The Founder Coach Podcast

How do you set realistic standards for your team? Meet Gren Paull, CEO of Lilli—a company that helps vulnerable people live independently and safely, using smart in-home sensors.

In this episode, Gren shares how he took over as CEO, the differences between the COO and CEO role, and his approach to setting standards for the team.

We also discuss the value of a Head of People, even during the early stages.

Key links:

Lilli website: https://www.intelligentlilli.com/

Gren Paull profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gren-paull-a89a541

Key timestamps:

[01:02] What's Lilly's backstory?

[02:06] What limitations have you seen in founders as they scale?

[03:45] How did you come to be CEO of Lilly?

[09:24] What's the difference between the COO and CEO role?

[10:50] How would you describe a high performing team?

[11:34] Do you set realistic standards for your team?

[15:26] What's the value of a Head of People?

[17:12] What are the challenges you face in developing as a CEO?

[18:35] How do you manage the pressure of the role?

[21:50] Why is scaling like driving a car?

Got feedback? Email us at [email protected]. And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.

How does the role of CEO force you to change? Meet Charles Wells, CEO of HelloSelf—a company with a mission to help everyone practically work on self-improvement. 

In this episode, Charles shares his company's amazing origin story, we discuss the transition from manager to leader, and the challenge of giving up areas of the business.

We also discuss shadow cultures and how to avoid letting the external mission corrode the internal one.

Key links:

HelloSelf website: https://www.helloself.com/

Charles' profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesjwells/

Key timestamps:

[01:17] Did I get the problem statement correct?

[03:17] What were some  preconceptions you had about raising money ?

[09:41] What's different about HelloSelf's approach?

[16:14] How did you decide on which problem to solve?

[19:33] What's difficult about being a CEO that we don't talk enough about?

[21:56] What skills did you have to learn to transition from manager to leader?

[26:07] The danger of shadow culture

[29:56] Did you hand over problems too early, too late or about right?

[30:45] Quick-fire round (new!)

Got feedback? Email us on [email protected] And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.

In this special edition to mark the 10th episode of the Founder Coach Podcast, I unpack the most powerful moments on the show this far—moments that demonstrate and celebrate the power of vulnerable leadership.

As well as sharing practical takeaways on topics like building a culture of resilience and challenge, managing stress, and stepping out of the details, I'll leave with you with some powerful questions that help you integrate these ideas in your role as a leader. I hope you enjoy listening to this episode as much as I enjoyed creating it.

Key Timestamps:

[01:21] Chris Edson, CEO Second Nature, on stepping out of the details

[05:11] Paul Ford, CEO Acin, on building resilience

[09:28] Jacob Waern, CEO EduMe, on showing vulnerability as a leader

[13:00] Jack Tang, CEO Urban, on routines for stress management

[16:01] Anastasia Leng, CEO CreativeX, on encouraging challenge from your team

[21:01] Ben Stephenson, CEO Impala, on having tough conversations with leaders

[25:27] Rebecca Kelly, CEO VenueScanner, on hiring a Chief of Staff

[29:30] Will Read, CEO Sideways 6, on the importance of self-compassion

A big thank you to all the CEOs that have taken part and supported our mission—to share unvarnished stories about the emotional realities of leading high-growth tech startups. You're not alone.

How easy is it to transition from 'wartime' to 'peacetime' as a CEO? Meet Will Read, CEO of Sideways 6—a company that helps companies capture big ideas from their employees.

In this episode, Will shares his capital-efficient approach to growth, we discuss the anxiety that comes with the CEO role, and explain why it's important to celebrate wins with your team.

We also unpack the transition from 'wartime' to 'peacetime' CEO—and why it's not as easy as you may think.

Key links:

Sideways 6 website: https://www.sideways6.com/careers

Will Read's profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wread/

Key timestamps:

[02:58] How did you adapt Sideway 6 as you scaled?

[05:49] Capital efficiency: How much did you raise?

[09:12] How did you reposition the business after Covid?

[11:24] Which of the experiments didn't work and which messaging has ended up working out for you?

[13:56] How is your corporate podcast coming along?

[16:21] Peacetime vs. wartime CEO

[19:30] The anxiety of strategy

[22:54] How do you exercise self-compassion as CEO?

[26:41] Celebrating your teams wins

Got feedback? Email us on [email protected]. And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.

How do you encourage new behaviours? Meet Luke Fisher, CEO of Mo, SaaS software that allows teams and companies to share their wins and encourage new behaviours. 

In this episode, Luke Fisher explains how he 'dog-foods' his own product to celebrate wins in his team, how he adapted his fundraising approach during COVID, and how the North Star Metric framework links to OKRs.

We also talk about the often conflicting needs of end-users and the economic buyer.

Key links:

Mo website: https://mo.work/

Luke Fisher profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lsfisher/

Key timestamps:

[00:41] What was the context at WorldPay before you started the business?

[04:12] How does Mo work?

[08:15] Do you use the platform at your company?

[10:52] What did you have to do to adapt to remote pitches during COVID?

[14:06] What are the specific benchmarks that drive stress in your company?

[16:00] How do you implement the North Star Metric framework?

[18:00] How do align pricing with customer value?

[21:00] How would Mo work in small teams?

[25:00] How do you align a team when there's uncertainty?

Thanks to Jason and Merlin for their great input.

Got feedback? Email us at [email protected]. And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.

