Seed to Success

In this episode of Seed to Success Alastair sits down with Emma Rees, CEO and co-founder of Deployed, who shares her unique journey and insights as a female founder in tech. She opens up about her experiences navigating the complexities of a male-dominated industry and emphasises the need for allyship among women in business. Emma highlights the importance of timing, mentorship and the lessons learnt from early ventures. Discussing the very specific challenges of building an enterprise SaaS, Emma shares valuable insights for fundraising, project management and maintaining a work-life balance.   With a candid account of the struggles and successes she’s faced as a female entrepreneur, Emma offers practical ideas for real change. This episode is a must-listen for anyone passionate about tackling gender imbalances and fostering inclusivity in the tech world!   _ Show notes:   00:00:00 - Redefining success 00:00:47 - Deployed's mission 00:01:50 - Growth and recognition 00:03:29 - From hairdressing to tech 00:09:08 - Lessons from early ventures 00:14:11 - Timing in business 00:17:08 - Managing a product team 00:20:59 - Building a strong engineering team 00:24:13 - Building an MVP for enterprise customers 00:28:07 - Working with enterprise customers 00:31:01 - CAC and sales cycle 00:32:20 - Benefits of mentoring groups 00:36:43 - Co-founding a business with family and friends 00:40:30 - Lack of female allyship 00:43:56 - Gender bias in business conversations 00:46:45 - Addressing gender roles and equality 00:48:26 - What is success? 00:51:28 - Advice for founders 00:55:22 - The struggle of present reflection 00:54:43 - Connecting with Emma

In this episode of Seed to Success, Alastair chats to Adam Oskwarek, founder of Zopeful Climate who shares his entrepreneurial journey building successful businesses with a climate-focused approach. He delves into the complexities of carbon removal start-ups, the significance of sustainable growth, and the impact of external funding on business growth, sharing alternative approaches to traditional start-up models. Adam shares his lessons learned from previous ventures and provides practical and valuable insights for aspiring founders. His commitment to creating purposeful, impactful change is a driving force behind his venture and his journey offers a unique perspective for entrepreneurs seeking sustainable growth and climate-focused strategies. Adam's experiences serve as a source of valuable lessons and inspiration for entrepreneurs looking to implement purposeful business sustainability.   _   Show notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:18 - What is Zopeful Climate? 00:03:41 - The mission 00:05:00 - Evolution of carbon removal 00:08:37 - Building Zopeful Climate 00:11:48 - Lessons from previous ventures 00:15:49 - The resilience mindset of successful founders 00:18:31 - Embracing the gritty reality of entrepreneurship 00:22:32 – Alternative models for funding 00:27:03 - The impact of external capital on business direction 00:29:23 - Finding purpose through market research 00:31:12 - Quick iteration and feedback loop 00:34:50 - Personal passion and business success 00:38:33 - Tracking metrics and lead indicators 00:40:54 - Advice for founders

In this episode of Seed to Success, Alastair sits down with Laura Beales, COO and co-founder of Tally Workspace who shares her insights into the challenges and triumphs of building a two-sided marketplace model in the property business.   Laura’s journey from accountant to tech entrepreneur offers practical advice for founders navigating the complexities of scaling a start-up and creating a respected brand in business. Laura discusses the importance of adaptability, prioritising advice over money, and the significance of understanding strategic drivers in a two-sided marketplace model.   Tune in to hear about her experiences fundraising, building a strong co-founder dynamic, strategic pivots and leveraging grants for early-stage businesses!   _ Show notes:   00:00:00 - Introduction 00:00:39 - What is Tally Workspace? 00:01:44 - Laura’s background 00:02:54 - Transition to entrepreneurship 00:08:04 - Evolution of Tally Workspace 00:15:06 - The importance of user research and adaptation 00:16:26 - Co-founder relationship 00:21:50 - Funding and grants 00:27:53 - Fundraising tips 00:28:12 - Building trust with angel investors 00:32:44 - Investing in people 00:34:03 - Governance and reporting 00:36:32 - LTV to CAC ratio 00:43:24 - Tracking interactions 00:44:17 - Importance of GMV

In this episode of Seed to Success, Alastair chats to founder and CEO of Trust Keith, Rory Codrington, who discusses his founder journey and shares how the lessons from previous ventures shaped his strategic decisions for his latest business.   Rory discusses the importance of market validation, understanding customer value, and leveraging strengths to shape the direction and value proposition in B2B. His practical insights on navigating regulatory compliance, bootstrapping, and thoughtful business model considerations provides inspiration for listeners looking to embark on their own founder journey and those seeking strategic guidance.   If you’re keen to hear about the complexities of entrepreneurship and gain some practical advice to fuel your founder mindset, then this one’s for you! _   Show notes: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:16 - What is Trust Keith? 00:02:18 - The complexity of regulation 00:04:55 - Business growth and team size 00:05:53 - Founding principles and business evolution 00:12:23 - Entrepreneurial mindset and business strategy 00:15:04 - Passion vs. practicality 00:21:47 - Strategic planning and long-term goals 00:23:19 - All-you-can-eat business model 00:27:53 - Role of experts and technology 00:26:45 - Balancing technology and people 00:29:05 - Iterative product development 00:31:19 - Evolution of compliance solutions 00:34:52 - Technology development journey 00:36:40 - Bootstrapping and funding 00:41:00 - Building a business and understanding customer needs 00:46:22 - Overcoming hiring challenges and achieving efficiency 00:49:26 – Lessons learned 00:54:02 – Favourite metrics 00:56:06 – Advice for founders

In this episode of Seed to Success, Alastair sits down with Sebastian Trif, former CEO and co-founder of Aurelia, who shares his valuable insights on navigating the complexities of start-up growth, and the difference between searching for product-market fit and executing it.   In this candid chat, Sebastian discusses the dynamics between technical and non-technical co-founders, the importance of paying yourself today (not tomorrow), and the balance of vision with practicality in the founder journey.   Tune in to hear about the critical difference between idea and execution and learn from Sebastian’s own experience navigating the complexities of the early-stage start-up landscape. _   Show notes:   00:00:00 - Intro 00:00:59 - Introduction to Aurelia 00:03:16 - Origin story and vision 00:05:04 - Meeting my co-founder 00:08:11 - Technical founder advantage 00:13:04 - Securing funding in a tight market 00:16:37 - Investor process and quick deal closure 00:18:24 - Cash burn and revenue generation 00:21:23 - Team composition 00:24:04 - Importance of mentorship 00:26:58 - Underpaying yourself as a founder 00:29:51 - Recognising lack of product-market fit 00:35:30 - Early Adopters Hub 00:36:46 - Realising the need to pivot 00:38:36 - Emotions and decision making as a founder 00:40:31 - Intuition and team culture 00:43:49 - Involving investors in the decision 00:49:09 - Key metrics 00:51:08 - Learning from mistakes 00:52:29 - Vanity benchmarks 00:54:10 - Advice for early-stage founders 00:55:42 - Conclusion