Offcuts
Tim Richardson
Offcuts is a podcast and newsletter about commerce, culture and AI.
We explore how brands grow in a changing landscape. From shifting consumer behaviour to the rise of AI in digital work. It is part founder’s perspective, part field notes from inside the industry.
We speak to founders, operators and technologists about what is working, what is changing and what is next. Expect sharp thinking, useful links and the occasional hot take.
All grounded in what is actually happening. Not just what is trending.
Brought to you by the team at Factory: https://www.factory-digital.com/
We explore how brands grow in a changing landscape. From shifting consumer behaviour to the rise of AI in digital work. It is part founder’s perspective, part field notes from inside the industry.
We speak to founders, operators and technologists about what is working, what is changing and what is next. Expect sharp thinking, useful links and the occasional hot take.
All grounded in what is actually happening. Not just what is trending.
Brought to you by the team at Factory: https://www.factory-digital.com/
Episodes
Mentioned books
Feb 16, 2021 • 46min
S1 2021 Episode 2 - Sam Jones, co-founder & CEO of OOOOO
I chat to Sam Jones, Co-founder and CEO of OOOOO, a new live commerce app connecting consumers with real people, real products and real opinions. We touch on Sam's unique journey, the reincarnation of live shopping, building a global team and selling Manchester United merch when you're a Liverpool fan.
Feb 9, 2021 • 49min
S1 2021 Episode 1: Connie Nam, founder and CEO of Astrid & Miyu
I chat to Connie Nam, founder and CEO of Astrid & Miyu - a London based jewellery brand who placed ninth in the 2020 fast Track 100 list. We touch on the origins of the company, organic evolution, building communities, reimagining experiential retail and some tattoo talk.
Nov 17, 2020 • 47min
Agency Side Series: Piers Thorogood & Alex O'Byrne, co-founders of We Make Websites
On the sixth and final episode of the Agency Side Series, I sit down with Piers Thorogood and Alex O’Byrne, co-founders of We Make Websites.
We touch on how they met and started the agency, what’s changed in over 10 years of working together, the keys to a successful business relationship and how a £5 Gumtree ad changed the course of their lives.
Nov 10, 2020 • 43min
Agency Side Series: Adam Clarke, General Manager EMEA at Reload Digital
On the fifth episode of the Agency Side Series, I sit down with Adam Clarke, General Manager EMEA at Reload Digital.
We touch on what it means to be a truly global agency, keeping a cool head during periods of great change (e.g. a global pandemic), the pros and cons of staying niche and how not pursuing a PhD in history and politics led him down a digital path.
Nov 4, 2020 • 42min
Agency Side Series: Kelly Brown, COO & CFO of The Working Party
On the fourth episode of the Agency Side Series, I sit down with Kelly Brown, COO and CFO of The Working Party.
We touch on managing a business when your business partner is also your life partner, the eComm and Shopify scene down under, the fluidity of culture and what she’d be doing if she wasn’t running an agency.
Oct 27, 2020 • 44min
Agency Side Series: Paul Rogers, Co-founder & Managing Director of Vervaunt
On the third episode of the Agency Side Series, I sit down with Paul Rogers, co-founder and Managing Director of Vervaunt.
We touch on starting a business with his best friend, staying niche at scale, Shopify versus Magento and how doing spin classes with clients has given Vervaunt a competitive edge.
Oct 20, 2020 • 53min
Agency Side Series: Leja Kress, CEO & Founding Partner of Sweden Unlimited
On the second episode of the Agency Side Series, I sit down with Leja Kress, CEO and Founding Partner of Sweden Unlimited.
This is a pretty special episode as Leja and I share a passion for 80s new wave and post punk music. So it was a unique opportunity to sit down with her and learn how the band she formed with her husband and twin sister led to the creation of the agency, what they’ve learnt in 20 years of operation, how to maintain relevance, building culture and who would be in her ideal line up for a show at CBGBs, circa 1985.
Oct 13, 2020 • 43min
Agency Side Series: Kelly Vaughn, Founder & CEO of The Taproom
On the first episode of the Agency Side Series, I sit down with Kelly Vaughn - Founder & CEO of The Tap Room. We touch on her unconventional background, building culture whilst not creating an echo chamber, the concept of an ideal client and advice she’d give to somebody embarking on their own agency journey.
Oct 4, 2020 • 40min
Episode 18: Chris Nawrocki, co-founder of Heur
On this episode, I sit down with Chris Nawrocki, co founder of Heur - an eCommerce growth and strategy consultancy. We touch on an array of subjects from Tik Tok to VC funding to sustainability to the existential crisis traditional agency models are facing, and everything in between.
Aug 29, 2020 • 41min
Episode 17: Rob Bridgman, founder and CEO of Snug
On this episode, I sit down with Rob Bridgeman, founder and CEO of Snug - the sofa in a box company. We touch on his personal experience of moving house which lead to Snug, how they’ve bucked the trend of VC funding and creating not just a product but a category.
