{"version":"1.0","type":"rich","provider_name":"Acast","provider_url":"https://acast.com","height":250,"width":700,"html":"<iframe src=\"https://embed.acast.com/$/612f97acc68da9001203e9e6/6a9abd782a7730b89644ace5?\" frameBorder=\"0\" width=\"700\" height=\"250\"></iframe>","title":"Go Small Before You Go Big: COAT Paints","thumbnail_width":200,"thumbnail_height":200,"thumbnail_url":"https://open-images.acast.com/shows/612f97acc68da9001203e9e6/1788525812120-b942a278-5a56-4e99-96fa-604317d053e3.jpeg?height=200","description":"<p>In this live episode of Virgin StartUp Changemakers, Natalie Pearce sits down with COAT Paints co-founder Rob Abrahams to explore how a startup can take on an established industry without trying to compete with everyone in it.</p><p><br></p><p>From spotting a frustrating customer experience in a market dominated by longstanding brands to building a made-to-order paint business around a clearly defined audience, Rob shares why narrowing your focus can give challengers an advantage. He explores finding the right co-founder, listening closely to customers, raising venture capital, scaling sustainably and why building a bigger business can sometimes be harder than starting one. </p><p><br></p><p>Whether you're entering a crowded market, building a challenger brand or deciding how ambitious you want your startup to become, this episode offers practical founder lessons on differentiation, customer insight, funding, sustainability and staying focused as you scale.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>In this episode:</strong></p><ul><li>Finding the right idea after exploring plenty of wrong ones</li><li>Why founder-market fit helped Rob and his co-founder choose COAT</li><li>Combining complementary skills when choosing a co-founder</li><li>Taking on established competitors without trying to win the entire market</li><li>Why narrowing your audience can make a challenger brand stronger</li><li>Starting with founder instinct, then evolving through customer feedback</li><li>Why COAT doesn't think of itself as simply selling paint</li><li>Choosing between building a profitable independent business and pursuing venture-backed growth</li><li>What changed after taking institutional investment</li><li>Why becoming profitable was a major milestone after raising capital</li><li>Building a made-to-order model around reducing waste</li><li>Protecting sustainability commitments when cheaper alternatives emerge</li><li>Why Rob believes scaling can be harder than starting</li><li>The founder mental health conversations that startup culture needs to have more often</li></ul><p><br></p>","author_name":"Virgin StartUp"}