Recorded live on a Eurostar from London to Paris, we teamed up with London & Partners as part of their 2 day networking event bringing together Google backed Founders, Investors, Scale Ups and alike en route to VivaTech Paris via Fabula for a swanky dinner. We spoke to London & Partner's Miriam Ducke - Director Europe and Andrew Tibbets - Director of Innovation alongside Google backed Founders Dupe Burgess - Bloomful , Theo Houston - Slinger and Dami Hastrup - Moonhub for a full round up of the trip, start to finish!

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businesswithoutbullshit.me

I'm Andrew Titz.

I'm Director of Innovation, uh, for Grow London.

My name is Miriam Er and I'm the director Europe for London.

And partner.

I'm Andy Ori, uh, from Uri Clark.

Hi, I'm Pfister from UI Clark.

Today we're running a speed networking event on board the Eurostar to celebrate, uh, the collaboration between the 10th London Tech Week this year and the Great Beaver Tech, um, event in Paris.

We're taking an amazing delegation of startups, scale ups, investors, corporates, and ecosystem partners to see how we collaborate and really make things happen.

I'm Depo Burgess.

I'm the founder of Bloom four.

Hi, my name's the Lee Houston.

I am the founder of Slinger.

I'm Dmi Hastra, the founder and CEO of MOH Hub.

Just got to King's Cross, same pancreas and about to get on the train to do some speed networking.

And I'm really excited for the speed networking, dating possession between startups, VC and partners as well.

And we are at Kings Cross today with London Partners on our way to Fever Tech, to do an a special event where it's speed networking with London Partners.

And here we are on Eurostar.

Very exciting.

Uh, and we're joined by Miriam.

And what is the best thing about your job?

The best thing about my job is that you meet amazing people and a lot of amazing people, super innovative.

Inspiring.

Uh, you get to go to conferences, you get, you know, you, you like conferences.

I do like conference.

You must be the only person as world that loves conferences.

Yeah, no, I do like conferences.

I do like them.

I mean, they can be quite tiring.

You have a lot of conversations, but you get to meet people that are just breathtaking, you know, fantastic, fantastic ideas with energy and that's really something I appreciate about, about the job.

And then if you have successes and you do have successes in that job, it does motivate me massively.

And what's the most misunderstood thing about what you do?

The most misunderstood thing about what I do, I think, is that initially many people think that we are there to represent London and we trying to kind of drag companies out of other locations.

But in actual fact, what we are there for is.

To build ecosystems, to work together, to strengthen not just the land ecosystem, but to strengthen the European ecosystem.

And that has a lot to do with collaboration.

So we do a lot of things in other parts as well.

We take companies to other markets.

We work with corporates, we bring them together.

So, so I think that's the most misunderstood one, that it's about collaboration rather than promotion's more.

Exactly.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, so we can work with so many more people than initially people think that we can work with.

Yeah.

And another thing is that depending on the country you come to, some people may think, oh, it's a government agency.

Yeah.

And they must be like, not be able to deliver.

And I think we as London and partners are very agile.

We work with so many, we have enormous networks.

And I can get, I get the feedback from people who I've worked with, my colleagues that is extremely positive and I, I think it's part of that, the partners bit of London and partners.

Yeah.

What is London and Partners?

It's just in brief.

So London and Partners is, um, yes we are government funded, but we work with a lot of ecosystem players.

So we have partners across different fields that could be legal advice, that could be, um, tax advice, recruitment, but it goes further than that.

We actually work with the ecosystem and they accept us.

They, they trust us.

So we work with accelerators, we work with about 200 VCs and the ecosystem.

We work with corporates that are grateful for what we do for them.

So it's, it's like London Plus, and we try to do the same thing in other markets.

And, uh, what is going on here and what, how do London and partners fit into this, uh, experience on a train?

Well, we've done it once before.

Yes, we have.

Um, last year.

Last year.

And was it, we're back.

So it must've been a success, was it?

It was a success.

