Extrology: Mastering People, Performance & Purpose

Andy Lee’s leadership journey traces a through-line from being a curious 21-year-old on a factory floor, to leading 100,000 people at Alorica.

Fuelled by the persistent pursuit of ‘better’, he’s now building Crescendo at the frontier of AI and customer experience. 

Andy shares what broken customer experiences really reveal about the companies behind them, how founders must evolve as their organisations scale, and why AI is less a threat to jobs and more an invitation to rethink how we serve. 

Lee and Andy discuss:

• The Power of Curiosity and Pattern-Seeking
• Customer Experience as a Mirror to your Business
• Scaling Leadership and Letting Go
• Culture, Partnership, and Making Lives Better
• The Next Chapter of Customer Experience

Andy Lee: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-lee-b367595/

Alorica

https://www.linkedin.com/company/alorica/

Crescendo

https://www.linkedin.com/company/crescendocx/

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Most digital products reflect the people who build them, not the people who use them. 

That insight led Alwar Pillai to build Fable, a company with 70% of its workforce living with a disability - they’re a business that wholly promises to practice what they preach.

They’ve brought people with disabilities into the heart of product development for some of the most recognised brands in the world; Microsoft, Walmart, Meta and Figma to name but a few.

So how did Alwar build something that’s scaled true to her vision, and how has she navigated the journey from designer to Founder, to CEO, and back out again? Join us on this week’s episode of Extrology.

Lee and Alwar discuss:

• Designing beyond the “average user”
• The journey from compliance to usability in accessibility
• Building Fable as a bridge between disabled users and tech giants
• Leadership, succession, and letting go as a founder
• AI bias and the future of inclusive products

Alwar Pillai:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alwarpillai/

Fable:

https://makeitfable.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/makeitfable/

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Starting a business is a deeply irrational act - yet Christoph Lippuner was driven to create purpose for not just his own life, but for the whole healthcare sector.

Semble was born from a very personal experience in Christophe's family and from the realisation that healthcare professionals often have systems working against them, rather than for them. 

This week’s episode of Extrology is focused around building from crisis, making trust the real product in healthcare, and how a founder learns to become a CEO without losing the mission.

Lee and Christoph discuss:

• The Founder to CEO Transition, and Letting Go
• Purpose and Personal Story in Entrepreneurship
• Fixing Healthcare Through Trust and Interoperability
• Reducing Clinician Burnout and Admin Overload
• Mindfulness, Creativity and Sustainable Leadership

Christoph Lippuner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoph-lippuner-9a0b6951

Semble

https://www.semble.io/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/semble-health/

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Some stories are told for inspiration, some for entertainment, but a very few become instruction manuals for the next generation. 

Today’s Extrology episode documents one such manual, written by a leader forged through experiences at Oracle, Salesforce and Siebel Systems - Steve Garnett.

He grew up in a council house in Liverpool, mentored by one maths teacher who changed everything. 

Behind Steve’s work scaling some of the most iconic tech machines in history, lies a lesson in systems, scar tissue and scale with soul. 

What Steve's doing now with education, legacy and angel investing reveals not just how to build billion dollar companies, but how to build the kind of life that compounds…

Lee and Steve discuss:

• The power of resilience and mentorship in shaping a life and career
• Leadership at Oracle, Siebel, and Salesforce, and how they maintain high-performing 
• The critical role of core values
• Challenges and opportunities presented by technological revolutions, and the need for leaders to adapt and drive change from the top
• Legacy, philanthropy, and giving back

Steve Garnett: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stgarnett/?originalSubdomain=uk

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Lyndon Stickley has built and exited 6 companies, scaled through chaos, and sold for 9 figures - there’s no substitute for the graft and experience he brings to iplicit.

He’s CEO of a SaaS platform which is one of the UK’s fastest growing, not because of what it does, but because of how it operates.

What can’t be replicated is iplicit’s culture, the DNA running deep in a team growing unfathomably quickly… that’s at the heart of today’s utterly unmissable episode of Extrology.

Lee and Lyndon discuss:

• Strategic scaling in an untapped market segment
• The restraint and vision behind Lyndon’s decision to focus on the UK market
• Culture as iplicit’s competitive edge, and how you scale it to a huge, ever-expanding team
• Talent acquisition in a market where geography is irrelevant
• Long-term perspective vs instant gratification
• Lessons on trust, clarity and culture

Lyndon Stickley:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lyndon-stickley-bab38b78/

iplicit: https://www.linkedin.com/company/iplicit/

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Chris Brisson made a public decision to kill the company he’d built, live in front of 34,000 customers. 

