#31 Joe Hedley: Why a company can only scale with systems and processes

In this episode, we meet Joe Hedley, CEO of NunaBio, a Newcastle University spinout that delivers high-complexity DNA constructs.

Joe's path is different from the traditional academic entrepreneur's journey. He trained as a chemist, helped scale a startup, then added an MBA and deliberate stints in business development. Then a coffee-shop conversation with two academics led to him taking the leap and becoming the CEO of NunaBio.

Joe shares his views on what it takes to build a successful venture, why companies can only scale with systems and processes, why the first thing that breaks in a growing company is decision-making, and how he treated raising investment as an exercise in intelligent volume.

Joe is strikingly open about the human side, sharing how he went all-in during a family crisis, the loneliness of being a CEO, and how he maintains belief for himself and his team through the inevitable tough times of a startup journey.

If you want to know what it's like to be the CEO of a high-growth startup, this conversation offers an honest take from someone living it as we speak.