Scouting for Growth

By Sabine VanderLindenBusiness Entrepreneurship Technology

Scouting for Growth episodes

September 19, 2024Emanuel Rose: From Social CEOs To Humanizing Your Growth
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Emanuel Rose, CEO of Strategic eMarketing, who has led numerous successful marketing campaigns for companies through authentic storytelling and direct-response advertising.
On today’s episode, Emanuel will share insights on differentiation and humanisation strategies for startups. Scaleups and captive insurance companies. We’ll explore best practices around targeting, testing messaging, and scaling for growth. We also talk about why startup founders must focus on becoming social CEOs. Emanuel will also discuss key lessons from his book on how solitude in nature can benefit mental health, leadership, and creativity.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
AI is a marketing tool and, like all tools, it has to be deployed correctly, aligned with the campaign's intent and the brand's focus. It’s complicated to use, but I think it’s amazing. I love it; it’s forever changed my marketing. At this point, it still takes a human to drive it, though that might change over time.
As marketers, we’re taking and identifying a problem and from that we come up with a solution, which is what we’re selling, and maybe agitating it a little bit, triggering people, and offering a call to action. I like to make it as frictionless as possible, which I think has gotten lost in digital marketing. Since the internet, we’re back to pop-ups and interruptions trying to get email addresses and phone numbers. I think that’s a huge mistake that doesn’t build long-term brand value and makes everything transactional rather than client-based.
The downside of AI is that there’s a lot of “spray and pray” instead of starting with your ideal client profile, finding people who fit it, understanding their needs, and developing a conversation to qualify them for your service/product and yourself to them. The relationship is what people are missing with this inauthentic rubbish.
I want to encourage people to use tools that are organised around getting a lot of information from the prospects that they’re talking to, so that there is publicly known personal information from social profiles/blogs/other content they’ve written or participated in. This should be part of every AI tool you use, but then you need to do your own research. When people are interested, take a few minutes to see how that individual aligns with your ideal client profile.
BEST MOMENTS
‘The difference between a client and a customer is that you care about the client and their concerns, whereas you’re just doing business with a customer, it’s just a transaction.’
‘Interruption marketing has got to go away again because it’s counterproductive.’
‘We’ve forgotten that our job, as a service provider, is to serve our clients.’
‘Make sure that you talk to people. If you’re in a marketing department, get on sales calls and hear the answers for yourself, understand what the pain points are, and how you can feed better information into the model you’re using.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Emanuel Rose is an accomplished marketing expert and author based in Reno, Nevada. With over 30 years of industry experience, Emanuel specializes in direct-response advertising, content marketing, and branding strategies.
As the CEO of his digital marketing agency, Strategic eMarketing, Emanuel has worked with numerous clients and helped them achieve business success through authentic storytelling. His unique approach to marketing has delivered outstanding results for many companies.
Beyond his profession, Emanuel is an avid outdoorsman with a deep passion for nature. His latest book, "The 7 Principles of The Magic Rock," explores the profound connection between spending time outdoors and mental health.
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
41 min
September 11, 2024Magda Ramada: From Blockchain to Revolutionising Insurance with the Right Tech
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Magda Ramada, Senior Director and InsurTech Innovation Leader at WTW's Insurance Consulting and Technology, where she spearheads the company's engagement with InsurTech startups and blockchain initiatives worldwide. With over two decades of experience, she has become a prominent voice in digital transformation, advanced analytics, and emerging risks within the insurance industry.
Today, we'll be exploring Magdalena's journey in InsurTech, her views on the challenges and opportunities in the industry, and her vision for the future of insurance technology.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
I got into insurance and technology by chance. 10 years ago I took on a project for a large insurance company whose CEO wanted to look at lobbying risks and macro-economic risks, which I was an expert on. I felt self-conscious talking about risk to the CEO, so I studied like I’d never studied before, and it was a great experience. After that, everything I did was around insurance which led me to blockchain technology, and I realised this was going to change the way we can neutralise risks. I don’t think I’ll ever leave.
Technology is an enabler. It doesn’t need to be AI-based or shiny or a startup, as long as it’s the right kind of solution to transform the industry. In insurance, the applications of technology and the needs and functionality are very different from personal lines to motor, home or pet insurance. It’s a world with a lot of complexity.
