FT Start-Up Stories

We’re back. Start-up Stories is returning with a new set of entrepreneurs sharing their insights about the joys and challenges of starting a business.So look out for our first episode in series five - from Monday June 4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Philipp Bock set out to solve one of the biggest problems faced by consumer businesses in Latin America - the lack of a localised cross border payments infrastructure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Glenn Keys and Andrew Walker were childhood friends who'd both served in the army and run businesses. Eventually they found a way to pool their resources, creating a company that provides tailored healthcare solutions in 12 countries from the UK to Africa, East Timor and Iraq. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeff Raider has helped pioneer a high quality, low cost model for selling consumer products like glasses and razors online. He tells Jonathan Moules how he did it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A crowded train journey home after a Chicago baseball game provided the inspiration for Katie Hill-Gottesman's Commuter Ads business, as she tells Jonathan Moules Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bernard Liautaud's startup was the first French company to go public in the US back in the 1990s. He describes how he steered the company from idea to exit and now advises other European companies hoping to take the same route. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Slack co-founder Cal Henderson and his collaborator Stewart Butterfield started out with the aim of creating a successful video game but ended up doing something completely different. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Brooke wanted to help solve the worst problem faced by urban cyclists - safety. She tells Jonathan Moules how she went about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will Dean, a former counter-terrorism officer and founder of Tough Mudder, shares his journey in the extreme sports world. He reveals how a legal challenge unexpectedly fueled the growth of his business. Dean discusses the emotional hurdles of being a founder-CEO, the importance of a strong company culture, and the complexities of intellectual property. He also highlights the role of branding and incremental improvements in navigating competitive markets, blending personal passion with strategic vision.

Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh imagined a product for fixing things that would help end the global throw-away culture. She tells Jonathan Moules how she turned her idea from a fun concept into a reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.