Not My First Guess

🚀 What’s it like to go Corporate Employee> Founder > Founder > Corporate Employee? At Not My First Guess we love a squiggly career path! 🏁That’s why we’re so excited to have serial founder, and once again corporate employee, Adam Goodall share his journey and lessons learned, from taking the first leap into full-time entrepreneurship, to deciding when to sell, to why he's enjoying being back in someone else's company. 🌐💡Adam is a serial founder with two startups under his belt - ProConfirm and Coconut. With a background in accounting at PwC, Adam has focused on innovating in spaces that may not seem “sexy” but have huge potential for growth. Adam first co-founded a startup with his room mate Samuel O'Connor (who he would also co-found Coconut with too), when their work at PwC led them to spot an opportunity to digitise the manual process of verifying client finances.They originally built ProConfirm as a side hustle while working corporate jobs but one of Adam’s biggest lessons was when to take the leap to full time. They soon gained traction, leading to acquisition interest from a major U.S. player.  Post-acquisition, Adam discovered his love for product management, setting him on the path to their next venture, Coconut, on a mission to simplify tax and accounting software for sole traders, landlords & their accountants. Since selling Coconut, Adam has now returned to employee life at Funding Circle and is brilliantly honest about what it was like to try to get a job as a serial founder (the hard and easy bits).🧠 Together we’ll explore:- How to find great ideas, when you are and aren’t looking for them- Adam’s hard won lessons on fundraising for Coconut, even as a second time founder with an exit under his belt- How to know when an acquisition offer is right for you- Advice on validating your idea before building the right product: what an MVP should and shouldn’t be- And how we build a robust identity as founders so we can fully embrace a squiggly career pathDon't miss it! #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife #FounderStories #fintech #startups #innovation #podcastLinks:Coconut: https://www.getcoconut.com/Adam’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamjgoodall/?originalSubdomain=uk

Are you worried you’re not using enough AI as a founder? I promise you’re not alone. In fact, after interviewing our incredible guest today, I went away and automated a LOAD of my own processes - sometimes you just need to understand the art of the possible!This episode is a GREAT start - we’re joined by AI advocate Cien Solon, who is on a mission to make “AI for All” with her latest startups Launch Lemonade and Scale that Thing! Cien is a Product-Led Growth expert, a start-up consultant and a constant builder. She is also a Techstars mentor and part of the Angel Investing School team.She has developed a portfolio of products from fintech, to AI tools to B2B SaaS and had a previous career in Marketing giving her an amazing view of the full journey.Today, with Launch Lemonade, she allows anyone to build AI chat bots to help with very specific tasks - from a sales chatbot to speak with customers, to creating marketing copy, writing reports, the possibilities are mostly bound by our own creativity; that’s why her consultancy startup Scale that thing helps  businesses build their AI and Product-led Growth strategies and implement them.So in this episode, as well as product building insights and advice  from an incredible expert, expect plenty of inspiration on how you can implement AI in your own business!Links:Cien’s Website:https://ciensolon.com/Launch Lemonade App:https://launchlemonade.app/Scale That Thing Website:https://www.scalethatthing.com/

Award-winning content creator and accountant Rachel Harris shares insights on community-building, founder finances, and company valuation. Topics include entrepreneur support, efficient founder compensation, tax strategies, valuing time, and improving productivity.

Ever wonder what it takes to transform from a passionate leader into a successful startup founder? In this episode, we'll uncover the secrets to building an innovative, AI-powered solution that's revolutionising the way managers drive team performance. Joining us today is Sarah Touzani, the brilliant mind behind Waggle, an AI co-pilot empowering managers with the tools and insights to excel. Building on Sarah’s 15+ years experience in finance and tech, Waggle has already caught the attention of major players like Techstars and JP Morgan. Backed by a talented, diverse team, Sarah has navigated the challenges of fundraising, fostering culture, and forging strategic partnerships to position Waggle for exciting growth across the US and Europe.In this candid, we'll dive into:Key lessons learned in the leap from leader to founderStrategies for assembling a powerhouse team and aligning them around your "why"Tips for securing funding and leveraging accelerators to catalyse growthSarah’s approach to product development that attracts an eager customer baseHow Sarah maintained the vision while keeping operations running smoothlyAdvice Sarah wishes she had when first starting outLinks:Founder Catalyst: https://www.foundercatalyst.com/Waggle: https://www.usewaggle.ai/