What are the tools that enable me to use and analyse more data, leverage the data we already have, and how that data can travel from very different functions and allow a very different target operating model where the technical functions converge to work as one. There are a number of specialisms around that that go deep, like generative AI, natural language processing, OCR, where you become an expert in a niche and you don’t need to know insurance.
The first thing you need to understand is how a technology is going to affect what you are doing. Then there’s the augmentation with everyone in the value chain (the claims handler, underwriter, customer, online customer, agent), these all need different interfaces and types of insight for the different personas to enable timely, better decision making. Not every technology will enable you to do that.
BEST MOMENTS
‘Every time I had the choice of choosing insurance economics as an elective, I chose something else!’
‘I like being on stage, it’s the closest I can get to teaching.’
‘One of the things that makes us different from other species is our ability to imagine how things can change and be radically different. Technology can help us with that.’
‘What is my insurer client going to need in 5 years? What is going to be critical? What is going to allow them to compete with others, to outperform and become front runners?’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Magdalena Ramada Sarasola, PhD, is a trailblazer in the global InsurTech landscape. As Senior Director and InsurTech Innovation Leader at WTW's Insurance Consulting and Technology, she drives the company's engagement with InsurTech startups and blockchain initiatives worldwide.
Dr Ramada Sarasola's expertise spans from microinsurance and financial inclusion to emerging markets and multinational enterprise strategies.
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
53 min
September 05, 2024Nicole Peck: Exploring ITC Vegas 2024, Climate Change and Ethical AI.
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Nicole Peck, president of ITC Vegas, to dive deep into the highly anticipated ITC Vegas 2024 conference, taking place from October 15-17.
In this episode, we'll explore the groundbreaking themes of ITC Vegas 2024, including tackling climate change and the ethical use of GenAI and data. We will also talk about the new ITC Vegas format, which includes the neighbourhood to create smaller communities within a larger conference setting. Nicole also shares her insights and strategies for navigating these changes and preparing for a future reshaped by innovation.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
I joined ITC last September, just before ITC 2023, to help guide the team to the next evolution of growth and opportunity. This event has been a rocket ship since it started, and now we’ve moved into our ‘teenage’ growth years, and we need to focus to ensure we’re delivering the best possible event for the community that we serve.
This will be the 3rd year we’ve tackled climate tech. 3 years ago, we were probably too early to the party, and people weren’t ready to talk about it or use the terminology. Last year, it really picked up steam, and we’re starting to see traction on both what our audience has identified as topics of interest and on our sponsors' interest in learning more about it.
We have set out to create an event this year that has evolved and is different from years passed, because we recognise we’re in a ‘growing-up’ phase where we can do more for our community. We took a hard look at the feedback from last year's event and found that it had become too big and difficult to find the right people or topics. To address this, we’ve created more neighbourhoods on the show floor and made it easier to navigate. We also changed how our content and agenda were displayed on the website with clear tagging.
I’ve been in events for the majority of my career, and most have a very clear buyer/seller relationship. It’s not clear at ITC. ITC is a “supermatrix” event. We distil the people that attend our event into 3 cohorts: Industry incumbents (carriers/reinsurers), Investor community, and innovators (startups/entrepreneurs). Those 3 are constantly in flux from year to year. Industry incumbents are strongest right now, but nuances at the event speak to each of them.
BEST MOMENTS
‘I was brought onto ITC to bring some of my New York City energy into the event and the team.’
‘It’s important for me, as a parent, to leave the planet in a better place than when I lived in it.’
‘The Founder’s House is invite-only, and where VCs can meet with the startup community.’
‘Our objective is to facilitate as many meetings and connectionsas we can for the carriers.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Nicole Peck is an innovative business leader with more than 27 years of experience driving commercial success through strategic B2B marketing and sales initiatives. She is a results-oriented executive who combines process efficiency with a relentless focus on customer outcomes.
