Business Without BS

EP 353 - Financial literacy expert Andrew Craig jumps in the seat to take on Andy's quiz card debate. They also delve into Universal Basic Income, the future of digital nomads, the relevance of ESG investing, the role of lawyers in business, and the potential of decentralised autonomous organisations. Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Andrew Craig 00:30 Personal Trainers and ChatGPT 01:17...

EP 352 - In a very timely episode, with our politicians talking about growth, budgets and black holes, we talk to author, investor and founder of Plain English Finance Andrew Craig about: > How Britain has shot itself in the foot through a series of dreadful regulations. > Why the awful state of the British economy is a function of the parlous state of the British stock market. > How impr...

EP 351 - Copyright lawyer Julius Stubbs jumps in the quiz seat to give Andy's business quiz cards a piece of his mind - office nap pods, Brexit, universal basic income and kangaroo insurance all make the shortlist (Julius's AUS story will have you in tears!) Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit Julius Stubbs 01:10 Team Building Exercises: Business or BS? 01:58 LinkedIn? 02:22 The Insurance Rant 04...

EP 350 - The founder of I Am Stobbs, a specialist trademark and brand attorney firm, talks us through why even the youngest businesses should be thinking about their IP, but should spend the bare minimum on protecting it until they really need to.  And when the point that they really need to protect it is likely to be. We also get into why AI is the biggest challenge facing IP, trademark and...

EP 349 - Female Angel Investor Sarah Turner jumps in the quiz seat this week to take on Andy's list of business conundrums - business attire, pitch decks, conferences and offshore tax havens all make the shortlist! Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Sarah Turner 00:43 Conferences: Business or Bullshit? 01:06 Offshore Tax Havens Debate 02:41 Flying Business Class: Worth It? 03:31 Unlimited H...

EP 348 - Just 3% of angel investments in Europe went to all female founding teams last year. Last time we checked, half the population was female (women also own 50% of the wealth in the UK!). Sarah Turner, CEO and cofounder of investment network Angel Acadame, gives us an education about how we can redress the balance and get rid of the Silicon Valley style macho bullshit.. We talk about how the...

EP 347 - Med Tech expert Michael Branagan-Harris jumps in the quiz seat alongside Andy to plough through Andy's list of business terms .. or are they? Brexit, corporation tax, Bitcoin, unlimited holidays and drinking at lunch all make the shortlist! Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Michael Branagan-Harris 00:42 Royal Warrants and Brexit 01:25 Brexit's Impact on Business 02:35 The Future o...

EP 346 - We chat with the founder & CEO of Device Access - who help MedTech companies gain market access and regulatory approval - about how over regulation can stifle innovation and lead to an adverse impact on patient care and outcomes. Michael Branigan tells us about: Why US companies aren’t interested infringing their devices to the UK anymore (hint it’s cos we are tiny) Why regulation is...

EP 345 - Shazam co-founder Dhiraj Mukherjee jumps in this week's quiz seat playing judge and jury to Andy's random list of business topics - investment TV shows, work-life balance and climate change activism all make the shortlist! Are they business or bullshit? Pull up a chair, press play and find out. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Game 00:29 Investment TV Shows: Business or Bullshit? 02:19...

EP 344 - We catch up with Dhiraj Mukherjee, the man who successfully steered Shazam to a $400m sale to Apple, to talk impact investing, augmenting our behaviour with AI tools and why, given the rate of technological change, being taught how to learn is more important than being told what to learn. Dhiraj also takes Andy’s impromptu music quiz, we think he did OK, he thinks his son will be disappoi...

EP 343 - Oil markets expert and CEO of Onyx Capital Group, Greg Newman is in the the quiz seat to discuss and debate various business terms: office spaces in the metaverse, Xmas bonuses, flying for meetings, drinking at work and offshore tax havens are all on the table. "Business or Bullshit?" is the question! Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Greg Newman 00:37 Office Spaces in the Metaver...

EP 342 - Oil. love it, hate it or just want to use less of it? Like it or not you can’t avoid it. We chat to Greg Newman, CEO of Onyx Capital Group, who helps us to unpick our planet’s tricky relationship with black gold. We talk democratising derivatives, tricky transitions and how increased transparency can help to build a fairer energy future. We also graciously allow Greg to plug his book 'Wor...

