The Bottleneck Podcast

Jamie Bartlett with Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba on AI, trust and the internet

Jamie Bartlett has spent 15 years investigating the strange corners of the internet before they crash into the mainstream. In this episode, he joins Rory and Elfried to explore how AI, video, podcasts, crypto, conspiracy culture and online subcultures are changing how we think, trust and behave. From chatbot delusions and “techno admin” to why outsiders often spot the future first, this is a funny, unsettling and deeply useful conversation about what happens when new technology meets human nature. Follow Rory Instagram: @rorysutherland_clips TikTok: @Rorysutherlandclips X: @rorysutherland LinkedIn: in/rorysutherland/ Follow Elfried Instagram: @elfriedsamba LinkedIn: in/elfriedsamba/ https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/ Follow Jamie Instagram: @jamiejbartlett/ LinkedIn: in/jamie-bartlett-a091b6134/ X: @JamieJBartlett https://www.penguin.co.uk/authors/233361/jamie-bartlett A Sassy+ original podcast series

Robbie Lyle with Elfried Samba on AFTV, Global Fan Network, and building a sports media empire

Robbie Lyle started AFTV with a borrowed camera, a borrowed mic, and a belief that football fans deserved to be heard. Thirteen years later, he’s built one of the most influential fan media businesses in sport, with billions of views, millions of followers, and a whole new generation of creators following the path he helped create.In this episode, Robbie and Elfried explore the real story behind AFTV, from filming outside stadiums while still working as a building surveyor to building a 25-person media company across AFTV, DR Sports and the Global Fan Network.They talk about execution, fear, criticism, spotting talent, learning from new platforms, and why the biggest opportunity in media still belongs to the people willing to move first. Follow RoryInstagram: @rorysutherland_clipsTikTok: @RorysutherlandclipsX: @rorysutherlandLinkedIn: in/rorysutherland/Follow ElfriedInstagram: @elfriedsambaLinkedIn: in/elfriedsamba/Website: butterflyeffect.xyz/Follow Robbie LyleInstagram: @robbielyleofficialLinkedIn: in/robbie-lyle-14a077134/Follow AFTVYouTube: @AFTVmediaWebsite: aftv.co.ukTikTok: @aftvmediaInstagram: @aftvmediaFacebook: @aftvmediaX: @aftvmediaSnapchat: @aftvmediaTwitch: @aftvmediaPodcasts: aftv.co.uk/podcastsA Sassy+ original podcast seriesInstagram: @rorysutherland_clipsTikTok: @RorysutherlandclipsX: @rorysutherlandLinkedIn: in/rorysutherland/Follow ElfriedInstagram: @elfriedsambaLinkedIn: in/elfriedsamba/Website: butterflyeffect.xyz/Follow Robbie LyleInstagram: @robbielyleofficialLinkedIn: in/robbie-lyle-14a077134/Follow AFTVYouTube: @AFTVmediaWebsite: aftv.co.ukTikTok: @aftvmediaInstagram: @aftvmediaFacebook: @aftvmediaX: @aftvmediaSnapchat: @aftvmediaTwitch: @aftvmediaPodcasts: aftv.co.uk/podcastsA Sassy+ original podcast series

Conny Kalcher with Rory Sutherland on customer loyalty, human connection and building trust at scale

Conny Kalcher, Chief Marketing Officer at Zurich, joins Rory Sutherland to explore why most companies get customer experience wrong. After decades at LEGO and now at one of the world’s largest insurers, she explains how businesses drift into short-term thinking — and what it takes to shift back to building real, lasting relationships. During her time at LEGO, she helped expand the brand beyond children into a global creative platform, unlocking new audiences and deeper engagement. In her current role at Zurich, she’s applying that same thinking to transform a 150-year-old organisation from product-led to customer-led. From training empathy across 60,000 employees to using AI to simplify thousands of customer interactions, this episode is about turning “customer-first” from a slogan into a system. They explore trust, retention, human behaviour, and why the companies that win are the ones that stay valuable over time. Follow Rory Instagram: @rorysutherland_clips TikTok: @Rorysutherlandclips X: @rorysutherland LinkedIn: in/rorysutherland/ Follow Elfried Instagram: @elfriedsamba LinkedIn: in/elfriedsamba/ https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/ Follow Conny Kalcher LinkedIn: in/conny-kalcher-198ba5/ X: @ConnyKal A Sassy+ original podcast series

Matt Pohlson with Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba on flatlining, £400M growth and £120M donated

What happens when you literally die — and come back with a completely different view on business, risk, and what actually matters? Matt Pohlson — founder and CEO of Omaze — joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to share the story behind building one of the UK’s fastest-growing businesses, and how a near-death experience changed everything. Matt recounts flatlining for four and a half minutes, the moment his mother refused to let doctors give up, and how surviving something he “shouldn’t have” forced him to rethink both his life and his company. What followed was a radical shift — away from celebrity-driven campaigns towards a model that would eventually scale to over £400M in just five years. This episode unpacks the power of storytelling in business, why making the customer the hero changes everything, how brands like Mr Beast win by showing tangible impact — and why Omaze has already given over £120M to charity while building a profitable company. Follow Rory Instagram: @rorysutherland_clips TikTok: @Rorysutherlandclips X: @rorysutherland LinkedIn: in/rorysutherland/ Follow Elfried Instagram: @elfriedsamba LinkedIn: in/elfriedsamba/ https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/ Follow Matt Pohlson Instagram: @mattpohlson X: @OmazeUK LinkedIn: in/matthew-pohlson/ https://omaze.co.uk/ A Sassy+ original podcast series

June Sarpong with Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba on culture, connection and staying in the game

What does it take to build a career that lasts three decades — and stay curious enough to keep reinventing it? June Sarpong — broadcaster, author, entrepreneur and host of Culture Conversations — joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to talk about culture, leadership, and why visibility changes what people believe is possible. June reflects on her journey from teenage work experience at Kiss FM to becoming one of the UK’s most recognisable media voices, sharing what she has learned about staying relevant, taking risks, and refusing to define herself by a single title. The conversation explores how strong cultures are actually built, why leaders must live the values they promote, how representation changes ambition, and why the most important skill in business might simply be making people feel seen. This episode unpacks why luck matters more than people admit, how great founders expand their own capacity as their companies grow, why the Kardashians might be the greatest marketers of the modern era — and why Africa has the opportunity to build entirely new systems rather than inherit old ones. Follow Rory Instagram: @rorysutherland_clips TikTok: @Rorysutherlandclips X: @rorysutherland LinkedIn: in/rorysutherland/ Follow Elfried Instagram: @elfriedsamba LinkedIn: in/elfriedsamba/ https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/ Follow June Sarpong Instagram: @junesarpo/ X: @junesarpong LinkedIn: in/june-sarpong/ https://www.youtube.com/@Culture-Conversations A Sassy+ original podcast series