Millennial Masters

This bonus episode of Millennial Masters features a condensed version of Barney Hussey-Yeo’s evidence to the UK House of Lords inquiry on scaling AI and creative tech.

Barney is the founder and CEO of Cleo, the financial AI assistant founded in the UK in 2016 and later scaled in the US. In this session, he lays out a blunt view of why the UK keeps producing talent, startups, and technical breakthroughs but still struggles to turn that into lasting global tech power.

The conversation covers the structural problems holding the UK back, from weak growth capital and infrastructure gaps to regulatory drag and talent retention, as well as the policy shifts Barney believes could give the country a stronger shot at competing.

What's in this episode

1️⃣ Why the UK keeps falling short at scale

Barney explains why strong universities and startup energy have not translated into enough large, durable tech winners.

2️⃣ The capital gap hurting ambitious AI companies

This part gets into why UK growth-stage funding still falls short when companies need to raise at serious scale.

3️⃣ Where regulation starts pushing founders away

Barney argues that risk-averse systems and weak incentives make it easier for companies to build elsewhere.

4️⃣ Infrastructure, energy, and the limits of ambition

AI needs more than talent. The episode looks at compute, power costs, and the physical constraints behind national competitiveness.

5️⃣ What would need to change for the UK to compete properly

From pension capital to tax, listings, and a bigger national AI push, Barney lays out the shifts he thinks matter most.

Get more founder interviews and practical business lessons in the Millennial Masters newsletter at MillennialMasters.net

Send this to someone with strong opinions on where UK tech is heading 🇬🇧

Dumi Siwo built his way in. After moving from Zambia to the UK at 13, he ran into the same wall a lot of young people do. Getting a foot in the door was harder than it should have been, so he made his own entry point.

That started with club nights, cameras, artists, DJs, and being close to where culture was actually moving. It grew into Firmative, a creative business that has gone on to work with Atlantic Records and artists including Ed Sheeran, Anne-Marie, Rita Ora, Ella Henderson, and James Blunt.

In this episode, we get into building from the edge of the room, trusting your taste before other people validate it, and turning creative work into something serious enough to last.

What we cover

1️⃣ Creating your own way in

Dumi talks about what happens when the usual routes feel closed and why making your own opportunities can change everything.

2️⃣ Turning creativity into a real business

This part gets into how early energy, taste, and hustle became something more structured and commercially serious.

3️⃣ The role relationships play in creative careers

Genuine connections, trust, and the way you treat people all shape what opens up next.

4️⃣ What keeps you grounded while ambition grows

The episode also gets into family, values, and why time starts to matter differently once life gets bigger.

5️⃣ Habits, mindset, and staying in the game

Dumi shares what helps him keep progressing, from fitness and reading to learning from rejection without getting stuck in it.

Chapters

00:00 Intro to Dumi Siwo

04:17 First spark: filming with friends

09:10 Why university almost did not fit

12:23 Early projects and breakthrough moments

13:52 Building Firmative

19:08 Bouncing back from rejection

21:16 Leadership with empathy

25:45 Why mentorship matters

29:32 Deep conversations, real confidence

33:06 Fitness, habits, and mental strength

34:07 Books that shaped his mindset

36:16 Big dreams and grounded values

38:18 Why time with family is non-negotiable

39:29 What he sacrificed for growth

40:39 The lessons he’d keep

42:28 What’s next for media and content

44:32 Parenting in the age of content

45:58 Staying human in a digital world

49:48 Collaborating with world-class artists

Get more founder interviews and practical business lessons in the Millennial Masters newsletter at MillennialMasters.net

Share this with someone building their own way in 🎧

Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana works in a part of the world where pressure reveals what people really stand for. With a background in law and leadership, and now as CEO of Impress, the UK’s independent press regulator, she sits close to some of the hardest questions in media, trust, accountability, and organisational culture.

In this episode, we get into what ethical leadership looks like when decisions are messy, how values hold up when the environment keeps shifting, and why leading well now takes more than polished language or good intentions.

What we cover

1️⃣ Leadership that still holds up under pressure

Lexie talks about the difference between saying the right things and leading in a way that stays credible when the stakes rise.

2️⃣ Adapting without losing your centre

Hybrid work, cultural change, and constant uncertainty have made leadership harder. This part gets into listening, adjusting, and staying grounded while things move.

3️⃣ Inclusion that goes beyond surface signals

Real diversity takes more than good intentions. Lexie explains why stronger networks, better recruitment habits, and deliberate effort matter.

4️⃣ The pressure AI is putting on media and regulation

This part looks at misinformation, platform responsibility, and why generative AI is forcing harder questions about trust and governance.

5️⃣ Staying effective in demanding roles

The episode also gets into balance, resilience, and the personal discipline needed to lead well over time.

Chapters

00:00 Intro to Lexie Kirkconnell-Kawana

04:00 Her path from law to press regulation

05:55 Adapting to UK leadership culture

11:12 What leadership training taught her

14:09 From expert to executive: redefining leadership

19:17 Learning through mentors and networks

22:18 The new era of leadership tribes

24:57 Hybrid work as a leadership challenge

29:45 Building inclusion beyond checkboxes

33:53 The resilience every CEO needs

37:54 Gender dynamics in leadership

41:58 CEO wellbeing and inner balance

45:47 Managing pressure with purpose

49:11 What she gave up to lead

52:33 Media regulation in an AI age

58:14 The role of platforms in disinformation

01:01:17 How to regulate AI responsibly

01:05:33 Where the UK stands in global tech governance

Get more founder interviews and practical business lessons in the Millennial Masters newsletter at MillennialMasters.net

Send this to a leader who is still figuring out what good leadership really asks of them 📩

William Stokes moved from engineering in oil and gas into property, then used that shift to build something bigger. He started by converting commercial buildings into residential units before spotting a gap in the market for well-designed co-working spaces outside London.

