Startup Dads

Happy Millionaire is a brand-new podcast about building startups and having a great life. Hosted by Jay Radia, a UK startup veteran who has built businesses worth over £500m, and Dr Rupy Aujla, an OG podcaster and TV personality, beginning his own tech founder journey. The show features frameworks & principles for building a successful company whilst living a happy life, plus lots of laughs and banter! ⚡️ https://apple.co/3PEnU0Z (Listen on Apple) ⚡️ https://bit.ly/HappyMillionaire4 (Listen on other players)

Energy vs time management, internal psychological conflicts and the 4 rules to being a dad are just a few of this episode's highlights. Amrit is joined by Ross Shiel - currently SVP of Global Revenue at Infogrid, he formerly worked at Twitter and Stride.   Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/)   Check out Infogrid: https://www.infogrid.io/ (https://www.infogrid.io/)   This week's Startup Shout-Outs:   http://butter.us (Butter.us) - software platform for engaging online workshops and meetings   A Fascinate Production.

After a successful career in digital media, Jacob Waern became the CEO and founder of eduMe, a groundbreaking platform offering mobile training for desk-less workforces. Tune in to listen to Jacob's fascinating takes on the importance of staying present with your team and family, the transition from corporate CEO to startup founder and how quick decision-making and transparency are vital when taking a company through prolonged crises.    Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter - https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) Check out eduMe: https://www.edume.com/ (https://www.edume.com/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.spill.chat/ (Spill) - mental health support for employees via Slack https://www.withjuno.com/ (Juno) - workplace health and wellbeing programmes for employees A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

“One of the biggest differentials in success is the combination of curiosity and mental toughness.”  Welcome Piers Ridyard; the first crypto guest on Startup Dads. In today's chat with Amrit, Piers talks about the importance of honouring your commitments as a CEO and a dad, the weight of your words and the power of separating your ideas from yourself. This episode gets pretty intellectual! Piers Ridyard is the CEO of https://www.radixdlt.com (RDX Works), the only decentralized network where developers will be able to build quickly without the constant threat of exploits and hacks, where every improvement will get rewarded, and where scale will never be a bottleneck. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter - https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) Book mentioned in today's episode: Play Bigger: How Pirates, Dreamers, and Innovators Create and Dominate Markets by  Al Ramadan, Dave Peterson, Christopher Lochhead and Kevin Maney Philosophy for Life: And other dangerous situations by Jules Evans This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.mindstone.com (Mindstone) - Organize, share and take notes on web pages, PDFs, videos & podcastsso you can learn faster, remember more and get things done. Learn more about Mindstone and its CEO and Co-founder Joshua Wöhle on https://open.spotify.com/episode/6qhhHGb1Hg1840rruNQ8P7?si=2dbb1e3c074348bb (Startup Dads' Episode 46)! A Fascinate Production.

“I genuinely believe that failure can become a superpower". Prior to founding Boost Technology, Mike was a co-founder and CEO of Zoona, one of Africa's earliest fintechs, having processed $2.5 billion of transactions, generated $26 million in income for 3,000 micro-entrepreneurs across Zambia and Malawi, and raised $35 million in investment. He is also the author of Failing to Win: Hard-Earned Lessons from a Purpose-Driven Start-Up. Raised in Calgary, he has lived in Ghana, Zambia, South Africa, and the UK. He has an amazing wife and two awesome kids, and loves to hike, run, mountain bike, and play guitar. In today's chat with Amrit, Mike talks about building with the fewest right people you can, learning how to learn and the difference between conversations and meetings in a Zoom world. Mike Quinn is the co-founder and CEO of https://www.withboost.co (Boost Technology), a company that helps 10 million informal small businesses thrive in Africa's digital economy, becoming an engine for job creation and growth. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter - https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) Book mentioned in today's episode: Failing to Win: Hard-Earned Lessons from a Purpose-Driven Start-Up by Mike Quinn The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Building a Business When There Are No Easy Answers by Ben Horowitz This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://azafinance.com (Aza Finance) - leading provider of cross-border payment solutions for businesses, lowering the cost and increasing the speed and reliability of transactions, through innovative infrastructure. A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

