The Start-Up Diaries Podcast

In this bitesize moment from our episode with Naeem Alvi-Assinder, Founder of Tech branding agency Notepad, Naeem talks through when is (and isn't) the right time to invest money into a branding agency as a Start-Up. For insight into the biggest mistakes start-ups make when it comes to marketing & branding, as well as how to position yourself against competitors, avoiding common 'bor...

Brett Shanley is the Founder & CEO of Knoma, which stands for 'The Knowledge Market'. This FinTech business offers  an ethical finance solution and marketplace for people looking to future proof their career or move into new areas of work via digital courses.  In this episode, Brett explains how he started Knoma after returning from Australia, with no contacts, no network and no prio...

We can't believe we've made it to two whole years of The Start-Up Diaries Podcast! We'd like to say a massive thank you to all of the guests we've had on the show so far, to all of the guests we've got to come & a big big thank you to all of our listeners. We couldn't keep going without you! To celebrate such a momentous occasion, we've flipped the switch and...

Engineius is the leading vehicle movement service in the UK. The business was founded in 2018 on the belief that it should be as easy to book and manage vehicle movements as it is to buy from Amazon or ride with Uber.  In this episode, Managing Director Calum Slowther discusses their pivot from a tech platform to a tech enabled service and the decision making process that led to that transformatio...

In this insights episode, Head of Investment for GC Angels, Jess Jackson talks through what 'cash runway' actually means and her advice for defining and adapting your action plan for it. She also talks through the most common pitfalls she experiences when it comes to pitching for investment. For more advice on all areas of the investment process and insider tips & insight, check out...

Whereby is a video conferencing tool that incorporates screen sharing, recording, chat, live reactions and integrations with Google Drive, Trello, Miro and YouTube. In this episode, Chris is joined by CTO, Andy Tyra and COO, Jessica Zwaan to discuss Whereby and it's decade long history. Undoubtedly a successful scale-up, Whereby is currently undergoing a shift back to a 'Start-Up' m...

In this bitesize episode, Chloe Barrett the Founder of EdTech Start-Up Immersify Education, shares her best advice for keeping your cool whilst pitching - from mindset, to preparation, to follow-ups. A quick 101 on not letting nerves get the better of you! Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Star...

What's the biggest mistake that start-ups make when it comes to marketing & branding? In this episode, Founder of Tech Branding Agency Notepad, Naeem Alvi-Assinder tells all - from how to position yourself against competitors, to avoiding common 'boring' marketing methods and becoming too product focused.  Naeem also dives into his experience with & advice around building co...

Commenting on his experience with fundraising & investment, Ashely Lockwood - Co-Founder & COO of Oya Kitchens - shares his top tips for gaining early stage traction from investors, as well as the dos and don'ts of raising.  Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more free content from the Tech Recruitment Specialists powering The Start-Up Diaries - Burn...

We're back with Season 4 of the The Start-Up Diaries podcast! To kick off the series, Chris is joined by Sho Sugihara, Co-Founder & CEO of Pave, the app that's on a mission to become the world's best credit builder. In this episode, Sho takes us back to his previous career in consultancy at McKinsey & delves into what inspired him to leave such a stable job and become an ent...

In this Insights episode Dom Raban, Co-Founder & CEO of Xploro, talks through how to pitch a tech for good business to investors, helping them to understand their ROI & ultimately how to decide if an investor is right for your mission.  Xploro is a mobile application that uses augmented reality, gameplay and artificial intelligence to deliver health information to patients, reducing the st...

In the Season 3 finale of the Start-Up Diaries, Chris sat down with the Head of Tech Services at Beauty Bay - Rob Black. Beauty Bay are beauty focused e-commerce platform, that source hard-to-find brands and products for customers, with over 7000 products on site with new launches every week.  In this episode, Rob talks us through his decision to leave his comfortable job in an established busines...

In this Insights episode, CTO of Modern Milkman James Renshaw talks through how they planned their roadmap for national expansion of their platform, as well as how they prepared their architecture  for scaling. A great insight from an exciting start-up that's constantly in the headlines - for all the right reasons! Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , Instagram , or find more fre...

