Thanks for listening in 2017 – we’ve had a great time doing People Tell Richard Stuff.

As an end of year treat, I’ve put together a 45min compilation of a few of my favourite bits from this year. Here’s what I’ve picked:

Brian Solis, digital analyst, speaker and author

We talk about a few huge acquisitions that took place in 2017 – Amazon/Whole Foods and Wal-Mart/Bonobos – and what that means for each. We also discuss how hard it can be to effect culture change in these big companies, especially when it comes to digital innovation.

Justine Roberts, co-founder & CEO, Mumsnet

Justine is quite candid about the early days of Mumsnet, where she would ask and answer her own questions to drive activity on the site. I ask her about how the site has grown and how the strategy has evolved, especially with Google and Facebook rocking the boat.

Edward Griffith, co-founder & CEO, LoveCrafts

Edward grew LoveCrafts as a multisided platform – ecommerce plus social marketplace. That’s a tricky thing to balance, so I asked him about why he started with the ecommerce and grew from there. We also talk about international expansion and how LoveCrafts is managing growth.

Jonathan Wall, group ecommerce director, Shop Direct

Jonathan is really excited about how AI and chat bots can help with customer service. We talk about that, and all the different components that come together to create a sleek, delightful customer experience.

David Walmsley, chief customer officer, House of Fraser

David represents the ‘conscience of the customer’ within House of Fraser, so we talk about listening to customers and bringing all departments of the business together around a common aim – meeting customer expectations at every touchpoint.

People Tell Richard Stuff: Episode 50

The best of 2017