Um, yes, it was chaotic and I think you can experience, I don't know whether anybody can hear the background noise, but yeah, I think we're all getting that.

We're all getting it.

It's very active, it's very chaotic.

People don't behave like you want them to behave, but this is the serendipity of this entire thing.

So, uh, we have 15 corporates on board.

And we have another 10 corporates joining us.

British corporates joining us in Paris.

We have 15 VCs on board.

We have Google startup founders on board.

We have startups and scale ups from London and from across Europe on board.

Um, and you know, it just happens.

It hap magic hat happens between these people.

There is a rule, there is a process that we try to follow.

We absolutely know that the process is not gonna work out as we want it to work out, but that's okay.

That's what we expect.

And it's, it's gonna be great.

And people will meet about 20 new people, at least more than that, but 20 new people at least during this journey.

Just this journey.

Just, just at least, at least at, because that's And VC's meeting other VCs and invest, or is it very much startups trying to meet VCs or?

Exactly.

So what we feel is that there's a lot of, um, good vibe coming out of peers, exchanging each other.

So even if it's a scale up meeting, a scale up, that's great.

Yeah.

The scale ups meet the VCs.

The VCs wants to meet the, want to meet the scale ups.

We have corporates on board that look for innovation.

We have the innovators on board.

So it's, it's kind of furthering itself and it has been a great success.

And it's not just this journey, it is this journey.

But we continue in Paris, we've started in London with London Tech Week, and we will continue during Viva Tech and having networking events.

What, what's your ultimate goal for this?

What are you hoping to achieve from the ultimate?

The ultimate game, a goal is that everybody is happy.

And that means our scale-ups get deals with the, with the corporates.

The corporates find the scale-ups that they're looking for.

And obviously we want the, um, the VCs to find their startups.

Um, they're always interested in meeting innovative companies.

They're selected.

These companies, they have gone through a process.

So it's not just any company, but they have been screened.

Um, and yeah, if, if, if there's an investment happening, that's a success.

Yeah.

It's kind of strange that London Tech Week and Viva Tech Week are now the same week.

It's almost competitive.

Uh, do you feel London and Paris feel competitive as London Tech Hubs?

I think they may feel competitive and there are people that further the competition, but I think there's also so much in store.

So there are so many companies active in both markets and they need to be active in both markets to really explore the full potential they need to scale.

So there's a lot of collaboration going on with between us and, and Paris, be it the Olympics where we're supporting them with, you know, the great work that London has done during the Olympics, but also now with, uh, startup hubs.

Um, there's vc, there are VCs that invest in, in Perian firms, there are Perian VCs investing into London firms.

It's funny cuz competition, it's a, it's a, it's a difficult beast because it's quite useful.

I mean, I think there was a bit of French British competition and we came up with Concord.

Do you know what I mean?

It's like we can achieve incredible things if it, so I think a little bit of healthy competition.

No, yeah.

No, no, no.

Of course.

We, it's, it's, it's like you said, the collaboration and the friendship needs to be there, you know?

Yeah.

So I think you are right.

It's a bit of both and it does, it does have both ecosystems to be agile and to develop.

Yeah.

So yes, of course there is competition and everybody wants to be ahead of the other one.

Um, same with the events.

Um, but equally at the same time, I think without each other together, we are actually remarkable on this.

You know, in the tech world, if there was only London or only Paris, we wouldn't be noticeable.

And there are other places within Europe as well.

Having said we're all working together.

What's the best thing about London do you think, compared to other places?

I've, so it would be unfair to say that other places don't have that.

But what I really appreciate about London is, um, how the ecosystem supports each other, how founders support each other.

It's a very friendly ecosystem and I find that startups and scale ups from London are so helpful to other start and scale ups, not just from London, but also other places.

But this is a vibe that I take, uh, from London that is super friendly, super open.

Yeah.

Um, London is open.

Um, so I find that's extremely positive.

No one ever came for the weather or the food was the old joke, so we have to be open.

