Entrepreneurship and Leadership

In this episode, Kimon and Richard speak with Philipp Legner, founder of educational software Mathigon. After graduating from the University of Cambridge with a degree in Mathematics, Philipp worked as a software engineer and developer at Bloomberg.

 In 2017, Philipp founded Mathigon, which was acquired by Amplify in 2021. Philipp continues to run Mathigon under the aegis of Amplify. 

Mathigon has developed several educational products. The overarching experience that ties them together is an interactive one. As students engage with different problems, they are prompted to explore different avenues. The courses are intended to be fun and interesting, and to engage students as much as possible. 

All of the content on Mathigon is completely free to use. One of the main throughlines is to make math exploration visual and creatively engaging. In addition to Philipp’s insights into education, he has worked with educators to develop different aspects of the curriculum offered by Mathigon. Mathigon seeks to educate based on students’ interests. So, if a student is interested in sports, questions will use sports examples. 

Because Mathigon is free to use, its primary source of revenue comes from licensing content to other educational companies. IBM, for example, licensed Mathigon. Part of the business plan, which Philipp successively executed, was to build the product as an acquisition target for a larger educational company. 

While Philipp loves education, technology, and building products, he does not love running a business. This was part of the main motivation for selling his company to Amplify. His only condition for the sale was Mathigon, as it existed at the time of signing, would remain free forever. 

Philipp Legner is VP at Amplify and Founder of Mathigon.

Richard Lucas is a business and social entrepreneur who founded, led and/or invested in more than 30 businesses.

Kimon Fountoukidis is the founder of both Argos Multilingual and PMR. Both companies were founded in the mid 90s with zero capital and both have gone on to become market leaders in their respective sectors. Kimon was born in New York and moved to Krakow, Poland in 1993. Listen to his story here.

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Richard and Kimon speak with Oliver Webb-Carter, co-founder and editor of Aspects of History, a magazine and website that showcases great writing and research in history and historical fiction. 

Prior to starting Aspects of History, Oliver had a varied career as an archaeologist and a banker. As a young man, Oliver worked at a dig site in Belize for six months, which helped shape his interest in the past. 

In 2002, just after graduate school, Oliver got a job working in IT at JP Morgan. He loved IT and worked in this department until 2010. He moved into change management, helping intra-company contract negotiations. After, he worked in controls management, an important compliance department. He never worked in trading, but had significant experience in many parts of banking world. 

In 2010, he started taking night classes, learning Ancient Greek. Oliver found himself growing disinterested in his day job, regularly waking up at 3am unable to get back to sleep. After a few more years, Oliver began to explore other ideas for work. 

As a fan of history, Oliver saw that authors had difficulty promoting their works beyond initial book launches. He points out that publishers are increasingly less interested in promoting their authors. To help with this problem, Oliver co-founded Aspects of History.

Aspects of History is subscription-based, and the main purpose is to introduce readers to great historians and their new books. Every year, Aspects of History publishes 6 issues with articles, interviews, and reviews. 

Oliver also discusses the challenges that came with quitting a stable, well-paying job to pursue his passion. He discusses his wife’s support, and how this was integral to making the entrepreneurial leap.

At the end of the interview, Oliver talks about the future for Aspects of History and plans for growth.

Oliver Webb-Carter is co-founder and editor of Aspects of History.

Richard Lucas is a business and social entrepreneur who founded, led and/or invested in more than 30 businesses.

Kimon Fountoukidis is the founder of both Argos Multilingual and PMR. Both companies were founded in the mid 90s with zero capital and both have gone on to become market leaders in their respective sectors. Kimon was born in New York and moved to Krakow, Poland in 1993. Listen to his story here.

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Richard and Kimon speak with James Green, one of the co-founders of DQ Ventures, a company that assists experienced professionals launch their own businesses. Originally hailing from Northampton, England, James now lives in Sweden.

During his earlier years, James didn't show much interest in business; his passions lay in art and writing. However, as he got older, he realized that entrepreneurship was a fantastic way to express his creativity.

Following his college education, he rose to the role of managing director at a creative agency in the UK. However, in 2009, at the age of 33, he decided to become an angel investor. While he did have some successful investments, he gained his most valuable lessons from a failed venture that cost him $2 million. This setback taught him crucial insights about what not to do in business.

James now advises against three key pitfalls: (1) getting carried away with one's own success, (2) building a product before understanding the market demand, and (3) failing to network and learn from others in the industry. Overcoming these challenges made James a more thoughtful investor and entrepreneur.