“The definition of happiness is reality exceeding expectations.”  A lover of numbers and people, Reshma Sohoni is continuously excited to see hard work and game changing connections come together. Her team helps push early stage founders through those difficult early days into being household names. In today's chat with Amrit, Reshma talks about giving up the CEO title, the zero sum versus positive sum delegation, how success changes you and engineering a legacy for your business. Reshma Sohoni is the founding partner of https://seedcamp.com (Seedcamp), Europe's seed fund, investing early in world-class founders attacking large, global markets and solving real problems using technology.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter - https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.gardin.co.uk (Gardin) - Creating a real world operating system that will power the future of farming by helping food producers deliver superior yields A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

A guest that needs no introduction, Dan Murray-Serter! You may know him as host of Secret Leaders, the UK's #1 Business Podcast, and co-founder of wellness company Heights. Alongside this he's an angel investor, and he helps other founders succeed through his startup network Foundrs. In this episode, Dan explains how he discovered that feeding his brain with proper nutrition cured his chronic insomnia and paved the way for Heights. Amrit and Dan also explore how, not taking care of your own wellbeing, can affect your ability to be a good leader and father. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This weeks Startup Shout Outs: https://oatsu.co.uk/ (Oatsu) https://nixandkix.com/ (Nix & Kix) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

“Why am I so driven and ambitious? It's because I'm in a job that I really love doing and I've got a big ambition for it.”  Operating as a bellwether for motivation and business, Polly McMaster exhibits a refreshing hunger for novelty and diversity while displaying a relentless dedication to offering options to women that ensure confidence and gravitas in all aspects of their lifestyle.   In today's chat with Amrit, Polly McMaster talks about understanding yourself when making compromises as a startup parent, how life changes can build empathy and understanding of your customers, and the power of modulating pace between home and work life. Poly McMaster is the CEO and co-founder of https://thefoldlondon.com (The Fold), a company that designs, produces and retails fashionable clothes for women to wear to work. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter - https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.peaceandriot.co/ (Peace+Riot) - London's Social Club with a difference A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

“You think a lot about what happens if it goes badly, but no one tells you about what happens if it goes well.”  Self-professed workaholic, Jimmy Williams has set out to build a team capable of turning the insurance industry on its head. He leads on strategy, people and investor relations, but loves rolling his sleeves up and diving into the business. In today's chat with Amrit, Jimmy Williams talks about his views on remote work, the relationship with his co-founder and cultivating the right mindset. Jimmy is the co-founder and CEO of https://myurbanjungle.com (Urban Jungle), an insurance provider built on fairness and designed with customers in mind. You can easily get cover at a great price, which is designed for your lifestyle.   Interesting mentions: https://www.korukids.co.uk (Koru Kids) - A company that provides childcare to help your family flourish, led by CEO Rachel Carrell, a former Startup Dads' guest on https://open.spotify.com/episode/3YsNUqdnQWHoAbIry0cE3K?si=81717001168e406b (episode 8). Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter - https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://keynest.com (KeyNest) - KeyNest provides simple and secure key exchange solutions for Airbnb hosts, serviced apartment operators and estate agents. A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

“You build much better relationships with people if you're able to show a bit of vulnerability” . Proud to make a positive difference to the world we live in, Ruth Handcock is passionate about reducing the stress that people feel managing their finances by harnessing technology to improve access to financial services and financial advice. In today's chat with Amrit, Ruth Handcock talks about work life blend vs work life balance, feedback loops and experimentation in startups and parenting and the power of consistency, and how to build transparency with vulnerability. Ruth Handcock is the CEO of https://octopusinvestments.com (Octopus Investments), a group of businesses investing in people, ideas and industries that change the world.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter - https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) Book mentioned in today's episode: Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://octopusmoneycoach.com (Octopus Money Coach) - MoneyCoach makes it easy to give every employee their own financial coach and a personal financial plan…while increasing usage of all the benefits you already offer. A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