The food got better.

Oh, the weather too.

The weather the most.

Miriam, you've been absolutely brilliant.

Now we're just gonna end on a quick game.

It's called Business or Bullshit, or Bob for sure.

So I only have to say bullshit or business, correct?

Yes, correct.

And you may is you may discuss it a little if you feel, um, feel so inclined.

Um, okay.

So yeah, we're gonna begin.

Are you ready?

Okay.

Ready.

Dq, the music, if we're doing that kind of thing on a train.

Okay.

LinkedIn.

Uh, a lot of bullshit, but also very useful.

So also business.

No, you have to pick.

Oh.

Um, well I use it for business, so I say business, but I think there's a lot of bullshit around it.

Yeah, yeah.

So business.

But it's, it's bullshit.

Bullshit too.

Office dogs love them.

So business.

Yes.

Look at that.

Ballpark figures.

Bullshit.

Yeah.

Wheelhouse.

What is a wheelhouse?

Like that's not my wheelhouse means I don't know how to do that.

It's a bullshit phrase.

Okay.

Bullshit.

Uh, MBAs, um, uh, business, uh, we could do this one.

I dunno if you can do that in French.

Yeah.

Uh, business bus.

Definitely.

Business.

Yeah, I think so.

Uh, we'll do a couple more hot desking.

Uh, don't like it very much, but, uh, it's form of business and it does help, uh, with do you hot desk, but you're gonna have to come down on one side or the other.

Okay.

Um, You are very diplomatic as you should be in your role.

Ah, I know, I know.

Okay.

Um, business then, uh, blue sky thinking as a German blue sky thinking in German, I, as a German I have to say it's bullshit, but it happens a lot and it does help sometimes with investors.

I'm Dpe Burgess.

I am the founder of Bloomville.

Um, we are a health tech company that is on a mission to raise a standard of care for women's gynecological health.

Wow.

Okay.

Very good.

We're to London.

So what, what problem are you solving?

So the healthcare journey for women's health issues is very long, very chaotic.

Um, um, very ambiguous.

Uh, there are a number of reasons why that's the case.

Um, historical lack of research amongst, uh, around women's gynecological health.

A healthcare system that's very male-centric, always has been and still is.

And obvious the fact that men don't have ovaries.

Obviously the fact that men don't have ovaries doesn't help.

And obviously, you know, we're working in, in a system that is, um, pushed to the seams that every, every corner of the nhs.

So, um, inevitably women's health has been deprioritized and that's having a really big impact on women's ability to move through life.

Their quality of life, mental wellbeing, their ability to work, especially around chronic pelvic conditions.

So things like P C O S, endometriosis and fibroids.

We know that they take up to 10 years or more to be diagnosed in many cases.

Oh my god, 10 years.

Yeah.

So I find this as the only man now sitting here, but I find it very interesting.

You feel that the, I mean, certainly you go back 50, 60 years, a lot of male doctors, but now, I mean, it's my wife's the doctors.

It's hugely female.

The whole system, doctors system you think is sexist.

It's the whole, it's the whole system.

System.

And I don't know about, no, I wouldn't, I wouldn't necessarily use the term sexist, but it's very male-centric.

So for example, um, women historically were not allowed to take part in, in medical research because it was felt that their, how long ago hormonal changes?

Um, only in the early nineties was it deemed, oh my god.

Because of their hormonal changes.

Yeah.

Because it's, they're more unpredictable to, to study.

Exactly.

And it would have a, you know, an undue impact on, on, on the studies.

Uh, so if I design things, therefore are more based around male biology.

Exactly.

So people, lots of people don't know that men and women have different outcomes.

For things like heart attacks, because all the protocols and medications that we take in hospital are very built and tested on men.

Is it, say the case I, I may be wrong about this, but the presentation of heart attacks in women is different to men.

Yes.

But then what we know of heart attacks and what we typically describe as a presentation is, The male, the male version.

But that deemed the presentation.

Yeah.

