Disrupting the Shipping Industry with James Kellett

Building and Selling a FinTech in 30 Months w/ Adrien de Forceville

In this episode, David sits down with Adrien de Forceville, founder of Pledger, for a candid conversation about the realities of startup fundraising. Adrien shares why raising too much capital too early can derail decision-making and how staying lean can lead to smarter, more sustainable growth. We also explore Adrien’s entrepreneurial journey—from building and exiting a FinTech in just 30 months, to his current focus at Pledger, a company reshaping how we think about sustainability, impact, and green banking. Key Takeaways: * Raising too much money too quickly can lead to bad decisions. * Lean startups make sharper, more thoughtful choices. * Fundraising isn’t always the right path. Sometimes, avoiding it is strategic. * Strong networks are just as valuable as capital. * Sustainable growth beats quick funding every time. Chapters:  (00:00) Intro (01:44) Adrien’s Journey to Entrepreneurship (04:10) The Evolution of Pledger (09:53) Green Banking and Impact Deep Dive (20:12) The Financial Ecosystem in France: Opportunities and Challenges (23:28) Pledger’s Pitch (28:30) Navigating Product-Market Fit Challenges (33:11) Adrien’s Exit of Pledger (39:38) What’s Next? (43:43) Service-Based AI Businesses  (46:30) Lightning round FOLLOW Adrien LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/adeforceville [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameskellett] Pledger: ⁠ [https://www.spot-ship.com/]https://www.pledger.fr [https://www.pledger.fr]  - Watch on YouTube & Subscribe  ⁠https://linktr.ee/burnratepodcast⁠ [http://linktree.link/] FOLLOW DAVID:  LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidamosun⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidamosun] Instagram: ⁠https://instagram.com/david.amosun⁠ [https://instagram.com/david.amosun] X/Twitter: ⁠https://x.com/davidamosun_⁠ [https://x.com/davidamosun_]

Disrupting the Shipping Industry with James Kellett

In this conversation, David interviews James Kellett, co-founder and CEO of Spot Ship, a startup that is revolutionising the shipping industry. We dive into the challenges and opportunities within the shipping market, the journey from finance to startups,  and technical expertise in entrepreneurship. James shares his unconventional approach to fundraising as a first-time founder, the importance of angel investors and a rolling close strategy. He discusses the advantages of building a startup in London, and the dynamics of remote work culture at Spot Ship, and offers valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs. James also highlights the significance of personal branding in today's startup landscape. This episode is a must-listen for founders and aspiring builders.  In this episode, we cover:  (00:00) - Intro (02:23) - James’ Journey from Finance to Startups (06:02) - Understanding the Shipping Market Dynamics (11:07) - Navigating Challenges in Commodity Shipping (15:42) - Spot Ship's Product Development Journey  (21:00) - Pitching Spot Ship to Investors (22:23) - MBA Founders & Technical Co-founders (30:53) - Unconventional Fundraising Strategies (38:30) - Choosing London Over Silicon Valley (42:20) - Remote Work Culture at Spotship (50:38) - Advice for Aspiring Founders (53:40) - Lightning Round: Ideas & Contraraian Takes   FOLLOW JAMES: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameskellett [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameskellett] Spot Ship: https://www.spot-ship.com [https://www.spot-ship.com]  - PODCAST INFO: Watch on YouTube: https://linktr.ee/burnratepodcast [http://linktree.link] FOLLOW DAVID:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidamosun [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidamosun] Instagram: https://instagram.com/david.amosun [https://instagram.com/david.amosun] X/Twitter: https://x.com/davidamosun_ [https://x.com/davidamosun_]