The Boardroom with Richard Farleigh

Richard Farleigh
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Hi, I’m Richard. Former BBC Dragon , Author , Media Commentator , Economist , Investor , 120 + Businesses , Chess Olympian , Speaker , PhD Hon, and Care System Survivor "The Boardroom" consists of different formats. The newest is Farleigh's 5, which has Richard in conversation discussing five brief ideas that he had during the week. Some serious, some slightly whacky. The podcast also contains episodes of Richard watching Dragons' Den with a friend, and episodes of him in conversation with successful and interesting guests.

  1. 2d ago

    Farleigh's 5 : Bad Errors and 4 More Ideas

    Richard in conversation, discussing his ideas. Bad Errors, Easy Choices, Old Movies, Business Similarities, and Avoiding The Bin.

    Farleigh's 5 : Bad Errors and 4 More Ideas

  2. Aug 10

    Are Dragons' Den Valuations Making Any Sense? | My View on the Latest Episode

    What happens when I watch modern-day Dragons' Den and start questioning some of the valuations and investment decisions? In this episode of The Boardroom: Dragons' Den Watchalong, I’m joined by entrepreneur Jon O'Donnell as we revisit the Den and analyse a series of very different pitches. From a pre-revenue parenting app to an established baking business and an AI-powered cat flap, we discuss the questions I would be asking as an investor and why I think some of the valuations and decisions in the Den don't always add up. I share my thoughts on valuations, revenue multiples, profit, due diligence, patents and what entrepreneurs really need to prove before asking someone to invest. We also discuss whether the Dragons are sometimes too influenced by presentation, personality and their own areas of expertise. And, of course, I couldn't resist getting involved when we reached the final pitch… What should these businesses really be worth? Would I have invested? And what can entrepreneurs learn from watching the Dragons make their decisions? #theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 – Watching the latest Dragons' Den 00:41 – My first thoughts on Cubby 02:22 – Why I question the valuation 04:05 – Should they leave their jobs? 06:28 – Why I think it’s a massive commitment 09:26 – The Dragons start making offers 10:00 – Where are the numbers? 11:36 – Have Dragons' Den pitches become too polished? 13:06 – My reaction to Craft & Crumb 15:16 – The numbers finally come out 16:57 – Why I don’t understand the Dragons’ decisions 19:09 – My take on the Portaloo business 21:17 – What I learned about patents 23:50 – Why I think this is the best pitch so far 25:24 – The £100k offer for 20% 27:05 – Why the entrepreneurs reject the deal 28:16 – My reaction to OnlyCat 30:00 – £750k in pre-orders changes everything 31:42 – When the Dragons lose the plot 33:45 – Why I would invest 35:05 – I make an offer 36:52 – The deal is done 38:31 – My biggest takeaways from the episode 39:45 – How I value a business 41:00 – My final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Are Dragons' Den Valuations Making Any Sense? | My View on the Latest Episode

  3. Jul 27

    How to Spot Million-Pound Business Ideas | Thea Green on Building a Global Beauty Business

    How do you build one of Britain's best-known beauty brands from scratch? In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with Thea Green, founder of Nails Inc, to explore the entrepreneurial journey behind one of the UK's biggest beauty success stories. Starting as a fashion journalist, Thea spotted a simple idea in New York that didn't exist in Britain. Rather than reinventing the wheel, she adapted an already successful concept, built a powerful consumer brand around it, and transformed the way millions of people think about nail care. Whether you're launching a startup, scaling a business, investing in founders or simply fascinated by great entrepreneurial stories, this episode is packed with practical insights. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business.#Entrepreneurship #Business #StartupFounder #beauty #NailsInc Chapters 00:00 Introduction 00:26 The Nails Inc origin story 01:20 Spotting an opportunity from the US 03:20 Leaving journalism to start a business 05:05 Why journalists become great entrepreneurs 06:10 How to predict the next big trend 08:15 Why every business should obsess over the customer 09:05 Why nail bars didn't exist in Britain 10:30 Turning an idea into a business plan 11:20 Testing ideas before spending money 12:50 Raising the first investment 15:00 Building the Nails Inc brand 20:30 Scaling through retail 27:00 Innovation in the beauty industry 33:30 The future of beauty brands 37:30 My failed beauty startup 39:10 Why Thea decided to sell Nails Inc 39:40 Final lessons for entrepreneurs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    How to Spot Million-Pound Business Ideas | Thea Green on Building a Global Beauty Business