“We have really good quality time at the end of the day - that works for us as a family.”  In today's chat with Amrit, Sam and Sophie talk about how to make family time, romantic notions versus practical reality, juggling glass balls and plastic balls and creating a business in the image of your clients. Sam Gordon and Sophie Eden are the co-founders of https://www.gordoneden.co.uk (Gordon & Eden), an Executive Search & Interim Management firm that work closely with both early stage and corporate clients, helping startups to scale and transform established businesses with entrepreneurial talent. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.helloself.com (HelloSelf) - The AI lifecoach in your pocket... helping you be your best Self. https://www.kamiapp.com (Kami) - World's #1 digital classroom tool creating flexible and collaborative learning environments for millions A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

“There's going to be an explosion of creativity now that the tools are available, the capital is increasingly available in various ways and I just call that the entrepreneurial age.” Globetrotter Gerard Grech, has been passionate about conceiving and building impactful products and services throughout his career. In this chat with Amrit, Gerard talks about the two biggest inhibitors of growth in startups, insights into different startup cultures from across the world, using your people teams to discover how your remote culture is evolving and the founder economy and the entrepreneurial age that we're currently in. Gerard Grech is the founding chief executive of https://technation.io (Tech Nation), a platform that fuels the growth of game-changing founders, leaders and scaling companies so they can positively transform societies and economies. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://themodernmilkman.co.uk (The Modern Milkman) - Delivering fresh ways to reduce plastic waste before breakfast. https://cervest.earth (Cervest) - Empowering everyone to adapt with climate change. https://www.patch.work/ (Patch) - Work near home and enjoy flexibility, convenience and time for family & friends. A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

Can you still succeed when profit isn't your primary motivation? Today's guest shows us that you can. In this episode she tells us how staying true to your purpose can do a whole lot of good for your bottom line, and in her case - a whole lot of good for the world. Tessa is the founder of Olio: the app that connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses, so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. In this conversation with Amrit they discuss how she built Olio from home whilst raising her children, how to use work from home as a superpower, and speaks passionately about the inequality that exists in Startup world; particularly in the world of venture capital.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.thenuwardrobe.com/ https://thrift.plus/ https://sntech.co.uk/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Fred Destin is the founder of Stride.VC, a London-based seed-stage tech fund that is made up of a team of dedicated venture investors backing small teams of passionate entrepreneurs. He was also the lead investor and board member for companies such as Cazoo, Zoopla, Deliveroo, Pillpack, Integral Ads, Secret Escapes and others. His portfolio has a total enterprise value of more than $20BN. In this episode, Amrit and Fred explore using risk to help your children develop, ritual forming as a way to connect and the difference between focusing on the outcomes rather than the journey. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: Landscape Ventures - www.landscape.ventures A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Matt Reynolds is a founder, strength coach and family man. In this episode, Matt explains how it all gets done...with time left over at the end of the day. Amrit and Matt explore how methods, such as using the pomodoro technique for productivity and the 'black box' approach to output, can be applied just as successfully to homeschooling your kids and how being a CEO is about ‘working on the company not just in the company'. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.artofmanliness.com/ (The Art of Manliness) https://www.youneedabudget.com/ (You Need a Budget) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

Rob Walling is a serial entrepreneur and VC who's founded multiple companies, runs an accelerator, and keeps coming back for more. In this episode, Amrit asks - why go through such a testing process of starting a company from scratch time and time again? Well, he's also father to three kids, so is clearly comfortable with adapting to new challenges! This week, Rob shares his experiences of how flexible working can have its drawbacks as well as it's obvious benefits. He also shares how he's trying to teach his children valuable entrepreneurial life lessons such as how pushing through the work you don't like will reward you down the line. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This weeks Startup Shout Outs: https://www.diversifytech.co/ (Diversify Tech) Rob's Podcast: https://www.startupsfortherestofus.com/ (Startups for the Rest of Us) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

