James Eder co-founded Student Beans with his brother Mike in Birmingham in 2005. It started as a digital student loyalty platform offering exclusive discounts and has since grown into a global network generating revenue of £30m. 

Almost 20 years later James and Mike started Pion, which now has 250 employees and operates in more than 100 countries. Pion is a leader in youth marketing insights, “supporting marketers with full funnel youth marketing campaigns”.

Like many successful entrepreneurs before him, James has experienced failure, too. A tech business that he launched in 2016 didn’t survive, but the experience taught him a lot of valuable lessons. More seriously, James was later diagnosed with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, where part of the heart becomes abnormally thickened and stiff, which creates serious health issues. It’s fair to say that James has had his shares of ups and downs.

James has just launched his new book – The Collision Code — which explores how human connection can drive life-changing opportunities in an increasingly digital world. In this fascinating episode, he talks about his successes and failures in business, as well as the serious health challenges he has faced.     

Thanks to Sage for sponsoring this episode. Sage is currently offering listeners 90% off Sage Accounting for three months. Visit this link to claim your offer.

Show notes for the episode can be found on the Start Your Own Business podcast website. Visit Start Up Donut and sign up to the Donut newsletter for more free start-up news, advice and special offers to help you save time and money.