Um, and that's just one example.

Ah, so it's more intrinsic in how medicine has been studied for a long time.

Exactly.

Which to be fair is it's not a completely sexist reason.

It's a scientific thing that they were like this.

I know we could stand here and say it is, but you were saying because it was in variation of hormones.

So Yeah.

It may have made it like there may be some history to how it was studied, you know, was, was wrong.

I think it was Yes.

The history of how people felt medicine should be studied.

Studied, doesn't sense as a scientist, you wouldn't want to study both sides.

Exactly.

You know?

Exactly.

And it was more that you would study men and then extrapolate downwards to women.

Whereas actually we know that there are things that impact women that don't impact men and they obviously have an impact on how we absorb medications, for example, or, um, what kind of protocols might be necessary for us.

Yeah.

Right.

Can you describe to us where you are right now?

What's going on right now?

Yes.

As in this moment in time.

Yep.

I'm sitting in a carriage, carriage 10, I believe, of the carriage 10.

Um, I think we've arrived in France.

Someone told me that we were in lil, um, not too long ago, and we are on our way to Paris.

To take part or to see Beaver Tech?

To go to Beaver Tech.

And what are you hoping to get out of the trip?

Um, I think just, uh, some new contacts would be great.

Yeah.

So, you know, network, meet new people.

I think that's a, a huge amount.

Part of this job, um, as a founder is just, you know, you are network connecting.

Connecting.

Exactly.

You're the ceo, are you?

I am, yeah.

Connecting and just learning from other people, um, connecting with other people, meeting new investors perhaps.

Um, and just really understanding the landscape of tech as we go forward.

Yeah.

And, and, uh, in terms of your trying to raise awareness, what do you, what, what, by raising that money, what do you, what is the, what is the key to trying to help people do you think, within your business?

Is it a technological thing you are building or is it, is it an awareness thing?

What, what are you doing?

How do you solve this problem, I guess?

Yeah.

We're solving the problem by delivering easier access to great value, basically, and, and information and knowledge.

Um, we know that, you know, there are tens of hundreds of women waiting for this kind of input and waiting for specialist expertise, and we're building a much more streamlined way for them to get that access and private.

Initially, I assumed you have to do this privately more.

Yeah, yeah.

We, but we're making it very accessible and the reason is because our bigger, broader mission is, you know, how do we use, um, these customers or this

information, this data, um, in a way that makes sense for r and d for research and development and for building a better future as far as women's health?

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So we are building, um, a database through which we can collect the right, um, information from our users, stratify them in the right way, and connect them to research groups, um, to clinical trials.

That's great.

Um, to biotech companies who struggled to find these people and how is London and partners helping you to unlock your potential?

So, I, uh, was selected as one of.

Google for startups, black Founders Fund.

Okay.

Yep.

Um, companies that they invested in last year.

So the connection was made with Google and then through them with, uh, with this trip by, by way of London and partners.

But, you know, from what I've heard, um, I think it's great what they're, what they're doing showcasing London in all its glory, especially the tech side of things.

And, um, yeah, that can, how are you as a black woman and in London now building a business?

How are you, how are you finding it?

Are you, you feeling like you're right, hitting a wall, or do you feel that the, the conversation's opening up?

Um, I mean, I think, I mean, so being a founder is just difficult.

Anyway, full stop, you know, it's really fun.

It's great.

It's, um, it's a huge part of my life now and I'm really enjoying it.

But it's, it's really hard.

And I think, um, fundraising is also very afraid.

Oh my God.

God, it's the hardest thing in the world.

Yeah.

It's, it's a full-time job.

I guess a better way of answering my question is, is, is your identity, uh, you know, part, is that relevant to you on this journey?

Well, look, I think, um, we know that the.

Statistics for female founders is still really poor.

Yeah.

And it seems to be getting worse a year upon year.

Yeah, I know.

The last couple of years.

Um, and we know that when you kind of, um, segment women further that being a black woman or minority ethnic woman, um, puts your position, you know, it's a disaster.

