SEEKERS

Send us a text

In this episode, Desi sits down with Sanjay Lobo, the CEO of OnHand, the leading volunteering platform revolutionising employee engagement. From his humble beginnings in South London, to his impressive career trajectory through senior roles at Lastminute.com and Vistaprint, Sanjay shares his unique journey from lawyer to tech founder. 

Discover how his background as a lawyer shaped his innovative approach to business and learn about the pivotal moments that led to the success of OnHand. 

Key Takeaways:

• Early Life & Inspiration: Sanjay reflects on his childhood in Tooting, the challenges he faced, and the aspirations that guided him towards a career in law and eventually tech entrepreneurship.
• Career Path: Insight into Sanjay’s transition from law to senior roles at lastminute.com and Vistaprint, highlighting the skills and experiences that prepared him for founding OnHand. Unlike most lawyers, Sanjay was obsessed with using the law to find loopholes that could drive growth.
• Founding OnHand: The motivation behind OnHand's inception, the initial business model, and the strategic shift to a B2B model that focuses on employee engagement and corporate social responsibility.
• Challenges & Growth: The critical decisions and challenges faced by OnHand, including the impact of COVID-19 and the transition from a consumer-focused to a corporate-focused platform.
• Dragon’s Den Experience: Sanjay shares his experience on Dragon’s Den, securing offers from four dragons, and the subsequent impact on OnHand’s growth and visibility. But are the dragons part of the business today?
• Personal Insights: Sanjay discusses the personal and professional transformation he has undergone as a founder, the importance of confidence, and his dedication to making a social impact.

Connect with Sanjay on LinkedIn.

Check out OnHand.

Send us a text

If you're a football fan, you might remember Thomas Robson-Kanu from his Premier League days at Reading F.C. or his spectacular goal in Euro 2016, which helped Wales reach the semi-finals. Today, Thomas is the founder and CEO of The Turmeric Co., one of the UK's leading functional beverage companies. Born from his personal health journey, The Turmeric Co. was established in 2018 and quickly grew to prominence with its unique turmeric shots designed to promote wellness, boasting over 15,000 life-changing customer testimonials.

In this episode, we discussed Thomas's transition from football to entrepreneurship, the origins of The Turmeric Co., and the science behind their products. Thomas shares how his father's turmeric blend helped him recover from severe knee injuries, leading to the creation of their signature turmeric shots. The blend proved so effective that it became Thomas' "secret weapon" throughout his successful football career. Realising the potential to help others, Thomas and his father founded The Turmeric Co. in 2018 to bring this clinically-backed, natural solution to the market.

Thomas shared the challenges of maintaining high product quality while scaling up the business, the strategic decisions that have fuelled their growth, and the importance of a subscription model for customer retention. He also provides valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, emphasising the need for passion, perseverance, and continuous learning.

We also discussed how his background as a professional footballer shaped him into the CEO he is today and the qualities he gained back then that help him grow the company.

"If you have a standard that you're not willing to drop below, then that standard becomes the norm. So you standardise the standard, and if you then have a mentality and a mindset around continuous improvement, all you're doing is increasing and improving that standard all of the time, and that then creates an A-star culture with A-star players within an A-star team."

As a former elite athlete and now passionate wellness entrepreneur, Thomas offers a unique perspective on the importance of prioritising health through nutrition. Tune in to hear his inspiring story and vision for The Turmeric Co.

Connect with Thomas Robson-Kanu and The Turmeric Co.:

The Turmeric Co. https://theturmeric.co/

Follow Thomas on social media:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomashalrobsonkanu/
https://www.instagram.com/robsonkanu/
https://x.com/RobsonKanu

Send us a text

Diego Borgo is a seasoned Web3 and Metaverse advisor with a track record of guiding Fortune 500 brands and boasting collaborations with companies like adidas and Mastercard. 

He’s also the co-founder of BorgoLabs, a consultancy that helps companies position themselves and drive growth in the Web3 space.

We recently collaborated with Diego on a client's project and, as usual, was impressed by the innovative yet practical approach he takes to his projects. 

He's the first person we invite for a second interview on this podcast, mainly because we wanted to delve deeper into why we're still in the web3 dip and when the space might recover. 

We discussed the reasons why web3 and blockchain have yet to become strong, independent industries. We also touched on some fresh new projects that offer real value and explored where the space is heading in the next few years. And of course, no podcast would be complete without bringing AI into the equation - that's where things really get interesting!

You can find Diego on LinkedIn.

