Welcome to The Engine - Founders' Stories Podcast. Host Donna Owen is joined by George Lineker, Co-Founder of YourBusinessNumber. This company provides a second phone number and eSIM to help freelancers and small businesses separate their work and personal lives. George shares his journey from a previous failed app to building a lean, bootstrapped business over four years. He discusses the challenges of relying on platforms like WhatsApp and his vision for a more complete product. George also opens up about his privileged background, his learnings from past ventures, and the importance of routine and a strong team.

In this episode, George shares his journey from a previous venture in second-number apps to co-founding YourBusinessNumber, a company helping freelancers and small business owners separate their work and personal communications. He talks about how identifying the persistent problem of managing two phones led him to build a simple and affordable solution. George also explains the challenge of relying on another platform like WhatsApp Business and his strategic move into eSIM technology to create a more complete product. He shares insights on building a lean team, learning from past failures, and his pragmatic approach to growing the business.

Key Takeaways:

• George's journey from a failed app to a successful two-in-one phone solution.
• His company offers virtual numbers for WhatsApp and a full eSIM plan.
• Growth is driven by a lean team and targeted Google Ads.
• Success relies on a strong team and learning from past ventures.
• The future is focused on the independent eSIM product.

Additional Insights:

• How a privileged background provided the safety net to take entrepreneurial risks.
• Maintaining a daily routine is crucial for focus when working from home.
• The importance of having a skilled team where each member handles a specific area.
• Believing in the core idea is vital for persevering through challenges.
• How past business failures provided essential lessons for the current venture.

Here are a few quotes from the episode:

• "I know there are 20,000 people out there who have a use for two numbers on one phone for work." - George Lineker
• "If you have a good team around you, that's key." - George Lineker
• "I think it's normal to have things go wrong." - George Lineker

Join George as he shares how his belief in solving the two-phone problem led to YourBusinessNumber, a company helping freelancers and small businesses get a separate work number to improve organization and enable them to switch off.

Episode Highlights

[00:00] - Teaser

[00:59] - Intro to George Lineker

[01:57] - What The Company Does

[03:10] - Solving The Two-Phone Problem

[05:44] - Origin of The Business Idea

[07:31] - Funding and Team Structure

[09:07] - Go-To-Market Strategy

[10:24] - The Challenge of Selling WhatsApp

[11:19] - Introducing The New eSIM Product

[12:44] - George's Background and Schooling

[14:24] - Privilege and Risk-Taking

[19:14] - The "Last Go" Before a Job

[24:09] - Key Learnings as a Founder

[28:19] - The Fully Automated Customer Journey

[30:40] - Total Addressable Market

[33:00] - Future Focus: The eSIM

[35:20] - What's Next for the Business, Personal Aspirations

FOLLOW THE GUEST & HIS COMPANY:

• George Lineker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/george-lineker-6907bb13b/ 
• YourBusinessNumber: https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourbusinessnumber/ 
• Email the team: [email protected]  

FOLLOW THE HOST:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnalowen/ 
• Company LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-engine-growth/ 
• Website: https://www.theengine.uk/ 
• Email: [email protected]