A master of forging powerful partnerships, Nicole excels at uniting diverse stakeholders to achieve shared goals. Her leadership style is both decisive and inclusive, knowing when to lead from the front and when to immerse herself in the details. Her calm demeanour under pressure and talent for fostering collaboration make her a sought-after partner, both within her organization and externally. Her unique strength lies in her ability to activate and inspire those around her, empowering teams to excel and achieve their highest potential.
Nicole serves as an advisor to event technology startups and is a respected speaker on leadership, team building, and digital innovation. Her insights into emerging event trends are widely recognized and valued. She resides in New York City with her son. Today, she is leading ITC Vegas, a global conference activating 9K delegates.
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
48 min
August 28, 2024Jeff Abbott: The Future of Everywhere Work
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Jeff Abbott, former CEO of Ivanti, who, alongside his global team, brings insights to shape the future of work. As the leader of a company dedicated to providing innovative IT and security solutions, Jeff brings a wealth of experience and insight to the discussion of the evolving workplace landscape.
Today, Jeff will share key findings from Ivanti's 2024 Everywhere Work Report – a comprehensive study exploring the latest trends, challenges, and opportunities in the distributed work environment.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
If you think about where some of the most successful platforms are, Salesforce.com has brought an amazing platform to sales and marketing, and Workday is an amazing platform for HR. CIO's and CISOs have not had that. Our quest at Avanti is to bring that platform to the global business community at large, and in this transition we're in right now, I believe it's the most important evolution in contemporary business we've seen in the last 25 years. It's going to be the basis for our economic well-being for the next 50 years, if we get this right.
It makes sense for leadership teams to take active steps to dig a little deeper into this divide. With remote work becoming more prevalent, surveying your employees, I believe, is more and more important, this idea of remote leadership and keeping up with the ‘vibe’ of the company in this remote world to understand the experiences and challenges of employees and the executive suite with different mode of work.
Over 90% of leaders we surveyed say that employees have the tools to be productive in a remote or hybrid work environment. But, of those employees, just 57% say they need better tools and better access, and don't have the smoothest experience from a digital culture perspective.
What we're observing is that IT teams aren't fully bought into the value of DEX (digital experience platform). IT teams are less likely than leadership to say that improving the digital employee experience positively affects productivity, retention, and satisfaction. Additionally, those IT professionals don't always get to experience the benefits of the digital employee experience that they actually help power. As a result, they don't buy into it simply because they haven't had a positive experience themselves. Applying the promise of DEX should really start with IT, because they're the ones enabling it.
BEST MOMENTS
‘The biggest challenge is engaging in the Everwork policy and technical adjustments in the safest and most secure way. You can't rush this. You got to get it right. Just can't wing it.’
‘Threats from bad actors or cyber terrorists are as bad as they've ever been. It's getting worse. These days, it's a persistent threat, they don't just come and knock on the door with phishing, it's a campaign, it’s nonstop. Vigilance is so important.’
‘Both the CIO and the CISO have to lock arms and enable IT to understand how they can truly impact productivity with the DEX platform by having transparency and visibility across the landscape of the company.’
‘Ultimately, where we’re headed is no longer operating IT over here, security over here, we see these organisations starting to converge. That's why this platform is so important for the future.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
As former CEO of Ivanti, Jeff Abbott oversaw all aspects of the company’s growth strategy and direction. Before becoming CEO of Ivanti in October 2021, Jeff was Ivanti’s President since January 2020. Jeff has over 25 years of experience working for enterprise software and services companies, including Accenture, Oracle, and Infor. Jeff holds degrees from the University of Tennessee and Georgia State University. He sits on the National Alumni Board at the University of Tennessee and has previously held board positions with the Georgia Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Posse Foundation.
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
33 min
August 21, 2024Nick Telson-Sillett: From Design My Night to Angel Investing… and more!
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Nick Telson-Sillett, a renowned entrepreneur, angel investor, and public speaker based in London. He has an impressive track record in the startup ecosystem and has made significant contributions to the industry.
Today, we will dive deep into Nick's journey as a startup founder and angel investor, and explore his latest project, Trumpet. We'll discuss his strategies for evaluating investment opportunities, his advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and gain his insights on the current startup landscape.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
If you just look at the reservation market, you’d think you find an open table at a restaurant, reserve the table, etc. We drilled in a bit further and found the niche of bars that you couldn’t book into in 2012. We went to the industry and pitched the idea of an app like OpenTable that worked for bars, they and the customer base were positive about it, and we went and built the software and signed up all of the best bars in the UK because there was no other app out there that was catering to them at the time.
