We're back with Season 5 of The Start-Up Diaries and its safe to say that we're back with a bang! To kick things off, Chris sits down with Mark Mullen, CEO of Atom Bank, a Soonicorn & the UK's fist app-based bank. In this episode, Mark talks us through Atom Banks decision to implement a 4 day working week: from the logistics & the trial period to the outcomes and why the business has decided to implement the 4 day week permanently. Mark also discusses his approach to assessing risks and ...
Oct 24, 2022•28 min•Season 5Ep. 1
In this bitesize episode, Ryan Sorby - Head of North & Scotland for UK-based independent asset manager 'Boost&Co' talks through the difference between debt & equity, as well as exits & what they can look like. Catch the full episode in Season 4. Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan ....
Oct 17, 2022•5 min•Season 4Ep. 11
Sean Brown is a seasoned entrepreneur, starting out his career by founding Hatch.Social, then shortly after joining The Social Chain as Head of Product, along side Steven Bartlett. He then went on to found several other start-ups, from Meracto all the way to his current business venture, Versori. Versori has developed the highly innovative Switchboard, a no-code automation platform for large businesses that allows citizen developers to integrate enterprise-class applications and Any-to-Any workf...
Oct 03, 2022•42 min•Season 4Ep. 10
In this bitesize Insights episode, Founder & CEO of Witco - Eliane Lugassy - talks through how they scaled their product globally, launching in the UK, Spain & Germany all at the same time! She discusses her key learnings from each country as well as the challenges she faced when hiring internationally. Like what you hear? You can catch Eliane's full episode back in season 3! Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment...
Sep 26, 2022•5 min•Season 4Ep. 10
Slalom is a global consulting firm focused on strategy, technology, and business transformation. 4 years ago they introduced Slalom Build, Slalom’s brand for builders that blends design, product engineering, analytics, and automation to create the modern technology products of tomorrow. In this episode, Chris is joined by Senior Director of Slalom Build, Cath Trotter. After openly discussing her non-technical background & journey into the industry, Cath talks us through how she has helped to...
Sep 19, 2022•37 min•Season 4Ep. 9
In this insights episode, Rob Brockington - CEO of Financial Coaching App Claro Money - explains how despite a 3x increase in downloads of personal finance apps, they were able to market their product to get users onto the platform through unique positioning & marketing strategies, Want to hear more? You can listen to Rob's full length episode back in season 3! Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists poweri...
Sep 12, 2022•5 min•Season 4Ep. 9
Further are one of the newest crowdfunding platforms on the market, which allows consumers to discover, compare and back funds with cheques starting from “as little” as £1,000. They are working on making the process of investing in VC less complicated, less expensive and more “democratic” for individuals who can also afford to take the risks involved. In this episode, Co-Founder & CEO Rob Tominey talks through how he set-up a start-up as non-technical founder and the pros and cons of coming ...
Sep 05, 2022•23 min•Season 4Ep. 8
In this episode Chris is joined by Issa Dasu Patel, Co-Founder & CEO of Connect Care, a young start-up using digital tools & insights to empower patients to manage their medications and enable carers and clinicians to optimise their patients’ treatment regimes in real-time. Issa discusses what it's like to work with the public sector and how he has gone about approaching the market and building a network within it. He also talks through his advice for companies looking to apply for gover...
Aug 22, 2022•24 min•Season 4Ep. 7
In this insights episode, Rob Black - Technology Director at Beauty Bay - talks through how he went about winning hearts and minds of an established team when he first joined Beauty Bay. He discusses how to build rapport and gain the ability to influence a team that is already high performing, and how to demonstrate real leadership skills that will allow you to make a real impact and take the team to the next level. Check out Rob's full episode in Season 3 for more insights into Beauty Bay's tec...
Aug 08, 2022•4 min•Season 4Ep. 7
BOOST&Co are a UK-based independent asset manager, specialising in growth-lending solutions of £2m to £10m for high-tech, high-growth SMEs. Their goal is to empower creative, innovative and disruptive SMEs to accelerate their growth while preserving equity. In this episode, their Head of North & Scotland - Ryan Sorby - shares in detail how you can get your business investment ready, as well as what to expect from the experience. Ryan also covers what the difference is between debt and eq...
