Jonathan Fitchew: ‘I still think about my late business partner every day’

As the co-founders of Pareto Law, Jonathan Fitchew and Andy Sawer were inseparable.

For 26 years they shared the same office and, when away on business trips, even shared the same bed rather than book separate rooms.

One look at his best friend’s empty desk after he died in 2021 was enough to convince Fitchew that he could never work there again.

In this episode of the Naked Founder podcast, he discusses:
• The grief of losing your best friend and business partner
• Going again with the launch of Apprentify
• Growing Apprentify to £25m turnover and 250 staff
• His regrets at selling Pareto Law to Randstad
• Being kicked out of school for being rebellious
• Relaxing by keeping chickens and building Lego

This episode is a product of BusinessCloud. It was sponsored by ‘Financielle' - The Home of Money for Women’ and produced by Dan Brown of Renowned.

To sponsor the show, email news@businesscloud.co.uk

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: Jonathan Fitchew & Apprentify
00:28 What They Don't Tell You About Founding a Business
00:53 Would You Do It All Over Again?
01:39 Losing a Co-Founder: The Story of Andy Sawyer
02:25 Andy's Illness, COVID & Keeping the Business Alive
04:00 Friend First, Founder Second: How Andy & Jonathan Met
05:11 You Can't Force a Business Partnership
05:47 Risk Taking vs. Gambling: The Entrepreneurial Mindset
07:03 Borrowing 15 Grand & Pitching a Bank Manager
07:47 Why They Named It Pareto Law
09:52 Hiring Graduates Over Experienced Salespeople
10:07 Starting in a Broom Cupboard in Salford (1995)
10:51 Sharing a Room, Sharing a Business: Life with Andy
11:57 Did You and Andy Ever Disagree?
12:45 Pareto Law Grows to £40M & 400 Staff
13:25 When Randstad Came Knocking (2008)
15:02 Selling Part of the Business: The Air Was Sucked Out
16:06 Visiting Andy in Hospital While Running a Business
17:52 Do You Still Think About Andy? Every Single Day
18:27 Leaving Pareto Law & Going Again: Launching Apprentify
18:52 The Embryo of Apprentify Started Before Andy Died
20:38 Still Hungry: The Eye of the Tiger
21:18 How Apprentify Grew to £25M & 250 Staff
23:25 AI: The Biggest Opportunity Jonathan Has Ever Seen
25:27 AI Won't Replace You If You Add Value
26:23 Top Tips for Anyone Thinking of Starting a Business
27:51 Getting Kicked Out of Boarding School
28:13 The Itch That Always Needs Scratching
29:44 The Chickens: Mary, Latte & Cappuccino
30:57 Chickens as a Decompression Valve
31:21 Building Lego as a Switch-Off: 4,000-Piece Ferrari & Concorde
32:12 Whatever You Do, You're a Builder
32:43 Letter to His Younger Self