Chin-wag Business Show

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The Chin-wag Business Show interviews founders and leaders to give you the unfiltered insights you need to build smarter and scale faster. Hosted by Kourosh Dizaei & Laurence Ratten.

  1. What Really Happens When the Software Behind a Billion-Dollar Business Fails?

    07/23/2025

    What Really Happens When the Software Behind a Billion-Dollar Business Fails?

    What happens when the software your entire business runs on suddenly becomes inaccessible?That’s where Evan Lever comes in.He’s the founder of The Escrow Company — a global leader in digital escrow for software, cloud infrastructure, and IP.After a successful exit during the Israeli tech boom, Evan moved to London and started again — bootstrapping his new venture from scratch and landing clients like Pfizer, Deloitte, and Unilever.With operations in London, Sydney, and Atlanta, The Escrow Company protects the mission-critical digital assets that power some of the world’s most important technology — even holding entire cloud environments, root credentials, and source code in trust.In this episode, Evan reveals:▫️ What software escrow actually is — and why you should care▫️ How he landed billion-dollar clients from scratch▫️ The risks most SaaS founders completely overlook▫️ Why trust — not code — is his real product▫️ How he built and exited the company after 13 yearsThis is what it looks like to build quietly, globally — and with zero margin for error.📸 This episode was kindly hosted by UCL’s School of Management.Home to a world-class Entrepreneurship programme that supports the next generation of founders: https://www.mgmt.ucl.ac.uk/entrepreneurshipFuelled by Neutonic. For 10% off head to https://www.neutonic.com/chin-wag or use code CHINWAGSubscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/07OOtcuvlNzNQsidtyLRca?si=70b8a28ea8754bf5Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chinwagcoFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/chin-wagFor more on Evan and The Escrow Company, head to:https://www.linkedin.com/in/evan-lever-873794/https://www.escrowcompany.co/

    1h 14m
  2. This App Grew to 100,000 Users by Solving a Problem Instagram Won’t Touch

    07/08/2025

    This App Grew to 100,000 Users by Solving a Problem Instagram Won’t Touch

    What if the most important social platform of the next decade isn’t about content, but connection?Jason Iliffe and Nicola Gunby are the co-founders of CLIQ, the app reconnecting people in real life by giving community leaders the tools to build movements, not audiences.After exiting their first startup, they flew home early from a trip to Bali to launch CLIQ in just five weeks. Within days, they had 10,000 users and broke the app every single day.Today, CLIQ has over 100,000 users, has raised £500,000 in early funding, and has created activations with brands like Samsung, Gails, Hip Pop and Canary Wharf - all in pursuit of solving the loneliness crisis.They reveal:▫️ How they rebuilt from scratch after burnout.▫️ Why social apps are broken — and how CLIQ is different.▫️ What happened when they hired the wrong “ex-Apple, ex-Disney” exec.▫️ Why VCs told them “you’ll need millions”, and how they proved them wrong.▫️ How they scaled without followers, ads, or hype.▫️ And why one founder had a stroke at 30, and still didn’t quit.This isn’t a story about going viral. It’s a story about building something that actually matters.Fuelled by Neutonic. For 10% off head to https://www.neutonic.com/chin-wag or use code CHINWAGSubscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/07OOtcuvlNzNQsidtyLRca?si=70b8a28ea8754bf5Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chinwagcoFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/chin-wagFor more on Nicola, Jason and CLIQ, head to:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-gunby/https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-iliffe/https://www.thecliq.app/https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-cliq/

    1h 12m
  3. The Founder who took on the system and RAISED £6.5m...from his bedroom!

    06/24/2025

    The Founder who took on the system and RAISED £6.5m...from his bedroom!