Welcoming our first startup mum this week… Rachel Carrell! Rachel is the founder and CEO of Koru Kids, a childcare tech startup. It was only when Rachel had her first baby that she realised how limited childcare options were in London. The idea for Koru Kids was born out of her frustrations! In this episode, Rachel and Amrit examine the many parallels between managing a team and bringing up kids, such as making sure they both have autonomy and purpose. Rachel also gives us some insights on how Koru Kids successfully navigated the challenges of the pandemic.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This weeks Startup Shout Outs: https://littlevillagehq.org/ (Little Village) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Ben Hay leads operations at Collective Benefits, a rapidly-growing insurtech on a mission to make independent work, work for everyone. It's a noble path, and one that found Ben rather than the other way round! In his chat with Amrit, Ben discusses the importance of generosity, building a great network and not being afraid to reach out for help.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

"People don't rise to the level of their ambitions, they fall to the level of their routines." Self confessed routine obsessive Josh Wöhle has been optimising his routine for the past decade, to make the biggest impact possible on the world whilst maintaining a happy life.  In this chat with Amrit, Joshua explains how founders rarely scale as fast as their businesses, the importance of integrating some slack into your system, and gives us his useful definition for success as a founder.  Joshua is the founder of https://www.superawesome.com/ (Superawesome), one of the world's leading KidTech businesses, which sold to Epic Games (the creator of Fortnite). He's now scaling https://www.mindstone.com/ (Mindstone) - a company that enables people to learn anything they want, as fast as humanly possible, with maximum retention. He also writes a regular blog which is well worth a read and can be found https://joshuawohle.medium.com/ (here).  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Out: https://www.baby2body.com/#/home (Baby 2 Body) - the health and wellbeing coaching app for pregnancy and motherhood. A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Anastasia Lang is the CEO and founder of Creative X, a successful marketing analytics company born out of the e-commerce platform Hatch.co. Tune in to listen to Anastasia's rich insights on moving between discovery, comfort and danger zones in the Startup journey, the need for flexibility of priorities between family life and business on a day-to-day basis, and the importance of changing perceptions on pregnancy and parenting leave in the Startup universe.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/)  Check out Creative X: https://www.creativex.com/ (https://www.creativex.com/)  This week's Startup Shout Outs:  https://www.secondnature.io/ (Second Nature) - app to reduce and fight diabetes  A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production

Paul Wickers is the founder and CEO of Huggg, a b2b gifting startup that has made it easy for you to reward employees, customers and clients with gifts they'll love. He's also a dad to 4 kids. Tune in about what it means to create a leveraged version of yourself through your startup and the vulnerability that comes with, learning to embrace lack of mastery as a CEO and a crazy story about laptops in the labour room.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter - https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) Check out Huggg: https://www.huggg.me/ (https://www.huggg.me/ ) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.reidhoffman.org (Reid Hoffman) - Entrepreneur. Investor. Strategist. https://miro.com (Miro) - The online collaborative whiteboard platform to bring teams together, anytime, anywhere. https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (A Fascinate Production)

Father of three Saul Klein guides us through his journey in the world of entrepreneurship as an investor in Index Ventures, a VP at Skype and Co-Founder of venture capital firm Localglobe. He chats with Amrit about the importance of defining long term priorities, the high value of emotional soft-skills, and the entrepreneurial gene.  Keep up to date with everything https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (Startup Dads related on Twitter) Check out https://localglobe.vc/ (Localglobe) This week's Startup Shout Out: Zinc – Tackling pressing social matters https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (A Fascinate Production)