It's a, but you know, we've got really amazing, um, investors already.

We've got people that are already backing our mission.

Um, we are very, very mission driven and, you know, we we're already proving that we are delivering value to women.

So, you know, we're, we're, we are appealed to investors who are, will have an interest in, um, investing in businesses like ours and in businesses that are trying to do something for the greater good.

Raising money is, is is tough.

It's really tough.

Whatever, you know, it's hard.

I guess I only ask this questions more cuz just as, oh, London as I think three of us is, you know, I think it is a tremendously open city.

So it is very sad when you, you know, you, you hear that is that it's the sort of, maybe there's a lot of prejudice still.

Yeah know there is.

Um, I think you, you can only do what you can do and you have to, you have to be very bullish about putting yourself out there, making the right connections.

Um, finding those people who are championing women, female founders, black founders.

Um, Google was one of those people, you know, my current angel investors are those people.

So people exist.

Most people are great.

Most people want to see people.

I, London, London Partners is too, what another partner.

Course London apartment.

Well, I'm not at Avar am I?

Check ticket.

If you could pick one thing that is utter, utter bullshit about business, what would it be?

Oh my goodness.

Um, it probably would be the fundraising to Yeah.

Oh my God.

Yes.

It is like, uh, it's a full-time job.

It takes you away from the business.

It makes you feel like you are not actually building the product itself.

How do you balance that kind of trying to spend time with investors and get the money in and do your founder job as well?

Um, I do the actual job compartmentalizing at every turn.

Um, I mean, it's hard and it is a juggle and you have to be very strict with your time, strict with your calendar.

Um, I fortunately now have been through the process once before and I've been able to use the, use the, I guess the learnings from that to make this a much more efficient process.

So, for example, making sure you're only talking to investors who are, um, appropriate for you and not investors that are only investing in series A onwards or in FinTech or, or whatever it might be.

Um, using each of my current investors to do a lot of the legwork for me.

So asking them to make the introductions?

Yeah, yeah.

Asking them to bring people to me, asking them to reinvest.

Um, just finding ways to, um, it is make bullshit bullshit though.

I agree with you.

The whole process, even though we discussed the due diligence.

Due diligence, yes.

The whole thing is that like, even when you found one, it's like, it's a, and, and, and as you say, it takes you completely away from your business.

Yeah.

So you need, so the CEO is responsible for raising money a lot of the time, basically.

Yes.

And they can't do anything but raise money the whole time.

No.

And obviously in a business there are things you can sort of shepherd out to other people.

You know, you've got a team, you delegate as much as you can, but there are things as a CEO that can't be, and that that is, that is one thing, you know, with, you can farm out all the legal work to us poor runs, but you have to have those conversations with investors.

You have to convince the investors to come into your business.

No one else can do that for you.

And if somebody else tries to do it for you, you won't get the money.

No, exactly.

Exactly.

So like, and so it, hence it becomes a full-time job practically.

Finally, and feel free to give us your pitch.

Why should we care about your business?

Because we are changing the world for women.

Um, we exist because healthcare doesn't work for women, especially when it comes to their gynecological health.

Everybody should, um, be interested in, invested in that because we all have female family members, mothers, fathers, sisters, daughters, and um, and by.

Improving their, uh, the way that we're able to live life through healthcare.

Um, we're improving the economy and the world for everybody.

Fantastic.

You, you've been absolutely fabulous debate.

Now we're gonna play a little game.

It's called business or Bullshit.

Okay.

And all we're gonna do is we're gonna name something, some bullshitty, businessy kind of thing, and you have to tell us whether you think it is business or bullshit.

Okay?

And you may elaborate if you wish.

Okay.

If you find it contentious.

Okay.

LinkedIn business.

Is this a same question, correct?

No, they're not, they're not trick que.

You can say whichever you want.

I, I think it is, uh, business, but it's full of bullshit.

Uh, it is probably the, no, no, no.

