The Everyday Founder

On this episode of Everyday Founder we sit down with serial entrepreneur Andrew Humphries, formerly of The Bakery. Andrew shares his insights on building and scaling businesses, finding the right co-founder, securing funding, and navigating the challenges of entrepreneurship. With a track record that includes leading sales at Adeptra (sold for $135M), advising the UK government on tech talent, and co-founding The Bakery, Andrew's wisdom is invaluable for any founder looking to grow their business.How do you find the right co-founder?When should you raise funding vs. bootstrap?What are the key ingredients to building a unicorn?How do you manage burnout as a founder?Tune in to hear Andrew's raw and real insights on startup life, leadership, and making the right bets as an entrepreneur.Chapters:00:00 - Welcome Andrew Humphries00:07 - From Adeptra to Government Advisor00:31 - The Bakery: A Corporate Accelerator01:51 - The Secret to Building Unicorns04:43 - Why Andrew Stepped Away from The Bakery06:41 - Finding the Right Co-Founder12:16 - The Three Questions to Ask a Co-Founder15:36 - When Should You Raise Funding?22:26 - The Reality of Big Fundraising Rounds29:05 - Lessons from The Bakery and Beyond37:37 - The Trade-Offs of Being a Founder45:03 - Managing Burnout & Founder Mental Health50:32 - What Business Would Andrew Build Today?54:46 - The Role of Luck vs. Talent in Entrepreneurship58:53 - Final Thoughts & Wrap-UpIf you're a founder or aspiring entrepreneur, hit subscribe and turn on notifications for more insights from top business leaders.

In this episode of Everyday Founder, we sit down with Anton Boner, CEO & Founder of Screenloop, the first AI-powered applicant tracking system (ATS) with an auto-generated scorecard.Anton shares his incredible journey—from being a high school teacher to climbing the ranks at Stack Overflow (promoted 7 times in 8 years!) to launching a venture-backed SaaS startup that’s redefining hiring and recruitment.In this episode:✅ The leap of faith from teaching to enterprise sales✅ How Anton helped grow Stack Overflow before its $1.8B acquisition✅ The evolution of Screenloop—from an AI note-taker to a full hiring platform✅ The challenges of building a SaaS startup as a non-technical founder✅ How AI is reshaping the hiring process (and why the CV might be dead by 2025)✅ Fundraising insights—raising $10M and choosing the right investorsWhether you’re a founder, recruiter, or just fascinated by the intersection of AI & hiring, this episode is packed with insights on entrepreneurship, scaling, and the future of recruitment.Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and drop a comment below—what’s your take on AI in hiring?📌 Chapters:00:00 – Introduction & Anton’s Background01:08 – What is Screenloop?01:39 – From Teacher to Tech Sales at Stack Overflow02:54 – Making the Leap: Career Change & Relocation05:05 – The Birth of Screenloop07:23 – The Challenges of Being a Non-Technical Founder08:56 – Building the First Product & Early Growth10:59 – The COVID Hiring Boom & Market Shift13:09 – Pivoting from AI Note-Taker to Full ATS Platform15:48 – The Power of Remote Teams & Culture at Screenloop20:26 – Remote Work vs. In-Office Collaboration23:23 – Scaling from $100K to Seven Figures27:33 – How a Founder Switches Off & Avoids Burnout34:15 – AI & The Future of Recruitment39:34 – The Death of the CV?42:54 – Raising $10M & Choosing the Right Investors47:16 – Founders: Luck vs. Skill?55:02 – What’s Next for Screenloop?#AI #Startups #Recruitment #SaaS #TechEntrepreneur #Screenloop #EverydayFounder

Ever wondered how someone goes from working as a Floor Manager at Halfords to raising £2M for an AI startup?In this episode of The Everyday Founder Podcast, Martin Mason, CEO of Talent Mapper, shares his unconventional journey, from retail and HR to building a high-growth HR tech company.We dive deep into:✅ The struggles of fundraising (and why it's a nightmare)✅ How Talent Mapper landed enterprise clients from Day 1✅ The truth about founder burnout and why therapy helped✅ Why internal promotions can save companies £450K+If you're a founder, entrepreneur, or just curious about the startup grind, this episode is packed with insights, lessons, and hard truths you won’t want to miss.#StartupJourney #Entrepreneurship #HRTech #FounderLife #BusinessGrowth📍 CHAPTERS:00:00 – Intro: Who is Martin Mason?01:19 – The accidental entrepreneur: From Halfords to HR Tech05:32 – Building TalentMapper: A problem worth solving10:57 – The truth about fundraising (and why it's brutal)15:40 – Landing enterprise clients as a startup21:13 – Internal promotions vs. external hiring (£450K savings!)28:05 – The challenges of scaling a startup35:40 – The dark side of entrepreneurship: Burnout & therapy42:22 – AI & the future of HR Tech50:01 – Martin’s advice for founders: Hiring, growth & resilience55:15 – What’s next for TalentMapper?🎧 Listen & Subscribe for More Everyday Founder Stories!