Jonathan Wolf is the founder of Zoe, a health-tech start up that uses science and artificial intelligence to help people feel healthier and lose weight without dieting. Earlier in his career, he was also chief product officer at Criteo - helping to transform it from a 30 person startup to a Nasdaq listed company, bringing in over 1 billion dollars of revenue per year.  Suffice to say this is a founder who really his stuff, and we're blessed to have him here to share some of his knowledge and experience with us.  Check out Zoe https://joinzoe.com/ (here), and get 20% off with discount code JONATHAN. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Max Landry is an experienced serial founder, having launched independent news source the Conversation, office supplies provider Paperstone, and his current company Peppy - a company that supports people through life and family transitions, including having a baby. Tune in to find out some invaluable tips on hiring into Startups, how to reframe stressful situations, and find out about the reality of the often neglected middle act of the Startup journey.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) Check out Peppy: https://peppy.health/ (https://peppy.health/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://exploreloop.com/ (Loop) - packaging designed for reuse https://wearematchable.com/ (Matchable) - Changing the way companies do business by embedding social impact A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest founded time doctor, an application to help remote businesses track and manage their time. It's a business that found a silver lining in the pandemic, with the rise of remote work becoming truly mainstream. In this chat with Amrit, they discuss synchronous vs asynchronous management, how the future of work could drive the future of education, and discipline as a path to freedom.   Check out time doctor at - https://www.timedoctor.com/ (https://www.timedoctor.com/) Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Aron Gelbard is the CEO of Bloom and Wild, a pioneer in the world of flower delivery.  In this chat with Amrit they discuss leverage, ambition vs risk, different phases of focus throughout the life of a business and Aarons journey as a founder.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.motley-london.com/ - beautiful jewellery without breaking the bank https://this.co/ - meat free food https://www.dishpatch.co.uk/ - finish at home meal kits from the UK's best chefs A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest was a partner at 500 Startups, investing in 400+ companies during his time there. Before this he was an executive at Yahoo, building teams in sales and marketing, as well working in his own Startups.  As you'll hear today, Marvin has a gift for distilling big ideas and vast swathes of information into its first principles. This ability means he made one hell of a guest! This discussion with Amrit looks into the future of work and how we can adapt to succeed (turns out Jay Z has it sussed), transformation of education through technology, and Marvin looks back over his 20+ years of experience as a ‘Silicon Valley Startup Guy', to tell us about some things he'd do differently.   Books mentioned in today's episode: 80/20 by Richard Koch The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Balthasar Gracian The Sovereign Individual by William Rees-Mogg Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Read Marvin's blog, see his keynote speeches and generally keep up with what he's doing at: https://www.marvinliao.com/ Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: Theneo - automated api documentation https://theneo.io/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Have you thought much about paternity leave? Most of us just accept the status quo, but today's guest has other ideas. Toby Cubitt is a father, academic and the founder of https://www.phasecraft.io/ (Phasecraft): a cutting edge quantum computing company.   Toby has also put down a lot of his ideas about paternity leave online  - the current state of affairs, what other countries have done, what the future could look like - and he shares these thoughts with us today.  The episode also covers the (actual) most common reason startups fail, recognising recurring ‘red alerts', and catching them before they scale along with the rest of your business. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.oxfordpv.com/ (Oxford PV) - Technology for more powerful, more affordable solar. A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest really has led a life. Having secured a record deal for his band he dropped out of school at 16, moved to LA and went on to become a writer and session musician for many well known international artists. After returning home to the UK without much of a plan, Dan Hegarty landed on his feet, but took quite a pivot. He became one of the first employees at Wonga, before founding https://www.habito.com/ (Habito) - a company that uses tech to take out the pain involved in home buying. Habito recently raised their series C and continues to go from strength to strength. Dan's story is inspiring, so is the way he leads, and communicates - all of which comes across in today's show.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: more-human.co.uk A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Empowering artists and musicians to approach their work like an early stage startup, is a lot of how today's guest spends his time running The Rattle. Speaking with Amrit just days before the arrival of baby number two, Chris Howard paints a markedly honest picture of the struggles faced by a new father, already nurturing one high maintenance entity. It's clear from the moment he opens his mouth that he's an optimist (he even named his old band the Optimists), and during the conversation Chris argues (rather encouragingly) that optimism is something you can learn, something you do - rather than something you are.  Check out the Rattle here: https://www.wearetherattle.com/ Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.toomanyts.com/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