We have a degree of, the whole point is there's no right or wrong.

There's quite a lot of bullshitters on LinkedIn.

Yes.

And Gail may do her questions in French to Chestnut, GCSE French.

You never know.

She could show you the card at the same time and no one knows that.

Okay.

Anyway.

Uh, office dogs bullshit.

Yeah, they probably are.

I like dogs that's not in the office.

Well, I'm gonna try in French, uh, shift P um, uh, business.

Business, uh, wheelhouses.

What are they?

As in this is or isn't my wheelhouse, my area of expertise?

My area of expertise.

Uh, business.

Yeah, business.

Don't, we're not gonna throw you out.

Okay.

Wrong please.

It's just a, I'll take my controversial MBAs.

That is controversial.

Oh, difficult one.

Difficult one.

Overall, I'd say bullshit.

Yes, correct.

Well done.

Right.

Another one in French, uh, cor here.

Um, business.

We will never know where that was.

Full work.

Clothes.

Oh, bullshit.

Damn.

Straight hot desking.

Um, bullshit.

I like my space.

Yeah.

I don't, even if it's small, I don't want fingerprints, other people's cups, my space, but that's just me.

And sandwiches in the drawers.

And sandwiches in the drawers.

Oh, uh, another one in French, uh, p blue, blue sky thinking.

Um, business.

Business plans.

Oh, bullshit.

No, I shouldn't say that.

Business.

Yeah.

No, no, that's interesting.

Exactly.

No, I find that interesting.

Your first reaction is bullshit.

I, well, I think business plan, I think 25 pages on word, on, on for, oh no, Baal.

Yeah, that's wrong.

But that's finished.

Cuz you took you a year to finish it.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Yeah.

That is bullshit.

But no, a good cohesive deck that outlines your business from start to finish.

I think your vision, your mission, and my bus vision and mission.

Exactly.

Pivoting.

Oh no business.

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Gotta do it.

Gotta do it.

Stay on your toes.

Yeah.

Why?

Next one?

You said you put that, see now more.

Wait, wait, wait.

We say that in French as well and they closed the No bullshit.

No bullshit.

You exercise before or after work.

Yeah.

Ki it's been absolutely fabulous to meet you too, Pete.

Thank you so much.

Thank.

Good luck with your business.

I'm Andrew Titz, uh, and I am a director of Innovation Growth for London and Partners.

Uh, now Grow London.

Now Grow London.

Fantastic.

Uh, and and what, what do they do exactly?

Grow London?

Uh, so Grow London helps, uh, the best businesses from the world expand into and get really embedded in, uh, the London business community, uh, and helps the fastest growing UK companies, uh, expand and do business all around the world.

That's fantastic.

And what's the best thing about your job?

Uh, getting paid to do people favors and help them grow their businesses.

Nice.

I'm a failed entrepreneur myself.

Okay.

So now I get to help people build their businesses, which was, are we allowed to ask what the business was that failed?

The business was called Tech Hub.

It was the first incubator on Old Street Roundabout.

Remember it well if Mike Butcher standing just over us.

That was a huge success.

How did you fail?

It was, we, so, uh, we had an, our business model was working with corporates on innovation, which ended very quickly during Covid physical co-working, which ended pretty well, pretty quickly during, anyway, we had four or five different revenue streams.

I didn't know that as though Covid proof.

Wow.

So, so it imploded however, Two tech hubs survive.

Two Tech Hub, survive.

Tech Hub, Swanee, woo woo.

National Suit, computer in Swanee, and Tech Hub Rega in Lavia, which is an awesome team.

Oh my God, Rega part of town.

Swanee.

Absolutely.

Swan and Riga.

I never, we did New York, we did Bangalore, we did London, we did Boston, we did all these cities.

But Swanzi and Weger run.

They, they, they won everything.

What's the most misunderstood thing about what you do?

Um, lots of organizations like London and partners in the world, uh, around the world.

Just help businesses come and trade into their markets.