Check out Borgo Labs

Send us a text

Today, we’re speaking with Jack Parsons and Leon Marseglia - the forces behind the UK’s largest community for young people, The Youth Group.

Since launching the company 4 years ago, "Young Jack," as he's often called, has managed to grow their community to 1.7 million young individuals and connect thousands of them with some of the best UK companies offering jobs, upskilling, and mentorship. Their exceptional accomplishments have been recognized by countless awards and honors, one of which is Jack's 'UK's Kindest Leader' award by the Financial Times. When Leon came onboard, they took The Youth Group to one of the top 25 startups in the UK.

What we discussed:

The inspiring journeys that led Jack and Leon to become successful entrepreneurs in their 20s.

The pressing issue of mental health among young people in the UK - why 1 in 6 children in the UK has been identified with a probable mental health problem.

The importance of instilling resilience from a young age - why and how.

Navigating Choices: With a plethora of opportunities at their fingertips, how can young people find their passions and areas of expertise? Jack and Leon share practical advice.

What are the most pressing needs of young people in 2023, and how can we address them effectively?

What are the top skills that employers are looking for in young individuals? (Some of them will surprise you!)

The growing gap between educational institutions and workforce expectations and what are some practical changes to bridge it.

Opportunities Beyond Cities: While cities often take the spotlight, we'll explore actions to create more opportunities for young people in rural areas.

Check out Youth Group

Connect with Jack Parsons on Linkedin

Connect with Leon Marseglia on LinkedIn

Send us a text

Whether you're into crypto or not, many foresee blockchain as the foundational layer for future technologies. From finance and healthcare to entertainment and sports, the consensus seems clear: "The Future Will Be Tokenised."

Join us in this super interesting conversation with Brent Annells, CMO of Smart Token Labs. With a background that boasts senior roles at Facebook and Uber, Brent offers a uniquely informed perspective on the revolution that tokenisation promises to bring, especially in reshaping customer engagement.

In this episode, we dive into:

- An introduction to Smart Token Labs and their mission in the tokenization landscape.

- Demystifying tokenisation: What it is and its future significance.

- Real-world tokenisation applications and intriguing projects Smart Token Labs is currently working on.

- The project "Catch Max": a real-world example of Open Loyalty

- The evolution of loyalty programs: The rise of "Open Loyalty" and why this is a game changer 

- Delving into the challenges: Why are we still in the tokenisation experimentation phase?

- The balance between decentralisation and compliance in web3: what do we need to do for better regulation and security

- Global leaders in Web3 adoption: Countries at the forefront


- Brent's journey: Contrasting Web3 marketing strategies with his experiences at Facebook and Uber.

- The educational divide: Can you sell and educate at the same time?

- Predictions on the next big wave in the Web3 universe

You can connect with Brent on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentannells/

Check out Smart Token Labs: https://smarttokenlabs.com/

Check out Smart Layer Network: https://www.smartlayer.network/ 

Learn more about CatchMax: https://www.catchmax.io/

Send us a text

Eamonn Carey is a seasoned investor, the General Partner at Tera Ventures, a former Managing Director at Techstars, an advisor to dozens of startups, a founder, an author, and a former journalist. With experience evaluating thousands of deals, we thought he would be the perfect person to discuss the investment climate in Europe. 

In this episode, we cover: 

- Eamonn's transformative journey from being an aspiring journalist to becoming an ambitious founder closing deals with companies like O2, Emirates, and Diageo. 

- How Eamonn's own business experience influences his approach to evaluating startups and potential deals. - The unique investment opportunities presented by the Baltics and Eastern Europe. 

- How the 'launch fast' philosophy has evolved in the age of brand-conscious startups. 

- Eamonn's perspective on startup success, providing insights into the factors that suggest a startup is likely to thrive. 

- What makes a perfect pitch, along with the common mistakes startups make when seeking investment? 

- The delicate balance between encouraging innovation and inflating investment bubbles, particularly in currently hyped industries like AI. Do VCs bear responsibility for sometimes damaging a sector? 

- The defining characteristics of a great early-stage investor and the ways they can support young startups beyond just providing funding. 

- Eamonn's biggest investing regret and the deal he wishes he had taken. 

You can find Eamonn on LinkedIn and Twitter. 

Send us a text

In this episode of The Product Show, we explore the intersection of sports and web3, questioning whether web3 can fix the broken aspects of football or if it's too broken itself to make a difference. We all know that fan engagement is essential in sports, and web3 and NFTs seem to be the perfect tools to harness the power of communities. However, the reality is not so straightforward.