What's it like to see revenues drop 95%? Meet Rebecca Kelly, CEO of VenueScanner—a marketplace that connects event organisers with their ideal venue.

In this episode, Rebecca shares her insights on marketplace business models, tells the story of how Covid dramatically impacted her business, and how she reinvented an events marketplace to stay relevant—even when there are no events happening.

She also explains how to think about the Chief of Staff role—a must-listen for every CEO interested in recruiting one.

Key links:

VenueScanner website: https://www.venuescanner.com/

Rebecca Kelly profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-kelly-5928054b/

Key timestamps:

[03:51] What were some assumptions about the events space that turned out to be false?

[07:18] How can you tell whether to push commissions or subscriptions?

[12:07] Why did you decide to hire a Chief of Staff?

[20:54] How did Covid affect your business?

[27:02] What does it take to build good relationships with investors?

[28:37] How have you reinvented your business model in light of the pandemic?

Thanks to Guy and Angus for their great input.

Got feedback? Email us on [email protected]. And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.

What does it mean to put 'People First' in a fast-growing company? Meet Ben Stephenson, CEO of Impala—a company building a suite of travel APIs that make building travel tech a lot easier.

In this episode, Ben Stephenson explains how he went from Seed to Series B in six months, how the pandemic affected their travel-focused business, and why hiring a head of people made a huge difference in building a remote-first culture. We also discuss the importance of inviting your leaders to the conversation. 

Key links:

Impala website: https://impala.travel/

Ben Stephenson profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-stephenson-13032b33/

Key timestamps:

[01:47] What happened in TechStars?

[07:07] How did you approach your Series A?

[08:52] How did you raise Series A in less than a month?

[10:37] How did you raise a Series B 6 months later?

[14:47] What happens when you get a global pandemic in travel?

[16:48] How do you shape culture in a remote environment?

[23:51] Why do you use external search firms

[25:51] What has been one of your most significant learnings as a CEO?

[30:58] What can we expect from Impala in the next few months?

Thanks to Jens, Jean and Julian (all the Js) for their great input.

Got feedback? Email us on [email protected]. And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.

How do you get your team to speak up to the CEO? Meet Anastasia Leng, CEO of CreativeX—a Series A SaaS company that helps B2C brands understand the performance of image and video content.

In this episode, Anastasia explains how she got term sheets for a company with no name, unpacks the founder-investor partnership, and explains why high-standards are a perk.

We also discuss 'Devil's Avocado' (a term borrowed from Sarah Wood), and other ways to encourage constructive dissent.

Key links:

CreativeX website: https://www.creativex.com/

Open job positions: https://creativex.freshteam.com/jobs

Anastasia Leng profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aleng/

Dave's essay on wise interventions: http://bit.ly/wise-interventions

Key timestamps:

[01:01] What's it like to be back in the office (alone)?

[05:50] How do you collect data on being 'on-brand'?

[08:20] Tell us about your Series A raise.

[12:09] How did you go from agency to SaaS?

[23:21] What's it like to lead a team of 35 employees?

[27:01] How did you define your company's values?

[31:21] What are the challenges of having a culture of constructive dissent?

[33:13] How do you encourage people to speak up?

Thanks to Alex Dunsdon and John Griffin for their great input.

Got feedback? Email us on [email protected]. And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.

What does it mean to leave your comfort zone as a CEO? Meet Jacob Waern, CEO of EduMe (Series A), a mobile-based training tool that gives desk-less workforces the knowledge they need to succeed.

In this episode, Jacob talks about his experience reducing his team by 90%, explains how he raised while sick with suspected Coronavirus, and we discuss what it takes to build a strong leadership team.

We also look at the tension between empowering processes and empowering people.

Key links:

EduMe website: https://edume.com/

Open job positions: https://edume.com/join-us

Jacob Waern profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-waern-a13165/

Key timestamps:

[01:23] What's the story EduMe?

[03:02] What are common misconceptions about pivots?

[07:43] What was it like to fire 90% of the company?

[13:37] When did you decide to build a category?

[17:00] What was it like to raise during Covid

[22:57] How did you build a relationship with a Valley investor?

[32:24] What system can result in a strong leadership team?

[37:37] What's it like to realise the company can grow faster than its individuals?

[42:41] Vulnerability vs. over-sharing

Thanks to Andreas Schörling, Anders Nilsson and Pietro Bezza for their great input.

Got feedback? Email us on [email protected]. And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.

How many languages do founders need to learn? Meet Paul Ford, CEO of Acin, a SaaS tool that helps banks manage their operational risk.

In this episode, Paul and I discuss why raising money is like learning a new language, Paul shares how the army helped him become more resilient, and we talk about what it was like to step down as CEO of his previous company. We also explore how to find topics that resonate with end users.

Key links:

Acin website: https://acin.com/

Open job positions: https://acin.com/company/careers/

Paul Ford profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-ford-56b509/

Key timestamps:

[02:03] How did the army help you stay resilient?

[12:42] Why did you step down from your previous company?

[16:20] Why did you decide to raise a Series A now?

[20:20] What was it like to raise VC having worked in a bank?

[26:18] What are some of the things that you still struggle with as a CEO?

[37:08] Dave describes the messaging matrix

Thanks to Simon Ball and Rocket for their great input.

Got feedback? Email us on [email protected]. And don't forget to hit follow/subscribe so you don't miss out on new episodes.