Because we’d built such a flexible booking system for bars, there was a boom in casual dining, which didn’t exist back in the day for experiential, different types of restaurants that needed the flexibility. We then made a play for that niche.
Early start-ups: Don’t get distracted. Focus is so important; everyone promises you the world, but partnerships and sponsorships only add noise. Surround yourself with the work; 3 hours in front of my laptop is more worthwhile than going to a founders' event. Becoming a founder has become a fashionable sport; people forget that being a founder is really hard work, building your business, and putting your head down.
I love the start-up world. I was mentoring founders, so Angel Investing was an obvious route because I could help financially and mentor the companies I’m financially invested in. A lot of founders I’ve met aren’t investor-ready, and the first thing I say to founders is, " Have you thought about what you want out of your business? If it’s just you and you don’t need to raise money, and if £3m is life-changing to you, you can build a business worth £3m, and you hold 100% of the equity, and then you can sell it.
BEST MOMENTS
‘You can’t please everyone: If you build a product and you’re at the whim of your customers, you’ll never have clarity or be able to build strategically, you’ll always be chasing your tail.’
‘We were the first app to introduce putting your card down or paying a deposit because we found no-shows were a big problem.’
‘Sales is going to be the new engineering, finding great sales people that know what they’re doing is tough, determine your ICP (ideal customer profile) and go after them specifically.’
‘Learning to say no to people doesn’t have to be rude; it’s about preserving your time to drive your business forward.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Sillett is a London-based entrepreneur, investor, and public speaker. He is known for co-founding DesignMyNight, a B2C platform that attracted over 8 million views per month and a B2B platform with over 5,000 clients. DesignMyNight was acquired by The Access Group in November 2017 for $30 million.
After DesignMyNight's successful exit, Nick Telson-Sillett continued his entrepreneurial journey and co-founded Trumpet, a buyer enablement software solution.
He is also the founder of Horseplay Ventures, a venture arm that invests in startups, and has invested in over 55 startups as an angel investor.
Nick Telson-Sillett is actively involved in the startup community and has hosted his own podcast called Pitch Deck, where startup founders pitch their businesses to him and guest angel investors/mentors. They discuss the pitch, the business itself, and the investment opportunity.
YouTube
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
56 min
August 14, 2024Richard Gunn: On Hyperexponential… The Pricing Nerds!
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Richard Gunn, Chief Revenue Officer at hyperexponential, who is at the forefront of revolutionising the insurance industry through advanced pricing decision intelligence and driving the adoption of hx Renew, a cutting-edge Pricing Decision Intelligence platform designed specifically for commercial insurers in Europe and beyond.
On this episode we'll explore how hyperexponential is changing the pricing paradigm for insurers, the importance of advanced pricing decision intelligence in today's rapidly evolving market, and Richard's vision for the future of the insurance industry.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Advanced pricing decision intelligence refers to the use of advanced algorithms, data analysis, and technology to gather, analyse, and interpret pricing data for the purpose of making informed spricing decisions. It involves monitoring and tracking the prices of products or services, analysing market trends, and understanding competitor pricing strategies
Advanced pricing decision intelligence is important for businesses because it allows them to make data-driven pricing decisions, remain competitive, optimise profitability, and react In real-time.
Advanced pricing decision intelligence involves the use of advanced algorithms, machine learning models, and software tools to gather, analyse, and interpret pricing data. These tools leverage technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics to provide deeper insights into pricing strategies and market dynamics. Some common techniques used in advanced pricing decision intelligence include: data gathering, data analysis, machine learning models, and automation.
Advanced pricing decision intelligence involves the use of advanced algorithms, data analysis, and technology to gather, analyse, and interpret pricing data for the purpose of making informed pricing decisions. It is important for businesses to remain competitive, optimize profitability, and react in real-time to market dynamics and competitor actions.