Joining us in this episode is Charlie Rosier, a seasoned entrepreneur and fourth-time founder. Her latest venture, Babbu, disrupts the early childhood education space with an innovative online platform tailored for children aged 0-5. Driven by personal experience and insights gained during lockdown conversations with fellow parents, Charlie recognized the overwhelming pressure parents face—spending 37 hours weekly on childcare concerns alone. Determined to alleviate this stress, she birthed Babbu. Rooted in science but crafted by parents, Babbu reimagines the parenting journey, providing a supportive community and expert advice to empower parents in nurturing their children.This episode we discuss:Lessons learned as a serial founderGrief that comes with failed businessesWhy we have to value our time differently as foundersLessons in linkedin marketingFundraising - what Charlie knows now but didn’t know when she startedBalancing being a mother with being a startup founder and the guilt that comes with itLinks to Babbu’s website:https://babbu.co.uk/

This episode we are joined by Simi Lindgren Founder of Yuty. Some of you may recognise Simi from our special episode on fundraising as an underrepresented founder, where she was joined by two other incredible guests. But we wanted to take the time to dive deeper into Simi’s story and insights building an AI startup. Simi initially went to med school thinking that she would become a doctor. However, she soon realised that she wasn’t there for the right reasons. This led her to dropping out of her degree and getting an internship at a magazine working in beauty, and ultimately leading her to following her own passions. Simi then built up her experience in the beauty industry, working in marketing communications where she matched brands and PRs with media celebrities and influencers. Having progressed really well, in 2020 she decided that it was time to do something herself, which led to the launch of Yuty.Founded in 2020, Yuty is a venture capital backed technology company that uses AI to redefine hyper-personalisation, transforming the way brands can engage with their customers. The app provides data backed product recommendations delivered through a quiz, in order to help all customers, regardless of race, gender or ability, to find the product that is right for them. Having had personal experiences of not feeling seen or understood, and not being able to find the right products, Simi wanted to create something that was accessible for all, and after teaching herself to code, Yuty was formed.This episode we discuss:Choosing a path for the wrong reasons and going off the “beaten path” despite pressure internally and from the familyWhy she went down the VC route with YutyChoosing an Investor Partner and how to manage themThe importance of constantly asking questionsAssumptions and why being curious is the ultimate founder traitPlus much much more!Links:Yuty website: https://www.yuty.me/

This episode we are joined by Kate Berski, Co-Founder of Curlsmith, a high performance, inclusive haircare brand which she started with her husband in 2018. It soon became one of the fastest growing textured hair brands and would go on to retail at Ulta Beauty, Target, Boots and many more. The idea for Curlsmith was formed out of a family struggle to find suitable haircare products for Kate’s nieces’ curly hair. Kate and her husband Michal soon realised that there was a gap in the market with lots of people unable to find appropriate products for their hair. Using her experience in advertising and brand consulting, combined with Michal’s experience working for some major beauty companies, they soon developed a community around an Instagram page that they launched, which shared advice, recipes and tips for people with curly hair, before they began the process of making their own product.In this episode, we discuss:The haircare industry and how Curlsmith was brought to lifeThe journey (and cost) of developing a productThe pros and cons of staying lean as long as possibleDigital vs retail channelsGoing down the VC route and how that helped grow the businessThe toll a startup has on your mental healthHaving a kid whilst running a business, and realising there’s more to life than workWhat it’s like to sell your company How entrepreneurship compares to becoming an authorAnd much much more…Links:Kate’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate.berski/Curlsmith website: https://uk.curlsmith.com/