    What if the next generation of CEOs, engineers, and policymakers are already out there, but just need someone to believe in them?Joe Seddon is the founder and CEO of Zero Gravity, the UK’s leading platform for social mobility. Starting from his bedroom with £0 in funding, Joe has built a tech-for-good company that’s supported over 8,000 low-income students into top universities and is now helping them launch high-impact careers at firms like HSBC, KPMG, and Allen & Overy.He reveals:▫️How he signed HSBC as a paying client at just 22.▫️Why Zero Gravity raised over £6.5 million — and what they did with it.▫️The brand strategy that landed them in The Times, BBC and more.▫️How they built a business model that balances impact with scale.▫️Why mission-first startups must still master enterprise sales.Joe’s story isn’t just about building a business — it’s about changing the system from the inside.We also talk about  @garyseconomics  where Joe shares his admiration for Gary’s mission and the fact that he’s unafraid to speak his mind, even when his delivery doesn’t always land with everyone.Fuelled by Neutonic. For 10% off head to https://www.neutonic.com/chin-wag or use code CHINWAGSubscribe on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/07OOtcuvlNzNQsidtyLRca?si=70b8a28ea8754bf5Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chinwagcoFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/chin-wagFor more on Joe and Zero Gravity, head to:https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeseddon/https://www.zerogravity.co.uk/

    1h 26m
  4. The Brutal Truth Behind Scaling to £1.3M: the YaYa story is one of burnout, determination & triumph

    06/17/2025

    The Brutal Truth Behind Scaling to £1.3M: the YaYa story is one of burnout, determination & triumph

    What if the only thing standing between your startup and success… was clarity? Phil Keaney-Bolland is the co-founder of YaYa — the UK’s Best Start-Up Consultancy and one of the fastest-growing companies in its space, as listed on the 2024 Fast Growth Index. With over $1.2M in revenue and clients ranging from cybersecurity to AI, YaYa helps early-stage founders cut through noise and build brands that actually grow their business — no fluff, no vague storytelling, just strategy that works. He reveals: ▫️Why most early-stage branding is a distraction. ▫️What to do when you lose a major client overnight. ▫️The one question every founder should ask about longevity. ▫️How to turn founder obsession into a competitive advantage. ▫️Why building for everyone is the fastest way to fail. ▫️What startups can learn from security-first industries. Our Show Chapters! We breakdown the key factors of success for the ultimate Founder toolbox. Check out your B2B resources and question timestamps below: 00:00 *Intro*✅ *Solving the Problem* - https://www.wolfpack-digital.com 01:22 How did you know the market needed your service? 05:35 Did you have any fear when choosing which service to offer? 07:45 Would you recommend choosing a product that delivers revenue quickly? 🤝 *Founders & Early Team* 09:05 How did you decide to who to found your company with? 🛠️ *Delivering on a limited budget* 12:05 How do you decide where to spend money? 15:12 What tips would you share? 16:37 What advice you recommend for managing a lean budget? 17:56 What tools would you recommend? 🧾 *First Customer Acquisition* 19:00 How did you secure your first customer? 22:01 Were you transparent with your first customers?💰 *Securing Funding & Investors* 23:44 Why did you decide to bootstrap? 26:01 Would you have grown faster with more capital? 💸 *Managing Finances* - https://www.scaleup.finance 28:30 What practices do you implement to feel confident with cash flow? 💌 *Brand Building* 33:15 How does Yaya help companies in the security space stand out? 🧳 *Company Culture, Values & Hiring* - https://www.workable.com 40:20 What criteria do you look for in the people you work with? 42:56 How did you find great candidates? 46:30 Can you have culture in remote only workplace? 🤖 *AI in Business*47:25 What are your thoughts on AI in Business? 52:49 Do you have any predictions about AI? 🪧 *Advertising* 54:20 How do you decide how much to spend and where? 🏖️ *Personal Well-being & Burnout* 59:48 Have you experienced burnout? 1:05:30 Is there something on a daily basis that helps you? 🔮 *Long Term Strategy* 1:10:02 What is your long term strategy? 📸 This episode was kindly hosted by UCL’s School of Management.Home to a world-class Entrepreneurship programme that supports the next generation of founders: https://www.mgmt.ucl.ac.uk/entrepreneurship. Fuelled by Neutonic. For 10% off head to https://www.neutonic.com/chin-wag or use code CHINWAG Subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrFraJCcsQOlTjAdgGt97A?sub_confirmation=1⁠ Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chinwagco Follow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/chin-wag For more on Phil and Yaya, head to:https://www.linkedin.com/in/phillbolland/ https://www.yaya.co/

