Seed to Success

Product, distribution and purpose with Adam Oskwarek from Zopeful Climate

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.
 
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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

Building a two-sided marketplace with Laura Beales from Tally Workspace

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!
 
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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

Why and how I bootstrapped to £1m ARR!

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!
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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

When product vision blinds you from seeing reality!

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.
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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
 

Fundraising secrets from a VC insider: How to win over investors

In this episode of Seed to Success, Alastair explores the world of Venture Capital with Audrey Miller of Tapestry, a seed and pre-seed VC firm that focuses on repeat founders. Get ready for a deep dive into the pulse of early-stage funding as Audrey unveils the latest trends and sheds light on the market's countercyclical nature.
 
She discusses the need for VCs to go beyond just providing capital and answers the question we all want to know – what are VCs really looking for? This episode is a must listen for anyone navigating the complex world of early-stage VC funding.
 
Whether you're a seasoned entrepreneur or a start-up founder looking to secure funding, this episode offers actionable advice and takeaways.
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Show notes:
 
00:00:00 - Intro
00:02:13 - What makes Tapestry unique
00:07:57 - Repeat founders
00:13:32 - Importance of big TAM
00:14:34 - Technical founders
00:16:35 - Advantages and disadvantages of naivety
00:16:53 - Importance of founder experience
00:18:11 - Number of co-founders
00:20:26 - Team, product, or market?
00:27:36 - Investment process
00:33:40 - Team approach in investing
00:34:12 - Tapestry's investment focus
00:35:03 - Investment decision-making
00:38:00 - Deal sourcing
00:43:25 - Ongoing communication
00:47:11 - Key metrics
00:51:09 - Early-stage VC trends
00:52:32 - Impact of market downturn
00:54:54 - Hot sectors and trends
00:57:48 - Cyclical nature of VC
00:58:55 - Top tip for founders

Raising £750k for a SaaS that had no product/market fit

In this episode of Seed to Success, Alastair chats to budding entrepreneur Andrew Jordan who reflects on his start-up journey as a solo founder. His vision for Connect4, a meeting management platform, stemmed from his experience in management reporting and business analytics, although he soon realised there was a lack of passion in his mission.
 
From the importance of embracing failure to navigating challenges in product development and fundraising, Andrew's experience offers a raw and candid look at the realities of starting a tech business and highlights the emotional and financial commitment often made by founders.
 
If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur eager for insights into the complexities of start-up life and the reality of all the setbacks – this one’s for you! Andrew’s honesty and openness make this a must listen for those looking to implement valuable lessons for their own start-up.
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Show notes: 
 
00:00:00 - Intro
00:01:49 - The vision of Connect4
00:03:53 - Transitioning to entrepreneurship
00:06:20 - Impact of 2020
00:11:20 - Personal investment
00:13:38 - First customer
00:15:57 - Fundraising and investment
00:17:13 - Investor confidence
00:22:25 - Reflection and demise
00:26:32 - Tapping into network
00:28:19 - Early angels
00:29:46 - Mentorship and support
00:32:31 - Product challenges and market fit
00:36:50 - Pivoting and restructuring
00:40:31 - Prioritising mental health
00:42:11 - Facing setbacks
00:43:29 - Lessons from an unsuccessful venture
00:47:08 - Key metrics
00:48:20 - Conclusion

How I bootstrapped and sold a SaaS in just 24 months!

In this episode of Seed to Success, Jonathan Gaunt sat down with Alastair to share his journey of building and selling Xavier (now Dext Precision) in just 24 months!
They discuss the importance of founder-product-market fit, traction, strategic decision-making, and focusing on customer acquisition.
Jonathan’s first-hand experience provides a valuable lesson for entrepreneurs seeking to refine pricing strategies and grow their businesses. His experience highlights the significance of adaptability, quick decision-making, and a deep understanding of customer needs. If you’re navigating the complexities of building and selling a start-up – consider this episode a must!
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Show notes:
 
00:03:38 - Catalyst for change
00:04:23 - The birth of Xavier
00:08:35 - Making tough decisions
00:15:46 - LinkedIn profile visits
00:17:29 – The competition
00:19:09 - Building to sell
00:21:55 - Exit strategy
00:25:34 - Land and expand
00:31:40 - Pricing strategy and challenges
00:32:30 - User testing and pricing
00:34:18 - Company growth and sale
00:41:20 - Valuation and EBITDA
00:47:41 - Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital
00:48:25 - Keeping the business small and nimble
00:48:46 - Favourite metric 
00:49:35 - Satisfaction
00:50:00 - Looking ahead

From VC to founder: Lessons on how to pitch your start-up

In this episode of Seed to Success, Alastair sits down with Piotr Pisarz, the brains behind Uncapped, a revenue-based finance provider. He shares his journey from Venture Capitalist to founder/CEO and his insights into securing non-equity financing for start-up growth. Piotr's experience and out-of-the-box thinking led him to identify the untapped potential of the debt market, offering valuable lessons for start-up founders and CEOs seeking funding.
When Uncapped hit serious speed bumps trying to raise a Series B, Piotr and his team were forced to take a hard look in the mirror and make some tough decisions. Without easy access to piles of cash, Uncapped started operating more lean leading to profit and growth!
Piotr gets straight to the point in this episode - from handling cofounder breakups to the importance of sleep, diet and training like an athlete so you can go the distance as a founder.
If you're in the game of start-up financing or aiming to fund your venture without sacrificing equity, consider this a must-listen.
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Show notes:
00:00:00 - Intro00:01:07 – What is Uncapped?00:02:50 - Benefits of debt vs. equity00:06:31 - Transition from VC to Founder00:13:55 - Pitching strategy00:15:32 - Fundraising lessons00:17:20 - Hiring and customer acquisition00:21:54 - Rapid product development00:24:59 - Business growth and expansion00:28:53 - Expansion challenges and mistakes00:29:31 - Investor pressure00:33:40 - Founder breakups00:35:14 - Managing stress and self-care00:37:11- Dysfunctional team dynamics00:44:08 - Series B process00:45:24 - The intersection of fast growth and profitability00:45:42 - Key metrics for business success00:46:27 - Long-term perspective in entrepreneurship00:46:53 - Balancing work and personal life00:47:36 - Conclusion