“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is now.” 🌱

Meet Tom Cullen

Founder of Zoplo, the viral, VC-backed Gen Z social polling app.

Zoplo by the numbers:
📱 80,000+ users
👀 40M+ organic views on TikTok
🗳️ 6.5M+ votes cast on the app

As someone who lives for sharing hot takes, Zoplo is addictive (in the best way).
But Tom’s founder story? Even better.

On the pod, he talks about the power of going all in — even when conditions aren’t perfect.

Tom grew up on a council estate in the North of England. The odds of getting into uni, landing a top-tier job, and becoming a founder were stacked against him. But he made it happen — step by step:

– Studied Maths at Newcastle
– Joined Barclays as an Investment Banker
– Left it all behind to pursue his startup dream
– Went 26 months without a salary
– Built a product Gen Z can't stop using

In this episode of Nova & Boba, Tom spills the real startup tea:

1️⃣ How he transitioned from finance to tech
2️⃣ Dating + founder life (the struggle is real) 💔
3️⃣ How to go viral without paid ads
4️⃣ Raising VC as someone who doesn’t “fit the mould”

Tom’s journey is proof: with bold moves, a clear vision, and a lot of grit, you can build something from nothing.

👇 What’s the biggest sacrifice you’ve made for your startup dream?