    1h 15m
  5. How You Can Turn Obsession Into a £1M-a-Year Business like The Big Bakes

    06/10/2025

    How You Can Turn Obsession Into a £1M-a-Year Business like The Big Bakes

    What if you could turn a dream idea into a national experience brand, without investors, a fancy office, or startup funding?Adam Chaudri and Eloise Frank are the founders of The Big Bakes, the UK’s first live baking competition experience.From a marquee in a pub garden to four venues and 100+ team members, they built the brand from scratch, relying on gut instinct, great marketing, and obsession with customer experience — not outside money.They reveal:▫️Why some of the best ideas come from gut feel, not data.▫️How to build a brand people love, without spending big.▫️What to do when you’re hiring your first team.▫️Why they turned down VC money, and never looked back.▫️The mindset shift that helped them scale to 100,000 customers.Our Show Chapters! We breakdown the key factors of success for the ultimate Founder toolbox. Check out your B2B resources and question timestamps below: *Intro*00:00*Problem Solving* - https://www.wolfpackdigital.com01:29 How did you know the idea was worth pursuing?04:35 What's the secret to validating an idea?*Starting on a limited budget*09:39 How to make the most impact with a limited budget?13:35 What couldn’t you afford? *Marketing & Customer Acquisition*16:05 Which marketing and PR skills are most important?*Finding Co-Founders, Mentors & Early Team*20:01 How do you find people who align with your vision?23:05 What values do you hold as co-founders?*Securing Funding & Investors*26:45 How did you afford to setup the big bakes?29:41 Looking back would you have taken VC money?32:36 Do some Founders fear taking total responsibility?36:00 Are start-up loans against the company or you personally?*Managing Finances & Cash Flow* - https://scaleupfinance.com36:20 What practices would you recommend for managing finances day to day? *Brand Building*43:58 What are the crucial points that a Founder should work on in the early days?45:20 What type of feedback matters to you?*Culture, Values and Hiring* - https://workable.com46:51 How do you maintain an awesome internal culture?51:46 How do you deal with employees that aren’t right for you? 53:05 Do you have examples of B-team players becoming A-team players?*Pivoting & Strategy Shifts*59:29 How do you decide what products and services to offer?01:01:21 Are you upfront with customers when trying something new?*Personal Well-being & Burnout*01:04:10 How do you maintain enthusiasm and energy without burning out? For more on Adam, Eloise and The Big Bakes, head to:https://www.thebigbakes.com/https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-chaudhri/https://www.linkedin.com/in/eloise-frank-255ab652/Fuelled by Neutonic. For 10% off head to https://www.neutonic.com/chin-wag or use code CHINWAGSubscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrFraJCcsQOlTjAdgGt97A?sub_confirmation=1Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chinwagcoFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/chin-wag

    1h 14m
  6. How You Can Bootstrap to 3,000 Customers - With ZERO Funding

    06/03/2025

    How You Can Bootstrap to 3,000 Customers - With ZERO Funding

    What if you could grow a business to 3,000 customers - without funding, investors, or even ads?Elston Baretto is the founder of Tiiny Host, a no-code platform that lets anyone instantly publish and share websites, portfolios, and presentations. He bootstrapped Tiiny Host from a solo side project into a thriving subscription business with 3,000+ paying customers and 150,000 monthly visitors, all without a single penny of outside investment.He reveals:▫️Why revenue-first beats raising money every time.▫️The secret to growing when you have no budget.▫️How to find the one marketing channel that works for you.▫️The reason most founders fail, and how to avoid it.▫️How to turn your first customer into 3,000.Show Chapters:00:00 Intro01:06 Problem Solving07:16 Founders & Early Team12:47 Delivering on a limited budget18:36 First Customer Acquisition22:01 Securing Funding & Investors30:39 Managing Finances34:56 Brand Building40:38 Company Culture & Values46:58 AI In Business52:17 Advertising55:08 Personal Well-being & Burnout01:01:48 Long Term StrategyFor more on Elston and Tiiny Host, head to:https://tiiny.host/https://www.linkedin.com/in/ebaretto/With thanks to our Sponsors:Workable - https://www.workable.comScaleup Finance - https://www.scaleup.financeWolfpack Digital - https://www.wolfpack-digital.comFuelled by Neutonic. For 10% off head to https://www.neutonic.com/chin-wag or use code CHINWAGSubscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzrFraJCcsQOlTjAdgGt97A?sub_confirmation=1Follow us on Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/chinwagcoFollow us on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/company/chin-wag

    1h 6m
  7. The 60-year-old British business quietly making £12 Million a Year! This is the Lava Lamp story...