Aug 01, 2022•41 min•Season 4Ep. 6
In this bitesize moment from our episode with Naeem Alvi-Assinder, Founder of Tech branding agency Notepad, Naeem talks through when is (and isn't) the right time to invest money into a branding agency as a Start-Up. For insight into the biggest mistakes start-ups make when it comes to marketing & branding, as well as how to position yourself against competitors, avoiding common 'boring' marketing methods and becoming too product focused, check out Naeem's full episode here: https://open.spo...
Jul 25, 2022•3 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Brett Shanley is the Founder & CEO of Knoma, which stands for 'The Knowledge Market'. This FinTech business offers an ethical finance solution and marketplace for people looking to future proof their career or move into new areas of work via digital courses. In this episode, Brett explains how he started Knoma after returning from Australia, with no contacts, no network and no prior technical experience... He dives into the challenges of being a non-technical solo Founder and hiring for tech...
Jul 18, 2022•27 min•Season 4Ep. 5
We can't believe we've made it to two whole years of The Start-Up Diaries Podcast! We'd like to say a massive thank you to all of the guests we've had on the show so far, to all of the guests we've got to come & a big big thank you to all of our listeners. We couldn't keep going without you! To celebrate such a momentous occasion, we've flipped the switch and thrown host Chris into the hot seat! In this episode, producer Beth will be chatting to Chris all about the current recruitment market...
Jul 11, 2022•32 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Engineius is the leading vehicle movement service in the UK. The business was founded in 2018 on the belief that it should be as easy to book and manage vehicle movements as it is to buy from Amazon or ride with Uber. In this episode, Managing Director Calum Slowther discusses their pivot from a tech platform to a tech enabled service and the decision making process that led to that transformation. As the very first hire for the business, Calum talks us through his journey to becoming MD, as wel...
Jul 04, 2022•26 min•Season 4Ep. 4
In this insights episode, Head of Investment for GC Angels, Jess Jackson talks through what 'cash runway' actually means and her advice for defining and adapting your action plan for it. She also talks through the most common pitfalls she experiences when it comes to pitching for investment. For more advice on all areas of the investment process and insider tips & insight, check out Jess' full length episode in Season 1! Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find m...
Jun 27, 2022•9 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Whereby is a video conferencing tool that incorporates screen sharing, recording, chat, live reactions and integrations with Google Drive, Trello, Miro and YouTube. In this episode, Chris is joined by CTO, Andy Tyra and COO, Jessica Zwaan to discuss Whereby and it's decade long history. Undoubtedly a successful scale-up, Whereby is currently undergoing a shift back to a 'Start-Up' mindset. Andy & Jess explain not only why, but how they have undergone such a pivot across the business both str...
Jun 20, 2022•44 min•Season 4Ep. 3
In this bitesize episode, Chloe Barrett the Founder of EdTech Start-Up Immersify Education, shares her best advice for keeping your cool whilst pitching - from mindset, to preparation, to follow-ups. A quick 101 on not letting nerves get the better of you! Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan ....
Jun 13, 2022•4 min•Season 4Ep. 2
What's the biggest mistake that start-ups make when it comes to marketing & branding? In this episode, Founder of Tech Branding Agency Notepad, Naeem Alvi-Assinder tells all - from how to position yourself against competitors, to avoiding common 'boring' marketing methods and becoming too product focused. Naeem also dives into his experience with & advice around building conditions for people to do their best creative work, as well as his opinion on what's wrong with the creative industr...
Jun 08, 2022•40 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Commenting on his experience with fundraising & investment, Ashely Lockwood - Co-Founder & COO of Oya Kitchens - shares his top tips for gaining early stage traction from investors, as well as the dos and don'ts of raising. Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan ....
May 30, 2022•5 min0
We're back with Season 4 of the The Start-Up Diaries podcast! To kick off the series, Chris is joined by Sho Sugihara, Co-Founder & CEO of Pave, the app that's on a mission to become the world's best credit builder. In this episode, Sho takes us back to his previous career in consultancy at McKinsey & delves into what inspired him to leave such a stable job and become an entrepreneur. However making such a large career U-turn didn't come without its consequences, as Sho touches upon his ...