With DQ Ventures, James and his partners follow a strategic approach to launching new businesses. They start by identifying a product that people want to buy before creating it. Once they find the right partner, they work together to refine a compelling business idea.

Once the entrepreneurial journey begins, they develop a solid business plan based on thorough market research and other methods. James emphasizes the importance of scrutinizing the idea and pinpointing the first ten potential customers. They then seek out these customers, gather feedback, and integrate it into the product development process.

During the initial year of supporting the entrepreneur, DQ Ventures provides starting capital and incubation services. If the business shows promise after this period, DQ leads a seed funding round, and the entrepreneurial partner is expected to leave their current job and work on the venture full-time. At the moment, DQ Ventures is involved with 13 companies, six of which have secured seed funding.

In his day-to-day role, James serves as the co-founder for around a dozen companies, taking on various tasks, from conducting user interviews to raising funds. Additionally, DQ Ventures has developed educational modules to guide founders through the entrepreneurial journey.

Towards the end of the interview, James, Kimon, and Richard emphasize the significance of finding excellent mentors and connecting with individuals who can provide valuable insights on running a successful business.

James Green is co-founder of DQ Ventures.

DQventures de-risks entrepreneurship for professionals who want to start their own business.

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In this episode, Richard and Kimon interview Simon Stanisz, the co-founder of The NorthStar Consulting Group. Simon is a sales expert who has recently shifted his focus to non-profit work.

Simon's early exposure to entrepreneurship came from his family's small businesses in the Polish mountains, with his uncle serving as a significant source of inspiration due to his tenacity and commitment to education. At just 16, Simon began assisting his uncle at trade show stands, igniting his passion for business.

His initial work experience involved selling educational books and website subscriptions door-to-door in the United States, covering the American Midwest and South. This experience honed his sales skills as he had to quickly gain the trust of strangers to make successful pitches.

Simon also delves into his decision to pursue consulting over a traditional sales career. Consulting allowed him to concentrate solely on maximizing sales, without the need to split his attention between sales and product delivery. After exploring various roles in different companies, he found that consulting was the most lucrative path.

Once he established a stable revenue stream through his sales consulting company, Simon found himself with spare time for other ventures. A friend approached him with the idea of starting the Hearty Foundation, aimed at providing mentorship, particularly in the IT field, to at-risk youth in foster care. Simon applied his sales expertise to gain support from orphanages and youth support organizations for this initiative.

Simon also addresses the intricacies of funding a foundation and offers valuable insights for those interested in creating a sustainable funding base without relying solely on grants. He illustrates how the Hearty Foundation attracted support from companies eager to assist at-risk youth through IT training.

With a diverse career spanning various aspects of sales, Simon's story will appeal to individuals interested in pitching and applying business acumen to the non-profit sector.

Northstar Consulting

Hearty Foundation

Social Movers Hub

Open Rate

Digital Scope

Przemyslaw Simon Stanisz is the founder of NorthStar Consulting Group.

Richard Lucas is a business and social entrepreneur who founded, led and/or invested in more than 30 businesses.

Kimon Fountoukidis is the founder of both Argos Multilingual and PMR. Both companies were founded in the mid 90s with zero capital and both have gone on to become market leaders in their respective sectors. Kimon was born in New York and moved to Krakow, Poland in 1993. Listen to his story here.

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On this week's episode, Richard and Kimon continue their discussion on business, focusing particularly on leadership and management.

Starting off the conversation, Richard asks Kimon for his views on leadership. Kimon begins by addressing the role of trust. Trust operates in two directions: employees must trust that the CEO is the right person for the job, and the CEO must trust their employees. This is especially crucial in today's business landscape, which increasingly accommodates remote work.

However, trust isn't easy to scale. As a company grows, the significance of time-tracking tools and productivity verification systems increases. For smaller companies, these tools can be costly and awkward. In such cases, fostering trust between employees and management becomes paramount. The CEO shouldn't need to constantly verify that employees are fulfilling their commitments. Trust establishes a solid company culture where everyone relies on each other, without excessive and bureaucratic surveillance.

If a CEO focuses on controlling and constantly checking employee productivity, the company will incur opportunity costs. Kimon shares that during his time at Argos Multilingual, he prioritized trust over surveillance. Although he encountered setbacks, he believes the overall benefits to company culture outweighed these negative experiences.

Richard adds that while employee processes should be "checkable," they don't need to be constantly "checked." If an issue arises, it can be easily identified without management wasting time playing the role of productivity police.