    04/28/2025

    The 60-year-old British business quietly making £12 Million a Year! This is the Lava Lamp story...

    This week, we’re joined by Cressida Granger, owner and CEO of Mathmos, the iconic brand behind the original lava lamp. In the 1990s, Cressida bought the company from its inventor, Edward Craven Walker, and has since transformed it into a thriving D2C powerhouse.What’s inside this episode:🔥 Keeping the Legacy Alive: How Cressida took over from the original inventor and built on Mathmos’ rich heritage without losing its soul.🛒 Scaling D2C: The strategies that turned Mathmos into a direct-to-consumer success story, including collaborations with world-famous artists and musicians.🇬🇧 Made in Britain: How Mathmos has stayed fiercely committed to UK manufacturing, sourcing almost all parts domestically despite the lure of cheaper overseas production.🛡️ Fighting Off Imitations: How Mathmos has defended its brand against waves of cheap copies by focusing relentlessly on quality, craftsmanship, and authenticity.💡 Building a Timeless Brand: Lessons on evolving a 60-year-old brand to stay relevant, desirable, and highly profitable in the modern market.Whether you’re passionate about brand building, fascinated by business longevity, or just love a good entrepreneurial story, this episode is packed with timeless lessons. Tune in now to hear how Mathmos continues to light up the world!

    56 min
  8. Waste Not, Feed A Lot: Full Circle’s Protein Secret and the "Bill Gates Bug Conspiracy"

    01/27/2025

    Waste Not, Feed A Lot: Full Circle’s Protein Secret and the "Bill Gates Bug Conspiracy"

    Inventing a New Protein – Felix Collins on Full Circle, Soy, and the "Bill Gates Bug Conspiracy" 🎙️ This week, we’re joined by Felix Collins, founder of Full Circle Bio-technology, the trailblazing startup behind a brand-new category of sustainable protein. Recently recognised in the SVG Ventures | THRIVE Top 100 as one of the Top 30 most innovative firms in Food Security, Full Circle is tackling the global protein crisis with groundbreaking solutions. What’s in this episode: •⁠ ⁠🌱 Inventing a New Protein: Discover how Full Circle uses microbes and insects to create an entirely new category of renewable protein—affordable, high-quality, and sustainable. •⁠ ⁠🌍 The Problem with Soy: Learn how soy production drives mass deforestation in the Amazon and why its anti-nutrients make it an inefficient protein source for animals. •⁠ ⁠💡 Innovation in Action: Felix explains their pioneering multi-species fermentation process, achieving yields 10x higher than competitors while being faster and cheaper. •⁠ ⁠🤔 Bill Gates and Bugs: Felix weighs in on the "Bill Gates bug conspiracy" and shares why insects might be a better snack for humans than a true meat replacement. •⁠ ⁠💰 Scaling Sustainability: Insights into building a business in Thailand, navigating global markets, securing investment, and scaling from a small factory to exponential growth. •⁠ ⁠🔬 The Future of Food: How Full Circle’s innovative protein could transform the global food supply chain and reshape how we feed animals. Whether you’re passionate about sustainability, fascinated by food science, or an aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is packed with groundbreaking innovation, bold insights, and a fresh perspective on the future of food. Huge thanks to Bibury Trout Farm www.biburytroutfarm.co.uk for letting us record this episode on their amazing grounds.

    48 min
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About

The Chin-wag Business Show interviews founders and leaders to give you the unfiltered insights you need to build smarter and scale faster. Hosted by Kourosh Dizaei & Laurence Ratten.

Information

  • Creator
    Chin-wag®
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2025
  • Episodes
    32
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Chin-wag®
  • Show Website
    Chin-wag Business Show