BEST MOMENTS
‘The benefits of advanced pricing decision intelligence include: improved decision-making, increased competitiveness, optimised profitability, and real-time insights.’
‘hx Renew offers a value proposition to insurers by providing insurance pricing software and a pricing decision intelligence platform.’
‘By leveraging hx Renew, insurers can eliminate the manual data collection process, saving substantial time and resources. This can result in annual savings of up to and beyond $100,000.’
‘hx Renew provides insurance professionals with a dynamic environment for real-time rate change monitoring and decision-making. This allows insurers to transition from relying on outdated information to making informed decisions based on up-to-date data.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Richard Gunn is the Chief Revenue Officer at hyperexponential, a company known for creating hx Renew, a Pricing Decision Intelligence platform specifically designed for the insurance industry. In his role, he is responsible for driving revenue growth and ensuring the company's financial success. With a deep understanding of the insurance market and a passion for leveraging technology to solve complex problems, Richard is instrumental in helping insurance companies make informed pricing decisions through hx Renew. His leadership and strategic vision continue to propel hyperexponential, forward in the competitive insurtech landscape.
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
44 min
August 08, 2024Karrie Sullivan: Hacking the Change Curve by Adopting AI in the Workplace
In this episode, Sabine talks to Karrie Sullivan, a change management expert with a keen interest in psychology and the development and leveraging of AI. Karrie talks in depth about why AI is disrupting the world of change management and the innovation it is creating, including her work with AI personality assessment. They also discuss the broader adoption of new technology and how to recognise resilience and innovation among leaders and individuals.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Self-knowledge and introspection are both key components to personal development, which is essential when trying to promote change within and outside of ourselves.
Whilst parts of our core personalities may be ‘fixed’, our ability as individuals to develop and evolve is dynamic; this is where we can create the change we want to see.
Karrie frequently works at the intersection of small start-ups and larger enterprises to find the right people and innovation to create the best-practice framework for all.
Find the 7% of people who can turn chaos into opportunity and remain resilient under pressure.
There is value in trying various new technologies and then adapting them to what suits your business; not all technology will be the right fit.
BEST MOMENTS
‘We’re finding pockets of results and resilience, so we and our customers, our clients can do a really good job of adoption and transformation.”
“How do we help ourselves become better humans?”
“We work with those result drivers who can solve problems very fast, to adopt something new, so what they’re doing is creating best practices.”
“It’s actually a very small amount of people able to manage the change.”
“They want to see a culture, they believe in culture, and they’re looking for other resilient mindsets to surround themselves with.”
ABOUT THE GUEST
Karrie Sullivan is a seasoned expert in change management and organization design, with a keen focus on leveraging AI personality assessments to drive successful transformations.
With a background in large-scale transformations, Karrie has honed her skills to specifically address change management and organization design challenges.
She is adept at helping organizations adopt new technologies, such as Microsoft Copilot, by hyper-targeting adoption efforts based on employees' mindsets and resilience levels.
Karrie's innovative approach to hacking the change curve has significantly reduced the time it takes for organizations to become high-performing after undergoing transformation.
You can discover more about Karrie's company below.
https://culminatestrategy.com/
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
39 min
July 31, 2024Sean Languedoc: Outsourcing 2.0 to Access a Global Talent Pool (Outsourcing 2.0)
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Sean Languedoc, a seasoned tech entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience building & scaling companies across borders. Sean shares lessons from scaling five companies, how Outforce.ai is transforming outsourcing, when startups should consider leveraging external teams, and his thoughts on how emerging technologies like generative AI and quantum computing are accelerating development cycles. He also offers advice for non-technical founders looking to build MVPs in a capital-efficient way.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Each business started not because of a technology that I wanted to build, but because of a problem I saw in an industry that I needed to solve, & I was enabled by technology to solve it.
You can’t just walk into an industry like InsurTech & disrupt it with technology, technology changes a lot faster than behaviour & infrastructure. The lesson there was if things go wrong, the agency is blamed & I’d be fired. It’s nothing to do with technology; it’s all about people.
Across all businesses, you have to look at who you are disrupting & how influential they are in the decision-making process. Who wins & who loses, & who can you embrace for your winning approach & get momentum behind?