Both Richard and Kimon lean towards trust over distrust. Acknowledging their moments of naivety, they still assert that an atmosphere of trust is more advantageous to create than one of suspicion. Clear guidelines and well-defined roles remain crucial. Richard straightforwardly expresses it as: "trust goes with high expectations."

Kimon suggests that granting employees leeway "allows the best to stand out." Over time, it becomes evident which employees are engaged, self-motivated, and poised for leadership roles. For this trust-based leadership approach to succeed, the CEO must also be engaged and self-disciplined. Otherwise, employees will follow suit and lose motivation.

Later in the discussion, Kimon introduces the concept of the "bank of goodwill." In prosperous times, CEOs should provide raises without employees needing to ask. This demonstrates appreciation for their hard work and eases any stress related to seeking better compensation. During challenging times, CEOs can request employees to forgo raises with the understanding that adjustments will be made when conditions improve.

Commenting on the "bank of goodwill," Richard emphasizes communication's significance. The CEO should be accessible and open to employees. Regular communication keeps employees informed about business fluctuations, preventing blindsiding when tough decisions are necessary.

In closing, Richard and Kimon summarize their thoughts on trust in leadership. Kimon stresses that for a CEO starting a company, treating everyone equally and cultivating a culture of hard work are paramount. Richard advises potential CEOs to not only trust their employees but also to be candid when facing challenges or difficulties as leaders.

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In this episode David describes his childhood contact with entrepreneurship, and how he was looking for and found community and acceptance in the video game world. We learn how he discovered and almost invented the profession of “community manager” and created the CMX community of community managers. We also hear about the problems that community managers face in making their communities sustainable, and discuss his book: The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community your Competitive Advantage (Wiley, 2021).

We also learn about how CMX became part of Bevy and multiple other ups and downs in David’s life so far.

The NBN Entrepreneurship and Leadership podcast aims to educate and entertain, sharing insights based on the personal story of our carefully selected guests aiming for the atmosphere of an informal conversation in a bar or over a cup of coffee.

About our guest

David Spinks launched his first online community at 14 years old for his favorite video game, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 4. Today he's become a prominent leader in the community-driven business movement and has trained and advised community teams at companies like Google, Facebook, Udemy, Waze, and Airbnb. Spinks has long believed that community is the future of business and has made it his life's purpose to help others learn how to build thriving, meaningful communities. He is the cofounder of CMX, where over 20,000 community professionals gather to learn and support each other and is the host of CMX Summit, the largest conference in the community industry. In 2019, CMX was acquired by Bevy, where Spinks now serves as the VP of Community, helping companies launch and scale event-driven community programs.

About the NBN

The New Books Network was founded in 2007 as a podcast interviewing the authors of academic books, and has grown to the largest author interview podcast in the world publishing 12 podcasts a day in more than 90 specialist areas, with over a million downloads a month. Read about the founder Marshall Poe and the NBN here. In recent years it has expanded beyond its “author interview origins”. Historically NBN only did audio recordings. E&L is the first NBN podcast distributed on Youtube.

About Kimon Fountoukidis Twitter Linkedin

Kimon is the founder of both Argos Multilingual and PMR. Both companies were founded in the mid 90s with zero capital and both have gone on to become market leaders in their respective sectors. Kimon was born in New York and moved to Krakow, Poland in 1993. Listen to his story here,

About Richard Lucas Twitter Linkedin

Richard is a business and social entrepreneur who founded or invested in more than 30 businesses, including investments in Argos Multilingual, PMR and, in 2020, the New Books Network. Richard has been a TEDx event organiser, supports the pro-entrepreneurship ecosystem, and leads entrepreneurship workshops at all levels: from pre- to business schools. Richard was born in Oxford and moved to Poland in 1991. Read more here. Listen to his story in an autobiographical TEDx talk here,

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In this episode, Richard and Kimon interview each other about B2B sales, also known as enterprise sales. These days, many businesses are considering how they can incorporate AI technology to boost sales, but when dealing with large enterprise clients, nothing beats the value of building personal relationships.

B2B sales are generally bigger in scale compared to consumer sales (B2C), requiring more investment per transaction. It's crucial to understand your clients not only on a personal level but also when it comes to their current and potential future needs within the broader market. 

Large B2B transactions almost always involve a lengthy onboarding process. It's essential to have at least three strong references from current or former clients. Without a positive track record with past clients, it becomes nearly impossible to attract new clients. If your company is new and lacks a client base, you may need to offer services at a significant discount or even for free. This can create goodwill that will pay off in the long run.