James Field's decision to enter the Startup world is somewhat at odds with many of the entrepreneurs who feature on this show. James weighed up the risk of continuing in academia with starting his own business, and determined that overall, Startup life was the less risky move of the two! LabGenius was born: a deep-tech startup that uses AI to discover the next generation of drugs. In this chat with Amrit, they discuss the different ways to define and measure success, the power of mentors, and leading by example to create a culture (both at work and at home).   Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.huggg.me/ (Huggg) - create meaningful moments with digital gifts A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guests founded an app that gives your family its own secure ‘personal media' space where you can connect with each other today, share memories from yesterday, and even leave messages for tomorrow. All free of advertising and without your data ever being up for sale. They're on a mission to shake up a world dominated by unicorns and questionable morals, with something that puts family first. In this chat with Amrit, we hear how Michael's habit of sending emails to his youngest son to read in the future turned into a venture backed Startup, how they built their business remotely, and the shifting role of social media in our lives. Explore Kin now: https://www.kin.family/ Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.calm.com/ https://what3words.com/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Jeff Solomon a startup entrepreneur and 5x founder from L.A. He's founded a number of Startups of varying sizes one of which he sold for $128m in 2017. Jeff is passionate about sharing his experiences with young people, and now teaches at the very high school he attended growing up, where he's developed a curriculum for entrepreneurship. This episode is jam packed with actionable advice. His chat with Amrit discusses life's many routes to success, ‘essentialism' and how to find your focus, and how he applies his critical thinking to raising his children.  Startup Shoutout - Green Disco - https://www.greendisco.earth/ Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) Markup Hero: https://markuphero.com/ (https://markuphero.com) Jeff Solomon Personal Site: https://bak.me/ (https://bak.me) Customer Development Course on Udemy: https://www.udemy.com/course/startup-customer-development-finding-product-market-fit/?referralCode=799B301D2B1854B56CEA (https://www.udemy.com/course/startup-customer-development-finding-product-market-fit/?referralCode=799B301D2B1854B56CEA) Get 6 months free using this code: HERO6FREEYR. This is a limited time offer, but Jeff has invited Startup Dads listeners to email him for another one free of charge! A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest started his career in the cut-throat world of investment banking, but long held a startup idea close to his chest on how to save the high street. However, Ashleigh Cornelius and his wife went through an emotionally draining 7 year long IVF journey to have their first daughter, Amelie, so his startup idea had to wait. After his second daughter was born, Ashleigh bit the bullet and quit investment banking to set up Localise, a mobile app created to support and promote the independent business landscape. Then lockdown hit and all shops, independent or otherwise closed their doors. Localise's mission now was more important that ever. In this episode, you'll hear an honest account of switching from the corporate to the startup world, the emotional trials of persevering through an IVF journey, and why self-belief is your greatest weapon.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://coho.life/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest founded the fast growing coworking community Huckletree - spaces to help businesses grow, collaborate and pioneer new ideas for the future. Being a dad, alongside running a business like this, you wouldn't think there'd be time left for much else. Well, you'd be wrong on this occasion. Andrew spends what time he has left running ultramarathons - which often means a marathon before breakfast! All this, whilst somehow remaining one of the most chilled out Startup Dads we've had on the show to date. There's a lot to be learnt from this episode about resilience and achieving the impossible, to apply to both Startup and Dad Life. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Out: Felix Capital - https://www.felixcap.com/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

After a PHD in computer architecture at Cambridge, followed by a move into the semiconductor industry, Rosemary Francis found herself wanting more. So, she set out on her own to fix the problems she'd encountered during her career. Ellexus was born, creating tools for I/O diagnostics, optimization, and dependency detection for high-performance computing at large enterprises. Things took off around the time she gave birth to her first child, and Ellexus went on to an incredible exit in 2020. In this episode you'll hear an honest account of what it can be like to be a female CEO at just 26, how to avoid costly mistakes in early hiring, and get thinking about gender stereotypes in popular culture and play.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Out: Petagene - https://www.petagene.com/ - Allowing researchers to do the most important work of analyzing genomic data to improve health and medicine to everyone. A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest started out in entrepreneurship as (in his own words) “a professional internet researcher, much like Hugh Grant in About a Boy". After spotting a nascent internet company building traction across the pond, Ben decided to start his own version in the UK: Webflix. Why? Because how hard can it be? This episode is all about hustle! Ben talks about his determination to bootstrap without Venture Capital, taking on world beating competitors, and beginning his next adventure: Gameroo.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: Jasper Smith - http://www.playjam.com/ (http://www.playjam.com) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