In this episode of Everyday Founder, we sit down with Nick Valenzia, co-founder of Leafr, a London-based platform transforming sustainability consulting. Leafr connects mid-market businesses with top-tier climate and ESG consultants, offering expert solutions at a fraction of traditional consulting costs.🚀 Key Takeaways from This Episode:✅ The rising demand for sustainability expertise in business✅ How Leafr built a 500+ consultant network with a growing waitlist✅ Navigating the challenges of fundraising in a high-interest environment✅ Finding the right co-founder and building a lean, scalable team✅ The role of AI in sustainability and the future of climate solutions⏳ Chapters00:00 - Intro to the Episode00:35 - What Is Leafr & Why It Exists01:46 - The Growing Demand for Sustainability Consulting03:23 - How Leafr Built a 500+ Consultant Network05:50 - Raising $500K in a High-Interest Market07:25 - The Biggest Challenge: Bridging the Sustainability Skills Gap09:19 - Lessons from a Failed Startup & Founder Fit12:07 - Balancing Work, Life & Founder Burnout14:45 - Building a Lean & Scalable Business Model18:04 - Why Advisors Are Critical for Growth22:19 - The Future of Sustainability & AI’s Role26:07 - How Leafr Plans to Scale Next

What if you could build a tech empire without writing a single line of code? 🚀In this episode of The Everyday Founder, Olga Dogadkina, Founder & CEO of Emperia, shares her journey of turning an ambitious idea into a multi-million-dollar business. From partnering with global brands like Walmart, Bloomingdale's, and L'Occitane to raising $10 million in funding, Olga proves that success isn’t just about coding—it’s about vision, resilience, and the right team.In this episode:✔ How Olga built a tech-driven company without a technical background✔ The tough decision to relocate to the U.S. for growth✔ Fundraising challenges and what she learned from them✔ Building a diverse, international team across 13 countries🔔 Don't forget to like, comment, and subscribeChapters:00:00 – Introduction to Olga Dogadkina00:33 – From an idea to a global business01:46 – Challenges as a non-technical founder06:03 – Moving to the U.S.: The make-or-break decision10:55 – Raising $10 million: The reality of fundraising16:04 – Building a diverse, global team22:30 – Lessons learned from scaling Emperia28:01 – The future of virtual retail experiences34:16 – Olga’s advice to aspiring founders40:45 – Final thoughts and where to find Emperia

🎵 What if you could use your favourite chart-topping songs legally in your YouTube videos?In this episode of The Everyday Founder, we dive into the future of music licensing with Paul Sampson, Founder & CEO of Lickd. Paul shares his incredible journey in creating a groundbreaking platform that makes mainstream music accessible for content creators while navigating the complex world of copyright claims.🔥 What we cover:- The problem with using mainstream music on platforms like YouTube and TikTok- How Lickd bridges the gap between creators and music rights holders- The secrets to building a scalable business in the creator economy- Don’t miss this insightful conversation packed with actionable takeaways for creators, entrepreneurs, and brands alike!📍 CHAPTERS00:00 – Introduction to Paul Sampson & Lickd02:15 – The music licensing problem for creators06:45 – Why copyright claims hurt creators’ revenue10:30 – Building trust with major labels and publishers14:20 – How Lickd democratizes music for creators18:40 – The importance of licensing for future monetization22:15 – How Lickd attracted major partnerships (e.g., Warner Music, Epic Games)27:50 – Scaling the Lickd platform for creators and brands33:10 – Advice for founders raising investment for a new business38:45 – How to build a strong team and culture44:15 – Future of music licensing and new media innovations50:30 – The role of luck vs. skill in entrepreneurship56:15 – Final thoughts and call to action