BEST MOMENTS
‘Everyone will tell you you have a great idea until you ask them to pay for it, or until you understand the culture of the industry itself.’
‘For good operators who were really interested in optimising, we got a lot of momentum, but for the companies that were horse-trading favours, not so much.’
‘The industry standard is 39% of projects that go to outsourcing don’t work out. I’d say another 20% on top of those end up working out only because of brute force, relentless effort by the client to teach the outsourcing agency how to do it.’
‘You can’t afford to take the risk of getting it wrong, you need to go in with data & research & get it right.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Sean Languedoc is a seasoned tech entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience building & scaling companies. He has founded five tech ventures across various domains, successfully taking two of them "south" from Canada to the US.
Currently, Sean is the CEO of Outforce.ai, a company that transforms outsourcing from a daunting task into a strategic asset for venture-backed startups. Outforce.ai aims to be the catalyst that propels tech ventures to their next phase of growth by connecting them with the right engineering teams globally.
Beyond his role at Outforce.ai, Sean is deeply involved in the startup ecosystem as a mentor, guiding entrepreneurs through the complex landscape. He serves as a board member at A100 & a Charter Member at C100, underscoring his commitment to fostering tech innovation and entrepreneurship in Canada & beyond.
With his extensive expertise in international collaboration, recruiting, & navigating cultural nuances, Sean brings valuable insights on scaling teams, leveraging outsourcing effectively, and adapting to the rapidly evolving tech landscape.
His unique perspective, shaped by building companies across borders, makes him an insightful guest to discuss growth strategies for startups and the future of work in an AI-driven world.
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
53 min
July 24, 2024Edward Brawer: Revolutionising Content Creation With AI-Powered Podcasting
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Edward Brawer, co-founder and CEO of PodcastAI, a groundbreaking SaaS platform that's revolutionising the podcasting industry.
In this episode, we'll explore: Edward's entrepreneurial journey and the origin of PodcastAI, how AI is transforming the podcasting landscape, the future of content creation and distribution in the digital age, strategies for entrepreneurs looking to leverage podcasting for growth, & the challenges and opportunities in the rapidly evolving podcasting market.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Our previous startup was with a video platform, and we looked at what we could do with AI & the models were pretty expensive. It could take the titles of YouTube videos & it would give you new titles, which isn’t super useful. The real Aha moment for everybody was ChatGPT, because it wasn’t a technological development; it was realizing how to use it. It was at that time I realised that there was no limit to what you could build with this which led me to start PodcastAI.
In February, I started playing around with AI voice models & I realised that I could create a parody of an episode of the All In Podcast. I posted it on Twitter & it was reposted by them & went viral, hitting 600,000 views. We did 6 in total & people wanted to know if it was real, if AI had produced the podcast, they asked for the code and GitHub repository. That’s when we knew we could do it & we now have a product called ‘The Magic Pod’ that creates a podcast for people who aren’t comfortable being in front of a microphone. It generates a podcast completely automatically from blog posts and news sites, in your voice.
Podcasting can be as simple or complicated as you want it to be. At its simplest, you can record a Zoom session and share it. PodcastAI can level up your production quality by automating all the post-production, distribution & promotion. At the higher end, it’s more like a scripted TV show. Everybody is able to do this.
A100 years ago, the percentage of the population engaged in farming was easily double digits; maybe 1% was engaged in farming because there were tractors, etc. Not everybody became unemployed; they went on to do even greater things, raised the standard of living for everyone, and earned higher wages.
BEST MOMENTS
‘For most podcasters the interview is the fun part and the rest is less fun (pre- & post-production, editing, promotion & distribution, website CMS), Podcast AI makes podcasting effortless.’
‘Magic Pod is a whole new game. You don’t even have to do the recording part, just give it a 3-minute sample of your voice, upload it into our system & it automatically goes out on the day & time you want.’
‘Today, podcasting is a $28billion market. In 5 years it’s going to be $100billion.’
‘You’ll have more throughput, higher quality overall outcomes of the work produced & agencies are going to be able to scale in a way they haven’t been able to; it’s going to become an enabling technology.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Edward Brawer is the co-founder and CEO of PodcastAI, a cutting-edge SaaS platform revolutionising the podcasting industry through AI-powered automation. Launched in 2023, PodcastAI offers a comprehensive suite of tools for podcast creation, post-production, & distribution.