David Grimm's move into the world of entrepreneurship was highly unconventional. A chance meeting in China during his gap year led him to find out about the problems faced by dairy farmers, and years later, he quit his job in consultancy to form a solution. A bold move, and one that ultimately didn't pan out due to government regulation. However, this experience gave him a unique perspective to bring to the other side of the table, in his current role as Investment Director at UCL Technology Fund. He discusses how to be an empathetic investor, and why we should encourage curiosity in our kids and co-workers.  For more information about the UCL Technology Fund - https://www.ucltf.co.uk/ (https://www.ucltf.co.uk/) https://twitter.com/UCLTF (https://twitter.com/UCLTF) Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://localglobe.vc/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Leila Zegna spent her early career helping other founders achieve success - notably the founders of Innocent Drinks, Endeavor, Plum District, and DNA Sequencing company GenapSys. Now she runs Kindred - her groundbreaking new model for Venture Capital, where each founder in the portfolio becomes a co-owner of the fund! In this chat with Amrit, she discusses how reputation in the world of VC is built not by the founders who get funded, but the ones that don't, and gives us her framework for measuring and codifying that reputation. Leila reveals Kindred's unique model for parental leave, that enables Mums and Dads to navigate their own return to work, and finally reveals the secret to a 25 hour day! Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: Lab Genius - https://labgeni.us/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest needs very little introduction - he's the CEO and Founder of Raspberry Pi; a charity that puts the power of computing and digital making into the hands of people all over the world. Eben talks with Amrit about his transition from engineer to the founder of a truly groundbreaking company, how to deal with psychopaths (they make up 10% of the populace), and he codifies how to fit two jobs and a family into your life. Find out more about Raspberry Pi here: https://www.raspberrypi.org/ Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Out: https://www.agileanalog.com/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Paul Kemp-Robertson left a career as an ad man to launch Contagious; a publication that shares creative ideas to help agencies and brands innovate. In this chat with Amrit, he talks about launching in the incubation of a larger company to mitigate some risk, how his company evolved to offer consultancy to meet clients needs, the ways advertising can work for good, and how his teenage children help him to stay on the pulse of modern cultural shifts. Paul's book “The Contagious Commandments” is available on Amazon and all good book stores - and we highly recommend you give it a read! Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: Booni Box - hand picked, ethically sourced premium food and drinks boxes: https://www.booni.co.uk/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

This is an episode absolutely brimming with knowledge bombs! Wil Schroter is the founder of Startups.com: a company that's helped founders raise over half a billion dollars of capital, and in doing so he's observed the the challenges that pop up for almost every founder. Wil regales stories from founding multiple companies, of overcoming imposter syndrome, and being broke. He also shares a particularly frank account of the impact his work had on his relationship with his son, and leaves us with actionable tips on how and why to get started right now.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Out: Mixergy: Learn from other entrepreneurs - https://mixergy.com/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest first founded charity Teach First, in an effort to break the link between low family income and poor educational attainment. He now heads up tiney, on a mission to make the highest quality child care accessible to more families, and empower a generation of micro-entrepreneurs to deliver amazing care from their own homes. In this chat with Amrit he talks about learnings from his last business to this one - the mission, values, and strategy trifecta - and providing a breadth of experience to your children to broaden their aspirations.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://whirli.com/ https://uk.yotoplay.com/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest is a talented multitasker, and the first ‘side-hustler' to feature on Startup Dads. Alongside heading up communications at digital payments platform Soarpay and presenting their podcast, Scott runs the CBD guide using his podcasting skills. In this chat with Amrit, they discuss the value of growing an audience, whatever business you're in, and how to prioritise self care to make sure you can thrive as a Dad. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.erasingthedistance.org/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Can you still succeed when profit isn't your primary motivation? Today's guest shows us that you can. In this episode she tells us how staying true to your purpose can do a whole lot of good for your bottom line, and in her case - a whole lot of good for the world. Tessa is the founder of Olio: the app that connects neighbours with each other and with local businesses, so surplus food can be shared, not thrown away. In this conversation with Amrit they discuss how she built Olio from home whilst raising her children, how to use work from home as a superpower, and speaks passionately about the inequality that exists in Startup world; particularly in the world of venture capital.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.thenuwardrobe.com/ https://thrift.plus/ https://sntech.co.uk/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