Why did Call Loop have to fall for Salesmsg to rise in its wake? That’s the million dollar question for a Co-Founder who builds in silence what others try to shout into existence.

This episode of Extrology is a record of the success that’s found by overcoming your old ways, and building systems that scale under pressure.

Lee and Chris discuss:

• Chris' bold, deliberate choice to "kill" his previous business to rebuild anew with Salesmsg
• How bringing in the right co-founders and team members can unlock potential 
• Embracing a mindset of constant refinement, treating every business department as a "product" that can be optimised
• Texting as a sacred channel to reach your customers
• The continuous unlearning of old management styles that drives Chris’ growth as a leader

Chris Brisson: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisbrisson/

Salesmsg:

https://www.linkedin.com/company/salesmsg/

https://www.salesmessage.com/

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Extrology launched with little representing commercial plans, or a big question to answer - yet 5 years on, it’s taught us so much about others, and about ourselves.

What we’ve uncovered about the extraordinary amounts to a free MBA every week, and so this week I’m sharing five of the most powerful lessons that have changed the way I lead my life.

This episode covers:

• The ability to listen not in order to respond, but to understand
• Why consistency reigns supreme
• How to find your voice
• The real differentiator that sets high achievers apart
• Pressure’s role in revealing what’s rehearsed and what’s real

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

This week’s Extrology is not a productivity pep talk, it’s an exposé of all the habits you’ve been telling yourself you’ll change, but never have…

Rebecca Shaddix is a Founder, Forbes contributor, and a formidable voice on the real cost of success in high performance environments.

She’s built a philosophy from first-hand burnout, which places her perfectly to deconstruct the dangerous myths driving pseudo-productivity today.

Drop the hero complex and reclaim your time, as Rebecca joins us on an unmissable hour of the Extrology podcast.

Lee and Rebecca discuss:

• Redefining productivity by focusing on intentional micro-moments, strategic output, and personal well-being 
• The concept of being a "Time Billionaire" purposefully investing your time rather than simply spending it
• Strategies to identify and interrupt unproductive habits
• Embracing acceptable mistakes, and learning to pick your priority

Rebecca Shaddix: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccashaddix/

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Flexible leadership isn't about style or softness. It's about letting go of ego, and prioritising what's truly needed with precision.

Kevin Eikenberry is one of the most recognised voices in leadership development over the past three decades, building a 30 year business around one idea, that great leaders don't cling to rigid playbooks. 

This isn't a conversation about frameworks. It's about identity. Kevin himself had to unlearn the habits that made him successful, shifting with modern leadership. Discover how you can do the same - join us for an unmissable episode of Extrology…

Lee and Kevin discuss:

• Flexible leadership as a mindset, adapting to changing circumstances
• The critical role of self-reflection 
• Influencing outcomes and people, not controlling them
• The need to balance discomfort with a compelling vision that inspires action

Kevin Eikenberry: 

https://kevineikenberry.com/flexible/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevineikenberry/

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

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https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/

Irrational obsession is the most rational investment strategy that exists.

For those with a passion, and who believe the world is theirs to earn, you’ve a like-minded soul in Carmen Alfonso Rico, an angel investor actively seeking Founders with more than a mere passion.

Discover what sets Founders apart, the mindset systems behind how Carmen operates, and how to rewrite the playbook on early stage investing… 

Lee and Carmen discuss:

• Obsession as a Founder's superpower
• Irrational, passionate commitment being more valuable than rational decision-making
• Recognising the patterns in startups
• Cultural differences in risk-taking between territories
• Founders’ need for deep self-awareness, responsibility for mistakes, and a relentless commitment to personal and professional growth
• The novels that have helped to develop empathy, a crucial skill for understanding founders

Carmen Alfonso Rico: 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/calfonsorico/

Cocoa:

https://www.cocoa.vc/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/calfonsorico/

Articles mentioned: 

https://paulgraham.com/greatwork.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/27/opinion/persistence-work-difficulty.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare

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Extrology:

https://www.extrology.com/

https://www.instagram.com/extrologypodcast/

https://www.tiktok.com/@extrology

https://substack.com/@extrology

https://www.youtube.com/@extrology

Lee Cooper:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/leecooperrecruiter/