Under Edward's leadership, PodcastAI has secured venture backing, with Jason Calacanis' Launch fund as the lead investor. The platform offers innovative features such as AI-generated ad reads, fully automated podcast episodes, & comprehensive post-production services, positioning itself at the forefront of the rapidly growing podcasting market.
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
47 min
July 17, 2024Jeannette Linfoot: From Corporate CEO To Entrepreneurial Success
On this episode of the Scouting For Growth podcast, Sabine VdL talks to Jeannette Linfoot, a distinguished corporate CEO turned entrepreneur, board advisor, mentor, & investor, renowned for her ability to guide business leaders, C-suite executives, & entrepreneurs through complex business challenges & towards scalable growth, whose career is marked by her 'Brave, Bold, Brilliant' ethos, which she has successfully translated into a top-tier podcast that reaches audiences in over 120 countries.
On this episode, she shares insights from her extensive career, her transition to a portfolio career, & her passion for personal development & growth.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
In my mid- to late-40s, I took stock of where I was, I loved my corporate career, but I wanted to have more freedom, choice & flexibility in my life. Now, having a portfolio career gives me more choice around being able to travel more & ultimately, I call the shots.
When scaling up, what got you to where you’re at now won’t necessarily get you where you want to get to in the next phase. Having a clear, differentiated position in the market is really important when you scaling, otherwise you’re just competing on price against your competitors. Be clear on your proposition to the customer & know where you want to take the business.
There are only 24 hours in a day & you’re only one person, your success in whatever field you’re in will often be dictated by the talent around you. As you scale you may find there are certain functions that you didn’t need before that you do now, or a combined role may now be at a scale where it needs to be separated & more resources need to be brought into the business.
In any business it’s great to have a mix of talent, experience, some of which is age related: the older you are the more experience you’re going to have. But, the younger generation will have fresh thoughts & more energy. Everyone contributes to a team. With Gen Z, it’s important to understand their motivations in terms of flexibility, they tend to be more values- and purpose-led & they’re choosing who they want to work with on how they align with their morals & values
BEST MOMENTS
‘There’s never an easy time to scale a business, there will always be something that will challenge you, so really get clear on why you’re scaling up, start with the end in mind & work backwards.’
‘If your systems, processes, the boring stuff is not solid you won’t be able to scale, it will fall over at some point. Map them out now & understand which areas you need to strengthen.’
‘Don’t feel you have to scale up, it might not be right for you, you’ve got to want to do it yourself because it’s a hard thing to do. Prepare before you start on the journey of growth.’
‘The formula for success is: belief + purpose + action = results.’
ABOUT THE GUEST
Jeannette Linfoot is a distinguished corporate CEO turned entrepreneur, board advisor, mentor, & investor, renowned for her ability to guide business leaders, C-suite executives, & entrepreneurs through complex business challenges & towards scalable growth.
Transitioning from a full-time corporate CEO to a portfolio entrepreneur, Jeannette now manages three businesses: a property investment business, an advisory business for corporate clients & business owners, & a one-to-one mentoring business.
Jeannette's podcast, "Brave, Bold, Brilliant" has evolved into a comprehensive brand & framework for executive leadership development & strategy, focusing on leading oneself, leading the business, & leading teams.
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Podcast: YouTube, Spotify, Apple
ABOUT THE HOST
Sabine VanderLinden is a corporate strategist turned entrepreneur and the CEO of Alchemy Crew Ventures. She leads venture-client labs that help Fortune 500 companies adopt and scale cutting-edge technologies from global tech ventures. A builder of accelerators, investor, and co-editor of the bestseller The INSURTECH Book, Sabine is known for asking the uncomfortable questions—about AI governance, risk, and trust. On Scouting for Growth, she decodes how real growth happens—where capital, collaboration, and courage meet.
If this episode sparked your thinking, follow Sabine VanderLinden on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Instagram for more insights.
And if you’re interested in sponsoring the podcast, reach out to the team at [email protected]
46 min