It can be a daunting prospect starting a new business in an industry where you have no previous experience - but that's exactly what today's guest did. Tom Hooper, Founder of Third Space Learning lays out the pros and cons of making the jump, in his case, from finance to the education sector, and provides some golden insights for anyone thinking of doing the same. He also discusses with Amrit how choosing a culture, rather than a sector, might be the best way to think about choosing a career. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: National Tutoring Programme - https://nationaltutoring.org.uk/ (https://nationaltutoring.org.uk/) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Today's guest set out to create a VC firm to support cash strapped, time poor founders in so much more than just funding. Leo Ringer's expertise is in navigating the world of regulation - to enable companies within his portfolio to jump through the hoops of working regulated markets without the holdups. In this conversation with Amrit, they discuss his journey into the often opaque world of Venture Capital, how he began his business, and how he wants to enable all of us to understand this space through his exciting upcoming whitepaper on the subject.  Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: Amazing nannies and babysitters on demand: https://joinbubble.com/ (https://joinbubble.com/) Supporting us through major life transitions: https://peppy.health/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Our guest today took an unconventional route on her way entrepreneurial journey: Building and exiting a landscaping business at a young age, before heading off to business school. Claire Cockerton really is a student of the school of hard knocks! A specialist in designing, building and operating innovation centres, as well as advising companies on establishing innovation internally. In this episode she speaks with Amrit about instilling internal motivation in your children, the importance of introducing them to the concept of "real jobs", and much more. Claire gives us some rare and thoughtful info when it comes to raising our children. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://safeandthecity.com/ https://www.wedrifters.co.uk/ A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

There isn't a part of the startup ecosystem that Mike Townsend hasn't touched. As well as being an investor and mentor in the startup space, he's an experienced founder, dipping his toe in a range of industries. Since founding ZingCheckout in 2012, he's gone on to grow HomeHero, a marketplace for families to hire in-home care for seniors, Redeem, a crypto trading marketplace and, his most recent endeavour, Otter Labs, which matches software developers with startup founders.  He is also father to Leonardo, who he says in quite the handful in comparison! A lot of ground is covered in this week's chat; the future of work, why you should stop hedging, and soft vs hard pivots. Mike and Amrit also candidly discuss why the role of men in child rearing needs a serious upgrade.  Check out Mike's fintech podcast, https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/amrit-santhirasenan-founder-and-ceo-of-hyperexponential/id805021615?i=1000519258589 (Around the Coin), which Amrit has also been a guest on. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: Rhythm 360 - https://www.rhythm360.io/ (https://www.rhythm360.io/) Mighty - https://www.mightyapp.com/ (https://www.mightyapp.com/) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production. 

Youssef Darwich co-founded Hapi, a business that helps parents achieve financial security for their children. Before becoming a startup founder he led the product efforts for Octopus Wealth and was the second employee at Tide - the leading SME challenger bank.  When he's not solving problems in the financial services, he can be found performing renditions of Moana in his living room with his daughter, Zaina. In this episode, Amrit and Youssef discuss learning how to be patient, making decisions for the long-term and defining your startup culture. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://www.dishpatch.co.uk/ (Dishpatch) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.

Simon Hay started Firefly with a school friend at age 15, beating Mark Zuckerberg in the age stakes! He designed the Firefly learning software to try and solve his own frustrations as a student. What started as revision procrastination has since grown to a global business helping students in 35 countries learn from home. He is also dad to Angus and Aidan who are 4 and 8 months. In this episode, Amrit and Simon discuss product market fit, how your attitude to risk changes and the perils of not being good at being bad at things. Keep up to date with everything Startup Dads related on Twitter -  https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/ (https://twitter.com/startupdadspod/) This week's Startup Shout Outs: https://thirdspacelearning.com/ (Third Space Learning) https://www.edplace.com/ (EdPlace) A https://fascinateproductions.co.uk/ (Fascinate) Production.