  4. Jul 13

    Is AI Creating a Bubble? | Alan Trefler on How AI Will Change Jobs

    Artificial intelligence is changing business faster than almost any technology we've seen before. But is AI creating another tech bubble? In this episode of The Boardroom, I'm joined by Alan Trefler, Founder and CEO of Pegasystems, the multi-billion-dollar software company he started more than 40 years ago. We discuss why Alan believes today's AI boom is creating unrealistic expectations, how enterprise software is evolving, and why businesses need to think differently about using AI if they want long-term success. We also talk about how AI will transform jobs, why programming is changing forever, the rise of "vibe coding", and what young people should be studying to prepare for the future. Along the way, Alan shares the story of building Pegasystems from three people with an idea into one of the world's leading enterprise software companies, including the lessons he learned from landing some of America's biggest banks as his very first customers. #theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #ai #innovation I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Is AI creating a bubble? 00:24 Meet Alan Trefler, Founder & CEO of Pegasystems 01:42 Chess, computer science and the start of a career 02:44 The idea that became Pegasystems 04:30 Solving enterprise workflows 05:22 Bootstrapping the company 06:38 Winning the first customers 09:06 Landing two of America's biggest banks 09:45 Building products with customer feedback 11:58 Preventing customers from building it themselves 13:31 Why today's software industry is confused 14:50 What everyone is missing about AI 20:24 The hidden cost of AI 22:18 Who will win the AI race? 24:23 Is AI becoming a bubble? 24:45 How AI will transform jobs 26:29 The rise of "vibe coding" 28:15 Smaller teams, faster software 30:22 Can established software companies survive AI? 31:37 The US, China and the AI race 32:19 Cybersecurity and AI risks 35:30 What young people should study for the future 39:00 The skills AI can't replace 42:22 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Is AI Creating a Bubble? | Alan Trefler on How AI Will Change Jobs

  5. Jun 29

    The Truth About London's Wildest Trading Floors | Drugs, Insider Trading & Psychopaths

    What was life really like inside the City of London during the financial boom? In this episode of The Boardroom, I sit down with former stockbroker, journalist and bestselling author Geraint Anderson, better known as City Boy, to discuss one of the most controversial periods in modern finance. Geraint shares how he went from selling trinkets on beaches in Goa to earning huge bonuses in investment banking before exposing the culture of excess from the inside. We discuss the reality behind the headlines, from insider trading and lavish client entertainment to whether finance really attracts psychopaths. #theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurship #cityboy #investmentbanking #finance I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. If you enjoyed this conversation, you can find Geraint's books here: How to Con Friends and Manipulate People, out on 2nd July Geraint's latest satirical book explores the psychology of manipulation, psychopathy and power through the voice of a fictional psychopath. Click Here: https://geni.us/YsMum Chapters 00:00 The Truth About City Life 01:35 From Goa to Investment Banking 05:47 Traders vs Salespeople 08:40 What Really Drives Success? 10:32 The Birth of City Boy 13:16 Footballers, Brokers & Party Culture 15:03 Why Geraint Left Finance 16:03 How to Win in Investment Banking 18:23 "The Hand Deserved To Be Bitten" 19:38 Are There Psychopaths in Finance? 22:07 Richard Takes the Psychopath Test 23:49 Can Psychopathy Be an Advantage? 26:12 The Traits of High Performers 27:46 Richard on Attachment & Success 30:00 The Psychology of Business & Leadership 37:08 Final Thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    The Truth About London's Wildest Trading Floors | Drugs, Insider Trading & Psychopaths

  6. Jun 22

    Why Are All The Dragons Saying Yes? | Are They Investing in Businesses... or Stories?

    Are Dragons investing in great businesses, or simply backing great stories? In this episode of The Boardroom: Dragons' Den Watchalong, I sit down with comedian Andrew Maxwell to watch another episode of Dragons' Den and break down the pitches from the perspective of a former Dragon. From sustainable skincare and golf gadgets to fintech startups and food brands, we analyse what separates a compelling pitch from a genuinely investable business. Along the way, I explain how investors think about valuations, why fundraising can sometimes matter more than revenue, the hidden realities of Dragon partnerships, and the questions entrepreneurs should be asking before accepting investment. We also discuss how Dragons' Den has evolved over the years, whether the Dragons have become less ruthless, and why modern founders are often far more polished than those who entered the Den two decades ago. Would the original Dragons have made the same decisions? And are today's investors focusing enough on the numbers behind the story? A fascinating conversation about investing, entrepreneurship and the realities of building a successful business. #theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #businessgrowth I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Are Dragons Investing in Businesses or Stories? 00:18 Sustainable Skincare Enters The Den 02:07 The Psychic Medium Twist 03:41 How Dragons Actually Value Businesses 06:28 When Multiple Dragons Want In 08:49 Has Dragons' Den Gone Soft? 11:45 Why Reggae Reggae Sauce Worked 12:55 The Golf Ball Cleaner Pitch 15:18 Can A Niche Product Become A Big Business? 17:10 Do Husband & Wife Founders Have An Advantage? 18:10 The Mortgage App That Caught The Dragons' Attention 21:20 What Investors Really Want To See 23:24 Why Raising Millions Matters 24:15 The Truth About Multi-Dragon Deals 25:38 Another Husband & Wife Team Enters The Den 26:10 Flavour Bomb's Big Opportunity 27:21 When The Numbers Start To Fall Apart 30:00 The Challenge Of Scaling Food Businesses 33:00 Final Verdicts & Key Lessons 35:31 End Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Why Are All The Dragons Saying Yes? | Are They Investing in Businesses... or Stories?

