This week Nick talks to John Roberts

John began his career as a waiter and kitchen salesman. In 2000, he founded Appliances Online after a friend bet him £1 to start a business. His entrepreneurial journey gained momentum when, in 2014, he led AO World’s listing on the London Stock Exchange, which was valued at £1.2 billion at the time. John has stated that he built AO on his personal mottos: "treat every customer like your gran" and "make your mum proud." In 2021, he was ranked 30th in the Financial Times' list of the UK’s Top 100 Entrepreneurs, and he has won multiple awards, including the This is Manchester Supernova Award and the Retail Week Retail Activist Award.

Over the past year, John has become an advocate for restoring over £1 billion in lost youth infrastructure funding, reforming the Apprenticeship Levy, and exploring solutions for improving the care system for looked-after children. He has said that most of his earnings go to charity. 

Nick and John discuss his career path, the founding of AO.com and his philanthropy. 

John book choice was - Invention: A Life of Learning Through Failure, by James Dyson

John's music choice was - Don't Stop Me Now, by Queen

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