EP 341 - The Apprentice former contestant and Forbes '30 under 30' honouree entrepreneur Bianca Miller Cole jumps in the quiz seat discussing Andy's list of terms and concepts - founder's egos, mandatory lunch breaks, unlimited holidays, and family dynasties are all up for debate! Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Bianca Miller-Cole 00:33 Debating Founders' Egos 01:03 The Role of Money in...

EP 340 - Bianca talks about how she went from ‘first loser’ on The Apprentice to being an award winning entrepreneur featured on Forbes 30 under 30. We chat about society’s attitudes to failure and gender, how this impacts people professionally and why personal branding helps to improve your confidence in the workplace.  Bianca also talks about balancing career and motherhood, and how family...

EP 339 - Notorious Australian comedy act Wankernomics aka Charles Firth and James Schloeffel jump in the quiz seats this week vetting Andy's business terms as either business or bullshit: flying business class, spending time with kids versus building a business, offshore tax havens, and more is paddled on the table. Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Wankernomics 00:34 Face-to-Face Meetings...

EP 338 - Charles Firth and James Schloeffel otherwise known as Wankernomics are an Australian comedy act famed for their (piss)take on today’s absurdities of workplace culture, capitalism, and the corporate world. Our unfiltered chat exposes the concealed incompetence behind business jargon and workplace language. We discuss generational and cultural differences in communication, the role of humou...

EP 337 - Former CEO of Porsche, BMW and Lamborghini, Kevin Gaskell jumps in the quiz seat to discuss and debate various business practices - from TikTok to corporate gifting, from metaverse offices to B Corp certifications, Kevin shares his wise and candid views. NDAs, alternative investment markets, and physical meetings vs. virtual ones also make the shortlist. Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullsh...

EP 336 - Kevin was CEO of Porsche, Lamborghini and BMW in the UK who led the companies to hugely successful turnarounds and business growth. He remains actively involved in numerous companies worldwide, as both a founder investor and chairman, currently including the UK’s fastest-growing fibre network provider. To date, Kevin and his teams have created over £4 billion in shareholder value, making...

EP 335 - Generative AI educator and author David Birss takes the business or bullshit quiz offering his insights on various topics. From client lunches to golden parachutes and tax systems, David shares his candid views and has a very strong message for all TikTokers! Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Dave Birss 00:46 Silicon Roundabout and Client Lunches 02:56 R&D Tax Credits and Frau...

EP 334 - Dave is a renowned speaker, advisor and educator in Generative AI, and author of The Sensible AI Manifesto. We discuss the real-world applications of AI in business, common misconceptions and productivity myths while exploring the ethical, economic, and creative implications of integrating AI. Dave shares his transition from a creative director to an AI educator, discusses the Sensible AI...

Prolific ex-CEO and the man responsible for saving UK chain store giants Wickes and Iceland - Bill Grimsey - is in the quiz seat tackling topics like monthly management accounts, first mover advantage, golden parachutes and digital nomads, reflecting on his own experiences and sharing his unfiltered opinions ;) Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Bill Grimsey 00:37 Monthly Management Account...

EP 332 - Bill has been a serial CEO, Director and Non-Exec spanning a 40 year career in retail working for companies like Tesco, Budgens, and earning a reputation for his role in masterminding the recovery of DIY group Wickes and the Iceland Group. Bill is also the author of The Grimsey Reviews 1 and 2 which were both widely acclaimed with local governments both here in the UK and abroad adopting...

EP 331 - International trade expert Paul Webster takes the quiz seat giving us his views on various terms as either business or bullshit - equal paternity leave policies, British politeness in business, foreign espionage risks and adult entertainment industry all make the shortlist! Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Paul Webster 00:54 Debate on Equal Paternity Leave 03:54 Discussion on Bri...

EP 330 - Paul is Principal of International Expansion Partners (IEP) and AUS UK. His career spans both the private and public sectors having worked in financial services and management consulting in Australia before moving into the international investment sector. Paul shares his expertise on the potential of the Oz UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA), SME opportunities in government procurement, and cu...

EP 329 - Global Thought Leader in Business Futurism - Kate Ancketill - is the quiz seat this week tackling Andy's list of subjects as 'business' or 'bullshit' - family dynasties, DAOs, corporate gifting and Labour government are all on the list! Chapters: 00:00 Business or Bullshit with Kate Ancketill 00:28 Family Dynasties: Business or Bullshit? 01:16 DAOs - Yay or Nay? 01:56 Multiple Careers: Fo...