Neal   In this episode, we had the amazing opportunity to chat with one of (if not THE) most prolific EdTech entrepreneurs in the UK: Phil Neal.   For any listeners who went to school in the UK in the last 30 years, there’s a very good chance you’ve used or been exposed to Phil’s software. Phil is the brains behind the SIMS Management Information System, used in over 80% of (or 20,000!) schools in the UK. It’s reached many 10s of millions of users, and also has an international presence across 50 countries around the globe.   As a teacher in his earlier years, Phil, like many entrepreneurs, had an ‘itch of his own to scratch’ - the outcome, a system that soon caught the attention of multiple school groups and councils, and some years later, the attention of Capita who eventually acquired SIMS.   To scale any business to that size is unbelievable impressive, to do it in a market as challenging as the UK education sector is even more impressive.   In this episode we dis

“You need to be unrealistically optimistic” with Steven Mendel   Have you ever been fed up of sorting your insurance or the costs involved? Course you have! Did you do anything about it? Probably not! But, that’s exactly what this episode’s guest did back in 2012!   Steven Mendel is the CEO and co-founder of Bought by Many, a free, members-only service that helps you find insurance. Since 2012, they’ve seen rapid growth with 80+ staff and over half a million members around the globe. In 2016, they were featured in the European FinTech50 list, and in 2017 they were named as one of 15 ‘Ones to Watch’ companies by The Sunday Times Tech Track.   Further to their amazing growth, Bought by Many were able to do their own buying and acquired the UK’s leading provider of insurance for exotic pets. We touch on this topic in quite some detail so it’s a must listen for any entrepreneurs considering acquisitions as part of their growth strategy.   In this episode we discuss:   Company acquisitions SEO Email marketing Soc

“You’ve got to walk the walk” with Jamie Bolding   4 billion+ video views every month 100’s of millions of social media followers 150+ staff across the UK and US and all just in 4 and half years…   In this episode we chat with Jamie Bolding - Founder and CEO of Jungle Creations. Jamie spotted the potential and power of social media at very early stage, and it was that foresight, along with some careful strategy and great content, that has led him to build such an impressive company with Jungle Creations.   The team have achieved a HUGE amount in a very small amount of time, and it’s very likely that if you’re a social media user, you’re familiar with their content. Having amassed an enormous following, Jungle Creations now work with some of the world’s best known brands, including; Virgin, McDonalds, Walkers, and Oreo.   Jamie is a true entrepreneur in every sense of the word, starting his first company shortly after university. The Jungle Creations story is super exciting to date, and only sounds like it’s

In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with Brian Meece - Co-founder of RocketHub, Founder of Wingadoos, and a pretty mean ukulele player! Brian has also spoken at world-renowned events such as SXSW, TEDx, and the World Economic Forum.   Brian has always had a huge interest in music, and for a good chunk of his life (and still to this day) has played in bands, performed, and recorded. It was his love of music that led him to his first venture, RocketHub. RocketHub was created as a crowdfunding platform allowing artists to raise the funds they needed to produce their music and continue doing what they love. After successfully working in the arts space, RocketHub soon attracted the attention of the science sector, and thereafter entrepreneurs looking to raise money. After 5 successful years of growth, this led to an acquisition valuing the company at $15million.   Following the acquisition of RocketHub, Brian worked with Citi Ventures and helped mentor and advise newer startups, with a particular focus

In this episode I had the pleasure of chatting with not one, but three entrepreneurs! I headed to the London offices of Fillistudios where I spoke with the co-founders; Sam, Thev and Andy. It was great to get a different perspective from the three guys, including the sales, technology and community growth.   Fillistudios was the result of select set of skills each of the team had, and they now have a database of close to 3 million (yes you read that right) influencers who they work with to connect amazing brands and consumers.   It was great to hear more about how the influencer model is reshaping marketing strategies, how technology is making all of that possible, and what the future may hold for new marketing methods.   This episode is for you if you’re looking to get a heads up on the latest and most effective marketing techniques, if you’re looking to grow your own social media presence, or even if you’re looking at how to best apply technology to a problem/opportunity you have identified!   In this episo

This episode we speak with Dr Lydia Yarlott - Founder of Forward Health, the ‘MedTech’ startup connecting healthcare teams around the world.   After graduating from the University of Oxford, Lydia began her career as a pediatrician. Not long into her working life, Lydia faced a challenge that thousands of healthcare professionals before her has already encountered - a lack of efficient technology solutions that would allow them to spend more time with their patients.   Lydia, along with her two co-founders Barney and Philip, came up with the idea for Forward after experiencing these real-life issues, and have since been mentioned in “The UK’s Hottest Healthtech Startups”, 70 Ways to Save the NHS, and have featured on ITV and BBC news, as well as being profiled in The Times, The Guardian, Forbes, and The Telegraph.   What we discuss in this episode:   Find a big problem to build a big company Getting the right people for your team Building a SAAS company Time management Marketing and the power of case studies

In this episode I had the absolute pleasure of chatting with Jacob Wedderburn-Day, the Founder and CEO of Stasher. After graduating from the University of Oxford to complete his Economics and Management degree, followed by UCL for his Masters in Economics, Jacob founded Stasher alongside his co-founder, Anthony.   In the early days, Stasher was referred to as the “AirBnB for storage” - a no doubt complimentary term for the young company, but one which Jacob and his team were keen to shake as they carved their own space in the ever-growing market place sector.   Jacob himself acknowledges that they really started as ‘kids’ trying to convince individuals and companies to work with Stasher, but after some clever moves on their part, they quickly started working with some of the most well known names in the travel industry, including; Expedia, Hotels.com, Premier Inn, and Accor Hotels, to name just a few.   In this episode we discuss: Business validation Measuring success Overcoming objections Finding and establ