To help us navigate this topic, we spoke with Jean-Charles Gaudechon, CEO of OneFootball Labs and former Electronic Arts Vice President. According to JC, we're only at the beginning of the sports revolution, and web3 is the future of sports and gaming.

Here are some of the highlights from the episode:

• JC's journey from game creator at EA to CEO of One Football Labs.
• Why JC believes that Web3 is the future of sports and gaming and that we're only at the beginning of the marathon.
• What it means to own a moment from a football game and whether you can truly own anything.
• Whether football fans are genuinely excited about web3 and what the industry is doing to increase adoption.
• The practical applications of NFT technology in sports that we can expect to see in the near future.
• When we might see the Aha moment of the NFT industry.
• The teams and footballers who are already doing exciting things in the web3 space.
• The main lessons JC learned from the highs and lows of the past year.
• JC's favourite football team that he can finally reveal after hiding it for 16 years.

Find Jean-Charles Gaudechon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jcgaudechon/

See the full transcript and the video version of the episode: https://pony.studio/design-for-growth/is-web3-the-future-of-fan-engagement-in-sports-jean-charles-gaudechon-ceo-of-onefootball-labs

Send us a text

Oliver Yonchev is the co-founder and CEO of Flight Story, a company he co-founded with Steven Barlett in 2021 that "helps brands stay at the forefront of what’s possible". Prior to Flight Story, he served as the managing director of Social Chain, one of the most successful social media marketing agencies in Europe.

In this episode, we covered a range of topics, including:

• Oliver's earliest childhood memories and how they shaped him as a person (spoiler: he wanted to become a professional footballer when he was younger)
• How he became managing director of Social Chain at the young age of 26 and led its expansion into the US
• The strategic decisions that helped scale Social Chain into one of Europe's leading marketing agencies
• What sets Flight Story apart from Social Chain and its approach to helping brands stay at the forefront of what's possible
• The growing importance of community building and the influence of retail investors in today's business landscape
• Oliver's views on nurturing a thriving community around your brand
• The future of Web3 and what the big players are getting wrong
• When can we expect to see Oliver on the Diary of a CEO?

Tune in to this episode to hear Oliver's insights and experience in the world of marketing and entrepreneurship.

Send us a text

Two years ago, "two kids, one from Singapore and the other one from Africa" left their jobs to set up a company. It all began with a single spreadsheet and their obsession to build a product that people really need.

Today, their venture, ADPList, has over 15,000 mentors and hundreds of thousands of users, helping people all around the world find the right mentor. ADPList is transforming the way we think about mentorship - "we're all learners," says its co-founder and CEO, Lee Felix. They have been growing so phenomenally well that they managed to raise funding from Sequoia Capital.

Coming from a modest family, Felix says that "these things don't usually happen to people like me." Well, I say - these things should happen exactly to people like you, Felix! His work ethic is rarely found these days, and at only 25, he has a more mature outlook on life than most 40-year-olds I know.

In this episode, Felix shares with me:

• His personal story and the childhood experiences that shaped him as a person.
• Why he started ADPList and what the early signs were that he was onto something big.
• His early acquisition strategy and the things he did exceptionally well that helped him grow in the early days (he got deals with Slack, Figma, etc.).
• Why he thinks his design background had a great impact on ADPList's growth.
• What happened when he tried to introduce payment (spoiler: it was met with a bad backlash).
• The different monetization strategies he will be exploring in the near future.
• The importance of mentorship and what to do if you're unsure how to approach a person you'd like to be your mentor.

You can find Felix on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Check out and sign up for ADPList here (it's free!)

Watch the video interview here.

Send us a text

No matter if you’re in web2 or web3 , as you scale your products to cater to thousands of users, you’re faced with one of the most common challenges for technology startups - how to scale your engineering team fast. Scaling is not just about rapidly hiring people, it’s about building resilient systems and effective team structures that will help the talent you hire thrive and deliver outstanding results. Put a brilliant person in the wrong environment and you can expect nothing but frustration and disappointment.

We discussed the topic with Alex Rashkov, Engineering Manager at Meta. Alex has also held senior engineering roles at HSBC, Moo,com and a few smaller startups. He spent years setting up and leading dev teams and he shared with us his vision on how to build a high performing engineering team. We also talked about effective team collaboration and building cross-functional teams, how to motivate your team to improve their performance, how to measure the results of their work and the key qualities that excellent engineers have in common.