That became Co-Space. Today, the business has three live locations, dozens more in the pipeline, and a clear bet on where work is heading next. As co-founder, William is building regional spaces around design, community, and the idea that ambitious people should not have to move to London to find the right environment to work and grow.

In this episode, we get into what makes a strong business partnership, why design matters more than many founders think, how to build with conviction outside the obvious hubs, and what regional growth can look like when the model is built properly from the start.

What we cover

1️⃣ Building outside London with a clear point of view

William shares what he saw in the market and why regional co-working made more sense than following the usual London-first path.

2️⃣ The business edge hidden in design and experience

Co-Space grew around the idea that people are drawn to spaces that feel better, work better, and reflect more care than the standard alternative.

3️⃣ Partnerships that strengthen the business

This part gets into working with someone whose strengths balance your weaknesses and why that matters more as the company grows.

4️⃣ Risk, expansion, and judging the next move properly

William talks through the kind of calculated risk-taking that matters in property and how to think about growth without losing control of the model.

5️⃣ Routines, output, and keeping perspective

The episode also gets into time management, sacrifice, leadership, and how to stay effective without losing sight of the bigger picture.

Chapters

00:00 William Stokes introduction

03:43 Engineering roots and shifting into property

05:46 Learning from WeWork’s boom and bust

07:57 How Co-Space stands out on design and service

09:58 Picking the right cities to launch in

12:00 Stevenage: the surprising anchor location

13:08 Expansion plans and future growth

15:04 Hustle meets luck: the startup formula

16:49 Building connections that open doors

18:29 Why your business partner matters

21:52 Hiring smart for early-stage growth

23:53 How self-education shaped his approach

25:38 Knowing when to zoom out

27:46 Empowering your team with initiative

29:45 Daily routines and rituals that work

31:54 Work-life balance in real terms

33:27 Time management for high output

34:51 ADHD as a business advantage

36:58 Empathetic leadership

39:26 Managing risk in property and beyond

41:59 The future of coworking and remote work

45:00 Myths of fast cash in property

47:54 Practical tips for new founders

50:44 Game-changing books

52:58 Life and business inspiration

54:53 The unseen sacrifices

56:35 What I’d tell a new entrepreneur

58:45 Thinking globally, acting locally

01:01:51 The UK’s business outlook

Get more founder interviews and practical business lessons in the Millennial Masters newsletter at MillennialMasters.net

Send this to someone building outside the usual hotspots 📍

Peter Watson is Managing Partner of Featured Group and has been in business since he was 16. Since then, he has built, scaled, and exited companies across multiple industries, using sharp marketing, smart bets, and a way of working that turned ADHD into an advantage rather than a limitation.

He is especially interested in how AI and emerging technology can challenge stale business models and help a new generation of founders build something of their own. In this episode, we get into risk, reinvestment, freedom, hiring, and the kind of thinking that helps founders build on their own terms rather than following someone else’s script.

What we cover

1️⃣ Taking bigger risks while the stakes are lower

Peter shares why earlier years give founders more room to experiment, recover, and learn faster from failure.

2️⃣ Growing through reinvestment, not outside control

He explains why self-funding gave him more flexibility and why keeping control matters when you want to build long term.

3️⃣ The old industries still open for disruption

Some of the best opportunities sit inside businesses most people overlook, where tired models are waiting to be rebuilt properly.

4️⃣ Hiring beyond your local market

Peter talks about going remote, accessing stronger global talent, and avoiding the limits of only hiring close to home.

5️⃣ Building for freedom, not only money

This part gets into what success looks like when the real aim is control over your time, attention, and life.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Peter Watson

03:39 Early entrepreneurial journey

06:23 University hustle and early lessons

08:06 Global perspective from launching abroad

10:27 How Peter vets investments and businesses

13:51 Exiting well: letting go of your creations

17:36 Financial discipline and smart reinvestment

24:25 UK vs Dubai: cultural shifts and startup vibes

38:09 The power of partnership

44:15 Why entrepreneurship is the ultimate sport

47:49 Hiring your first employee

50:44 Building a business that runs without you

52:49 Millennials, careers, and job hopping

57:04 Take risks before the stakes rise

01:00:50 Should you quit or keep the side hustle?

01:02:49 Marketing’s future: AI and beyond

01:04:58 Peter’s honest take on crypto

01:12:40 Daily routines that work

01:16:17 ADHD as a business advantage

01:20:59 Being present in work and life

01:23:33 Mental health and social media

01:25:22 Managing Gen Z and younger teams

01:26:26 Why legacy matters

01:28:20 Choosing freedom over wealth

01:31:34 Remote vs office culture

01:35:25 Peter’s book recommendations

Get more founder interviews and practical business lessons in the Millennial Masters newsletter at MillennialMasters.net

Send this to someone wired differently 🧠

Millennial Masters started with a simple question:

What does it really take to build something that lasts?

After 14 years of the startup grind and plenty of hard lessons along the way, I wanted to create a space where millennial founders, leaders, and entrepreneurs could share their journeys… the real ones, with all the wins, losses, and everything in between.

This podcast and newsletter is for anyone looking to skip the fluff and get straight to the actionable stuff. Every week, I talk to the people who’ve been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale, giving you honest insights that can truly move the needle.

Millennial Masters is for bold and ambitious founders and leaders building what’s next. Join in!

Know an inspiring founder or entrepreneur who should join the conversation?

I’m always on the lookout for bold stories and fresh perspectives.

Drop me a line, I’d love to hear from you!

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