Even if your company doesn't secure the contract, it's still valuable to have your name considered. The company chosen by the enterprise client may not endure in the long term. Being proactive in pursuing these opportunities and maintaining a cordial attitude when a deal doesn't go through is the best approach. As Kimon consistently emphasizes: "We're always playing the long game."

Later in their discussion, Richard and Kimon delve into the process of comprehensively understanding a client. Having a thorough grasp of a client's needs and their relationships with other companies can lead to new potential clients. Mapping out these details can also uncover new efficiencies. When mapping, it's important to consider the lifetime value of a client, including potential renewals, service expansions, and referrals to other companies. Satisfied clients often bring more clients.

The role of the founder/CEO in selling to enterprise clients is another topic explored by Kimon and Richard. Especially in the early stages of a company, before establishing a reputation, the active involvement of the founder and/or CEO is crucial in the sales process. Their presence demonstrates a commitment to transparency and client support.

Some people believe that a large sales team is necessary to win clients, but as Kimon points out, "bigger sales team = bigger headache." Having a few exceptional salespeople is more important than the team's size. In the B2B context, where there are fewer sales opportunities, a smaller team can be just as effective.

Towards the end of their conversation, Richard and Kimon discuss what makes a sales call effective. Richard advises immediately asking potential clients about their specific needs. This enables tailoring the sales pitch directly to their requirements, avoiding lengthy presentations filled with irrelevant information.

In conclusion, a valuable approach to improving enterprise sales is studying the histories of other companies. By examining who their first client was, how they secured major business deals, and what innovative strategies they employed, valuable insights can be gained.

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In this episode, Richard and Kimon interview each other about the role of ego in business. The common perception is that entrepreneurs, typically men, have large egos, constantly seeking attention and dominating conversations. Adam Neumann, the founder of WeWork, serves as a classic example. While some level of ego is indeed necessary, effective leaders also understand when to control their egos and step back from the spotlight.

A leader with an inflated ego who believes that nobody else's opinions matter can create a dangerous environment. By not giving others a chance to contribute, such an egotistical CEO (who may not possess the brilliance of Steve Jobs) can harm the very business they are trying to build. As Kimon puts it, "the real entrepreneur is the one that’s super talented at getting way smarter people than themselves."

An entrepreneur with a toxic ego is primarily focused on being right. They fail to ask the most important question: "What is best for the company?" It shouldn't matter whether the best idea comes from the leader or the employees; what matters is the end result.

In addition to discussing the leader's ego, Kimon and Richard delve into managing the egos of others within the business. Employees often worry about their titles and their place within the organizational structure. Understanding and being sensitive to people's egos, particularly considering the diversity of personalities, is crucial. One effective approach is offering personality tests to both employees and leaders, enabling better understanding of how to interact with one another.

Kimon and Richard also touch upon the egos of clients and how big egos can be advantageous. Praising and congratulating clients with large egos can encourage repeat business.

In essence, ego is necessary but must be kept in check within the business context. There is a positive aspect that fosters confidence and perseverance and a toxic aspect that restricts growth by suppressing the potential of exceptional employees.

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Richard and Kimon speak with James Hyde, non-executive director of James and James Fulfilment, in addition to founding and formerly running the company. Initially unemployed out of college, James and his eventual co-founder, took minimum wage jobs. They were working at a shipping and fulfillment facility, and were frustrated by the lack of efficiency they encountered.

Starting in 2010, James Hyde and James Strachan, began working on their fulfillment company. One of the first customers they ever had wanted James and James to help them sell home brew coffee equipment. They implemented a fulfillment software and management system, effectively allowing the owners of the home brew equipment to retire. Initially, James and the company adjusted to this model, even though, at first, they only wanted to create a software company, not a software and fulfillment operation.

Part of what makes James’ story as an entrepreneur especially compelling is that he started with almost no outside capital. By the time that James and James Fulfilment had their fourth customer, they were able to support minimum wage salaries for themselves. James talks about how they deliberately turned downed certain jobs and tasks at this time so they could focus on a scalable, core fulfillment solution.

It was at this time that James and his co-founder realized that expanding the service side of the business would allow them to sell more software. The expanded services would be the proof-of-concept that fed the other sales.

James also discusses how and why James and James was able to and continues to expand, even when the service they offer, on its face, resembles that provided by the behemoth, Amazon. James and James focuses on direct-to-consumer, i.e. they work with companies that want their own branding and a “direct” relationship with the buyer. Amazon uses it’s own branding and doesn’t allow their sellers the same access to their end consumers.

