How Rob Ferrone Turned Deep Customer Insight into a £30M Business

How Rob Ferrone Turned Deep Customer Insight into a £30M Business

Rob Ferrone didn’t pitch software or spin hype. He fixed real problems inside one of the world’s biggest car manufacturers, and built a £30M consultancy because of it. This episode unpacks how Rob helped build a business clients couldn’t live without, and why truly knowing the problem beats any go-to-market plan. Inside this episode: • How deep client empathy became Rob’s 80/20 advantage • What “follow the money” really means in enterprise sales • Why growth can become the biggest risk • How to protect and expand blue-chip accounts • The mindset that turns chaos into clarity 🎧 Episode 01 of Eighty Twenty: The podcast that gets under the skin of business. Documentary mentioned: “The Detectives, Taking Down an OCG"

This is what launching actually looks like | Episode 12 | The Journey to £16 Million

In this episode of Founder Therapy, Rich shares early results from the first pilot of his 12-week Transformer program, a bold plan to build and launch startups in just three months. Doug presses on the model: can it scale, or is it too early to tell? Inside: How a lightweight team of three helped launch a retail product in under four weeks What the founder gained by plugging into a ready-made venture build The role of AI in accelerating product development How the go-to-market strategy is evolving around niche ecommerce Where the full Transformer rollout stands, and why funding is the final hurdle Follow along as we build in public, test in public, and try to raise in public. Connect with us on LinkedIn: / doughaines / samsrichard Or learn more: https://mohara.co/ [https://mohara.co/] https://kalium.co.uk/ [https://kalium.co.uk/]

We used AI for outreach and it didn’t suck | Episode 11 | The Journey to £16 Million

In this episode of Founder Therapy, Doug shares the early results of a new AI-powered outreach tool that’s helping connect creative talent in South Africa with agencies in the UK. Rich digs into the model: is this the future of outbound? Or just another shiny tool? Inside: * How AI is helping generate high-quality leads without the spam * The structure behind Doug’s niche outreach strategy * Why segmentation matters more than automation * The early traction and what it means for hiring globally * Whether this could be productized and scaled Follow along as we build in public, test in public, and rethink how hiring gets done. Connect with us on LinkedIn: / doughaines / samsrichard Or learn more: https://mohara.co/ [https://mohara.co/] https://kalium.co.uk/ [https://kalium.co.uk/]

Rich Kicks Off His New Venture Model | Episode 10 | The Journey to £16 Million

In this episode of Founder Therapy, Rich kicks off the first real-world test of his 12-week Transformer program — a rapid build process for turning startup ideas into live products. Doug asks the tough questions: How much time will this take? What’s the commercial model? And can Rich really balance this with the demands of the service business? Inside: • The first founder begins the 12-week sprint • What “generative commerce” could actually look like • Why AI-driven search might change how we buy • The plan to move from MVP to market • And what Rich is not telling Doug just yet We're building this one in public — come along for the ride. Follow us on LinkedIn: / doughaines / samsrichard Or learn more: https://mohara.co/ [https://mohara.co/] https://kalium.co.uk/ [https://kalium.co.uk/]

Rich is running two models at once | Episode 9 | The Journey to £16 Million

In this episode of Founder Therapy, Rich is trying to run two models at once — a revenue-generating service business and a low-margin venture program betting on future upside. Doug digs into the balancing act: Can you really drive short-term profit and build long-term equity at the same time? How do you split your brand, your resources, and your own attention without one side suffering? Inside: * The split between client work and venture building * Why the Transformer program will now run in cohorts * The new Echo brand for AI-focused product services * Questions around resourcing, positioning, and founder time * The risks of being stretched across too many priorities A behind-the-scenes look at the business design decisions startups usually hide. Connect with us on LinkedIn: / doughaines / samsrichard Or learn more: ⁠https://mohara.co/⁠ ⁠https://kalium.co.uk/⁠