May 23, 2022•31 min•Season 4Ep. 1
In this Insights episode Dom Raban, Co-Founder & CEO of Xploro, talks through how to pitch a tech for good business to investors, helping them to understand their ROI & ultimately how to decide if an investor is right for your mission. Xploro is a mobile application that uses augmented reality, gameplay and artificial intelligence to deliver health information to patients, reducing the stress and anxiety associated with hospitalisation, improving health literacy and fostering better enga...
May 17, 2022•3 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In the Season 3 finale of the Start-Up Diaries, Chris sat down with the Head of Tech Services at Beauty Bay - Rob Black. Beauty Bay are beauty focused e-commerce platform, that source hard-to-find brands and products for customers, with over 7000 products on site with new launches every week. In this episode, Rob talks us through his decision to leave his comfortable job in an established business to take on the challenge of a scale-up. He also dives into the challenge of influencing a team with...
May 09, 2022•27 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this Insights episode, CTO of Modern Milkman James Renshaw talks through how they planned their roadmap for national expansion of their platform, as well as how they prepared their architecture for scaling. A great insight from an exciting start-up that's constantly in the headlines - for all the right reasons! Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burns Sheehan ....
May 03, 2022•5 min•Season 3Ep. 8
Today's guest, Eliane Lugassy is the Founder and CEO of French-based business Witco, an all-in-one app for more serviced and collaborative spaces such as offices, co-working, co-living, residences and student housing to improve communication, community and provide a one-stop shop for all of a building’s services and amenities. In this episode, Eliane talks through her decision to leap into entrepreneurship and has a very honest conversation about the challenges that she has faced as an entrepren...
Apr 25, 2022•20 min•Season 3Ep. 9
A bitesize moment from our episode with Lydia Jones, Founder & CEO of Housemate, sharing her insight into how to handle & overcome challenging situations as a business leader. From learning when to switch the emotion off, to knowing when or if it's time to involve the wider business, Lydia discusses everything she's learnt about navigating your organisation through a crisis. We want to hear from you! If you have any requests for topics or guests, or if you fancy being a guest on the show...
Apr 20, 2022•6 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Anish Kapoor, CEO of AccessPay has retired not once... but twice. After working on a series of successful disruptor tech businesses that have solved some of the most prominent problems in tech, Anish was tempted for a third time by the concept of AccessPay. AccessPay are the corporate-to-bank integration platform transforming finance and treasury operations, providing a secure digital connection to thousands of banks and payment schemes worldwide and are the fastest growing FinTech outside of Lo...
Apr 07, 2022•29 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode, Chris sits down with James Davison, Chief Technology Officer of Mobysoft, a business that provides software & data driven insights that help social housing providers manage rent arrears efficiently. Coming from a background in large enterprises such as ITV, Thoughtworks and RazorFish, taking on the challenge of the CTO position at tech for good start-up was no small task. From technical challenges to developing a culture based on social responsibility, all whilst working lar...
Mar 29, 2022•21 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In our latest 'Insights' episode, Laura Pomfret - Co-Founder of financial wellness app Financielle - explains how you can determine if taking investment is the right thing for your business, and, how to know if it's the right time to do so. After initially bootstrapping her business, Laura talks through how she became open to the idea of Angel investment despite currently having a 'debt-free' business, exploring the pros and cons of seeking investors. Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on Linke...
Mar 25, 2022•4 min0
In this episode, Chris is joined by Rob Brockington, CEO of Claro Money, a start-up wealth management platform aiming to create a new generation of investors who are both ethically and financially informed. Rob spent 12 years working on the trade floor of banks and climbing the corporate ladder, until 2019, when he decided to take the leap into start-up life. The inception of Claro Money was far from straightforward, as Rob discusses in the episode. But through a strong belief in his idea and th...
Mar 15, 2022•26 min•Season 3Ep. 6
In the first episode back since our short hiatus, Chris is joined by Richard Mabey, Co-Founder & CEO of Juro, an all-in-one contract automation platform that helps legal counsel and their teams to agree and manage contracts in one unified workspace. Juro has a glittering list of clients including Deliveroo and Cazoo. Juro was recently voted the no.1 start-up to work for in London for 2022, and in this episode, Richard dived into exactly what makes Juro such a great place to work - from their...
Feb 28, 2022•30 min•Season 3Ep. 5