When James and James first began, they had a significant first-mover advantage as their were very few fulfillment companies of any kind offering cloud-based solutions. James ponders a road not taken where they would have taken more outside capital to scale, instead of the more conservative approach they took instead. He compares his company to the commonly found Silicon Valley-style SaaS company. As James remarks, these companies’ software is often far less complicated than the software necessary for accurate shipping and fulfillment.

Since the founding and initial success of the company, James retains a position and is an owner. James and James has matured from a start-up into a fully-fledged company with many shareholders. The transformation of the company has changed the culture slightly according to James, especially in its treatment of external threats such as cybersecurity attacks.

Towards the end of the interview, James talks about how he sought out advice from seasoned businesspeople with “gray hair.” He offered them a tiny bit of equity in exchange for a nominal amount of capital so that he could comfortably seek their counsel.

Nowadays, James works at James and James one day out of the week. His next move is to look for small companies that are looking to scale up.

Find James Hyde's profile here

James and James Fulfilment

Richard Lucas is a business and social entrepreneur who founded, led and/or invested in more than 30 businesses.

Kimon Fountoukidis is the founder of both Argos Multilingual and PMR. Both companies were founded in the mid 90s with zero capital and both have gone on to become market leaders in their respective sectors. Kimon was born in New York and moved to Krakow, Poland in 1993. Listen to his story here.

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JeVon McCormick was born the son of a black pimp father and a white orphan mother. Hear how, as a nine year old, he critiqued the way his father managed prostitutes, to his rejection of concepts such as “hope” and “luck”. When he was in juvenile detention neither of his parents knew where he was. His journey from toughest of upbringings to fame and fortune is unforgettable and inspiring. Kimon and Richard never spoke to an entrepreneur with a history like his. We are sure you will find it as compelling as we did. 

The lessons that he shares from his journey about saving, adaptation, learning by doing, the power of asking questions, accountability, and responsibility can benefit entrepreneurs and leaders the world over. McCormick’s book I Got There: How a Mixed-Race Kid Overcame Racism, Poverty, and Abuse to Achieve the American Dream tells his story.

About our guest JeVon McCormick is the son of a black pimp and a white mother, and was raised in the most dreadful conditions, three times jailed before he was an adult. His book, I Got There, tells the harrowing story of his struggle to succeed despite the over whelming odds stacked against him Today, he’s the CEO of a multi-million dollar publishing company that was recently ranked the #1 Top Company Culture inAmerica by Entrepreneur Magazine. JeVon is the President and CEO of Scribe Media, a publishing company that helps individuals from a variety of backgrounds write, publish, and market their books. Scribe Media has worked with more than 1700 authors, including members of The Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Nassim Taleb and David Goggins, whose blockbuster book Can’t Hurt Me has sold over 2 million copies. JeVon is an author and highly sought after keynote speaker, delivering the message that “Everyone Has A Story” to enthusiastic audiences across the country. JeVon is passionate about conscious entrepreneurship and creating opportunities for at-risk youth. He has mentored young men and women in the juvenile justice system, as well as those in lower economic communities. JeVon currently serves as a board member for Conscious Capitalism and the StartEdUp Foundation. His story and work have been featured on CNBC, and in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and Inc. magazines.https://scribemedia.com/https:... 

The NBN Entrepreneurship and Leadership podcast aims to educate and entertain, sharing insights based on the personal story of our carefully selected guests aiming for the atmosphere of an informal conversation in a bar or over a cup of coffee. Follow our channels on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.

View the episode on Youtube here. You can listen to the episode on the NBN here.

About Kimon Fountoukidis Twitter Linkedin

Kimon is the founder of both Argos Multilingual and PMR. Both companies were founded in the mid 90s with zero capital and both have gone on to become market leaders in their respective sectors. Kimon was born in New York and moved to Krakow, Poland in 1993. Listen to his story here.

About Richard Lucas Twitter Linkedin

Richard is a business and social entrepreneur who founded or invested in more than 30 businesses, including investments in Argos Multilingual, PMR and, in 2020, the New Books Network. Richard has been a TEDx event organiser, supports the pro-entrepreneurship ecosystem, and leads entrepreneurship workshops at all levels: from pre- to business schools. Richard was born in Oxford and moved to Poland in 1991. Read more here. Listen to his story in an autobiographical TEDx talk here.

Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/entrepreneurship-and-leadership