The Bottleneck Podcast Ama Amo-Agyei with Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba on founders and the cost of success
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Dec 29, 2025 Ama Amo-Agye, founder of Plantmade, shares her journey from a £100 startup to a £13m success. She discusses the unexpected challenges of scaling a business, including how initial success can become a constraint. Ama reveals her strategies for capturing customer insights, building a small team, and navigating pricing pressures. She emphasizes the importance of transparency in branding and the lessons learned from a trademark dispute. The conversation dives into the UK versus US startup ecosystems and the emotional toll of investor conflicts on founders.
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Humble Origin To Rapid Growth
- Ama started Plantmade with £100 after severe hair loss and mixed products in her kitchen while helping customers directly.
- She turned that DIY solution into a business that reached £13m in sales within five years.
Outsource Energy-Draining Tasks
- Outsource tasks that drain your energy so you can focus on high-impact work.
- Ama outsourced customer service early to protect her mental health and creative capacity.
Scarcity As A Strategic Advantage
- Deliberate scarcity can create demand and become a brand advantage when combined with limited manufacturing.
- Ama used