  7. Jun 16

    Taking on Uber | Tayfun Keskin & Efkan Altinok on Building a Community-Led Startup, Ride Nuff

    What happens when you spend years working inside an industry and realise the business model itself is the problem? In this episode I sit down with Tayfun Keskin and Efkan Altinok, the founders of Ride Nuff and former Uber drivers who decided to build a different kind of ride-hailing business. After more than a decade working in the industry, they saw drivers earning less, working longer hours and struggling to cover rising costs. Rather than accepting the status quo, they spent three years developing RideNuff, a subscription-based platform designed to give drivers more control over their earnings while offering customers a fairer alternative. We discuss how they identified the opportunity, raised their first funding from a community of supporters, navigated regulation, launched in London and began attracting attention from drivers and operators around the world. This is a conversation about entrepreneurship, disruption, platform economics, fundraising and what it takes to challenge an established market leader. #theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #business #uber I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 "It's possible to drive all day and make a loss" 00:43 What is RideNuff? 01:15 Why we decided to create a fairer alternative 03:02 How ride-hailing commissions impact drivers 04:31 The financial pressures facing drivers today 06:24 The original idea behind RideNuff 07:53 Crowdfunding and raising our first capital 09:10 Building the app and launching operations 11:05 Early traction and customer growth 11:52 Interest from around the world 13:48 Challenging Uber's business model 15:06 How RideNuff drivers increase their earnings 17:01 Competition, barriers and scaling the business 18:45 Algorithms, incentives and platform economics 19:22 Expansion plans and fundraising 21:30 Why belief matters in entrepreneurship 22:31 Creating change through business 24:17 The entrepreneurial journeys behind RideNuff 28:19 Building a business that works for everyone 30:05 Final thoughts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Taking on Uber | Tayfun Keskin & Efkan Altinok on Building a Community-Led Startup, Ride Nuff

  8. Jun 8

    Has Dragons' Den Lost Its Edge? | Watching Dragons' Den for the First Time in 20 Years

    What happens when an original Dragon watches modern-day Dragons' Den for the first time in over 20 years? In this episode of The Boardroom: Dragons' Den Watchalong, I sit down with entrepreneur Jon O'Donnell to revisit the Den and analyse whether the show still reflects the reality of investing. As they watch a series of pitches unfold, I share behind-the-scenes insights from his own time on Dragons' Den and explains the questions I believe every investor should be asking. Together we discuss valuations, margins, scalability, investor psychology and why great businesses are built on more than compelling personal stories. Has Dragons' Den evolved into better entertainment at the expense of business education? Would the original Dragons have approached these deals differently? And what can entrepreneurs learn from the way investment decisions are made in the real world? A fascinating conversation about investing, entrepreneurship and how one of Britain's most iconic business shows has changed over the last two decades. #theboardroom #dragonsden #entrepreneurship #business I also write a free weekly newsletter about business, investing and entrepreneurship. You can read it here: https://richardfarleigh.substack.com. 📲 Follow Richard Farleigh: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/richardfarleigh/ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-farleigh-7a0a1616/ TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@richardfarleighhq 🔔 Subscribe for weekly conversations on entrepreneurship, investing, strategy, and the real side of business. Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Watching Dragons' Den with a Dragon 01:45 My first Dragons' Den viewing in 20 years 04:20 The first pitch: What would I ask? 07:15 The importance of margins and paying yourself properly 10:10 Investing in people vs investing in businesses 12:20 The deal I didn't expect 13:40 £2.5 million valuations in the Den 15:00 The £2 million question nobody asked 17:30 Behind-the-scenes Dragons' Den stories 19:45 Analysing the self-defence franchise pitch 21:30 Why are so many deals getting funded? 23:00 Has Dragons' Den become reality TV? 24:30 What entrepreneurs are no longer learning from the show 26:30 How real investors evaluate opportunities 27:05 Dragons' Den then vs now 28:20 Final verdict and what's next Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

    Has Dragons' Den Lost Its Edge? | Watching Dragons' Den for the First Time in 20 Years
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About

Hi, I’m Richard. Former BBC Dragon , Author , Media Commentator , Economist , Investor , 120 + Businesses , Chess Olympian , Speaker , PhD Hon, and Care System Survivor "The Boardroom" consists of different formats. The newest is Farleigh's 5, which has Richard in conversation discussing five brief ideas that he had during the week. Some serious, some slightly whacky. The podcast also contains episodes of Richard watching Dragons' Den with a friend, and episodes of him in conversation with successful and interesting guests.

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