This episode, we are joined by Tess Cosad, the CEO and Co-Founder of Béa Fertility. As someone who takes much of her inspiration from injustice, Tess saw the pain and difficulties that many people were going through in their attempts to build a family, with access and affordability making the journey even more stressful and heartbreaking for many. In comes Béa Fertility, a company that provides clinical-grade fertility treatment that can be shipped straight to your door, and costs 1/20th of what IVF would.Tess has always been passionate about building businesses that make an impact. She was the first woman to lead a digital startup program to female entrepreneurs in Saudi Arabia in 2018, and is also a pioneer of the FemTech industry having gained experience working with Hers By Design, and Emberson Ventures, a B2B marketing agency.Despite often being one of the few women in male-dominated VC circles, Tess persists in her commitment to bring about positive change and support impactful solutions, by pushing evidence-based strategies and supporting founders who adopt similar change driven principles.This episode, we discuss:Mistakes and lessons learnt from Tess’s previous start-up venturesThe importance of speaking to your users/customersThe importance of storytelling and how this became Tess’s skillsetWhy being the keeper of the context is your most important role as CEO of a startupThe process of finding mentorsThe struggles of finding investors and raising funds, and the importance of keeping your passion throughout the processAnd much more including hilarious stories that had our editor chuckling almost the whole way through the edit!Let us know what you think!Links: Bea Fertility website Brad Feld’s book Venture DealsFounders Pocket Guide to term sheets

This episode, we are joined by Andy Ayim MBE, a serial founder and Angel Investor who is known for his human centered approach to business. Over a decade ago, Andy cofounded Mixtape Madness, a proudly bootstrapped 7 figure business. When he left day to day operations there, he dove into Product Management with high growth startups such as WorldFirst, acquired for $700m by Ant Financial; and Series C startup Zilch where he was Head of Product Management. In 2018 he took his next leap, to become Managing Director at US based VC firm, Backstage Capital where he raised over $2.5M to deploy into underrepresented founders.As you’ll hear, improving equity in the startup ecosystem has been a huge driver for Andy, and led to his next startup, The Angel Investing School, a company on a mission to train the next generation of angel investors, including those who feel excluded by the current system, or haven’t seen typically  themselves represented among angels. Additionally, Andy supports startups, scaleups and corporates as an advisor; this is someone who knows what it takes to grow a company. Andy’s impact has seen him get voted as one on the top 10 BAME Leaders in Tech in the FT, as well as being awarded an MBE for his services to diversity in tech.Andy has also been one of our biggest supporters at IfWeRaise from the very early days, in fact even before I met my co-founder, and is now one of our Board Advisers, so it was extra special having him on the show.In this episode, we discuss:Andy’s personal user guide as his intro into the world of entrepreneurship (and why we probably all need one)Why Andy created Angel Investing School and how it’s evolvingThe importance of building social capital and a personal brand as a founderWhy fundraising isn’t always the best optionWhat Andy looks for in founders from an Angel's perspectiveThe importance of storytelling and how to nail itThe backwards relationship we have with failure in the UKLinks:Angel Investing School:https://angelinvestingschool.com/Andy’s Personal User Guide:https://andyayim.com/my-personal-user-guide/Mixtape Madness:https://www.mixtapemadness.com/

This episode we are joined by Nicola Ward, Co-Founder of CakeDrop. Having both worked in the City, Nicola and her sister Anna had a conversation about how awkward office birthdays can be. Often forgetting to buy a cake and having to resort to a cheap last minute one from the shop around the corner. They felt that something needed to be done to improve the employee experience in the office and uplevel celebrations at work. This gave way to the idea for CakeDrop. CakeDrop began by delivering artisan cakes to offices for employee birthdays, supported by an online calendar that allowed office managers and HR teams to pre-schedule key dates for the year ahead. 7 years on, and CakeDrop have worked with customers such as Disney, Meta, Netflix and LadBible.In this episode we discuss:Evolving her business ideaRunning a business with a siblingHow CakeDrop began and how they got to where they are nowHow they reacted to lockdownBuilding a team and finding the right peopleLearning the difference between how your gut is leading you and how your anxiety is leading you to make decisionsPublic speaking and founder confidence The importance of momentum in fundraisingManaging your potential investor baseLink to the Cake Drop website:https://cakedrop.london/