Today's guest, Eliane Lugassy is the Founder and CEO of French-based business Witco, an all-in-one app for more serviced and collaborative spaces such as offices, co-working, co-living, residences and student housing to improve communication, community and provide a one-stop shop for all of a building’s services and amenities.  In this episode, Eliane talks through her decision to leap into e...

A bitesize moment from our episode with Lydia Jones, Founder & CEO of Housemate, sharing her insight into how to handle & overcome challenging situations as a business leader. From learning when to switch the emotion off, to knowing when or if it's time to involve the wider business, Lydia discusses everything she's learnt about navigating your organisation through a crisis. We w...

Anish Kapoor, CEO of AccessPay has retired not once... but twice. After working on a series of successful disruptor tech businesses that have solved some of the most prominent problems in tech, Anish was tempted for a third time by the concept of AccessPay.  AccessPay are the corporate-to-bank integration platform transforming finance and treasury operations, providing a secure digital connection...

In this episode, Chris sits down with James Davison, Chief Technology Officer of Mobysoft, a business that provides software & data driven insights that help social housing providers manage rent arrears efficiently. Coming from a background in large enterprises such as ITV, Thoughtworks and RazorFish, taking on the challenge of the CTO position at tech for good start-up was no small task.  Fro...

In our latest 'Insights' episode, Laura Pomfret - Co-Founder of financial wellness app Financielle - explains how you can determine if taking investment is the right thing for your business, and, how to know if it's the right time to do so. After initially bootstrapping her business, Laura talks through how she became open to the idea of Angel investment despite currently having a &...

In this episode, Chris is joined by Rob Brockington, CEO of Claro Money, a start-up wealth management platform aiming to create a new generation of investors who are both ethically and financially informed.  Rob spent 12 years working on the trade floor of banks and climbing the corporate ladder, until 2019, when he decided to take the leap into start-up life. The inception of Claro Money was far...

In the first episode back since our short hiatus, Chris is joined by Richard Mabey, Co-Founder & CEO of Juro, an all-in-one contract automation platform that helps legal counsel and their teams to agree and manage contracts in one unified workspace. Juro has a glittering list of clients including Deliveroo and Cazoo. Juro was recently voted the no.1 start-up to work for in London for 2022, and...

A bitesize moment from our episode with Jessica Jackson, giving you inside knowledge from an Investment Director on how to land your first round of fundraising. Including the do's, the don'ts and how to formulate an engaging pitch deck. If you want to hear more insider tips, listen to the full 'VC's Guide to Fundraising' episode back in Season 1! Follow The Start-Up Diarie...

In this bonus 'Insights' episode,CEO & Co-Founder of The Data Shed, Anna Sutton shares how to build a 'value-led' organisation and how to select & implement the right personal values for your business. She also gives her insight into spotting this value-led mindset within candidates when hiring and what to look out for. Interested in being on Season 4 of the show? Get i...

In this bonus episode, Co-Founder of PixelMax, Shay O'Carroll shares his insights into finding the right Hybrid working balance for your business as well as how to ensure staff wellbeing whilst working remotely. PixelMark is one of the hottest start-ups in Manchester right now and offers a 3D  & fully immersive hybrid working platform & are taking the industry by storm. Interested in...

In this bonus episode, James Lomas, CTO of Bionic & former CTO of Compare the Market gives his insights into creating accountability in the workforce and how to build this into a successful career framework.  Interested in being on Season 4 of the show? Get in touch with our host Chris McGowan, Head of Manchester at Burns Sheehan on LinkedIn! Follow The Start-Up Diaries Podcast on LinkedIn , I...

In our second 'Insights' episode, Founder & CEO of no-code platform Zaptic shares how to develop & maintain a culture to be proud of across your business & how you can spot attributes in potential candidates that compliment your culture.  Interested in being on Season 4 of the show? Get in touch with our host Chris McGowan, Head of Manchester at Burns Sheehan on LinkedIn! Fol...