And I think what's so awesome about what, uh, we're allowed to do with London and Partners is to help UK companies expand into all those other markets.

And so that gives us really good, really good insight also as to what's happening all around the world, what the trends are, uh, and how things are changing.

So I think this is, might be your idea, this, uh, whole thing.

So what, what, what, what are we doing and why are we back?

Well, there's two big reasons really.

One is because, uh, it's London Tech Week, uh, and it just so happens that Viva Tech is another awesome event in, in arguably, uh, the second greatest city in Europe, of course, after, uh, after London Beaver Tech happening the same week as, uh, as the 10th.

London Tech Week this year.

Uh, and so just really bringing, we've brought a load of, uh, European founders over, we've got a German delegation on board the Eurostar today.

We've got, um, a French delegation on board.

We've got companies from Norway, um, all the way across.

So they've been over for London Tech Week, and we're just linking up, of course, tech course to, uh, uh, to share all the, all the knowledge and opportunities and, and you are back.

So last year was a success.

We take it last year.

Last year was a success.

This year we have more investors.

It's great to have great, um, support from, um, the venture capital community.

Um, we've got over 25 corporates on board from awesome come companies like, uh, Citibank and DeBeers, the Diamonds Company.

From link leaders, from just the, and, and it's the innovation teams in those businesses looking to engage with fast growth companies.

They don't mind if they're UK companies.

It's the best global ideas, thinking global from day one.

And uh, and so we've got founders, investors, and entrepreneurs on board making things happen.

Is there anything else you're doing differently from this year to last year?

Other than being twice the size a hundred?

We're gonna be 120 people later, which is a big Really, that is a big, big group and a big presence.

So, so do we have more than one ca?

How many, how many people fit on this carriage, the 76 seats in a Eurostar carriage?

Just in case you didn't know that.

And any horror stories or success stories from last year?

The success stories are awesome.

So one of the corporates ended up investing in one of the companies they met on board, which was a British company.

Oh, fantastic.

And then TERs.

Um, the us um, uh, sorry.

The, uh, the French, uh, uh, corporate ended up partnering and doing a proof of concept with one of the companies that was on board, um, as well.

So what's really important is where we can enable, um, you know, proof of concepts, collaboration.

Well, it's the serendipity of collaboration and speed dating is a kind of, uh, it's a kind of annoying thing in a way, but, but it's amazing because especially for British people, you experience Absolutely.

Well, yeah, and I know, but British, you know, British people we're not good at talking to people.

So that whole sort of frame, you give someone a framework, it's a bit like giving them a half hour meeting.

It's like, give them a 15 minute meeting.

Know, absolutely.

Do it.

Absolute.

Absolutely.

I mean, you know, most of the time, you know whether the meeting you're gonna have is business or bullshit in the first 30 seconds, right?

Yes.

Yeah.

Let's keep it going and make sure everybody, uh, gets to meet the most relevant people on board.

What would make you really happy?

What, what would make this a massive success for you?

I think well, look, we've tried really hard to make sure the most relevant people are on board for each other, right?

So we've got the corporates on board that align best with the companies that we are working with.

We've got investors on board who are actively investing for the stages of companies that we're working with, and again, funds that can invest in international businesses, not just UK ones.

Um, So, um, really it's about making stuff happen.

It is being able to tell stories and just say, okay, that was totally worthwhile and this is what we made from it.

What I think is always hilarious is you can never tell which ones are go, or maybe it's just me, but you know, I work with hundreds of startups, I can never tell which are gonna be the successful ones and which are gonna bomb the brilliant thing in London compared to 10 years ago.

Um, uh, and, and, and you know, I suppose one of the lessons we've really learned from, uh, from the Valley is, you know, is the fail fast piece and the serial entrepreneur piece.

And I think it is often, what is that piece you mean you meaning what exactly?

Yeah, so it's, I suppose it's the, it's the credibility and learnings from failure and being able to raise, if your business fails, being able to raise money again quickly cuz of the lessons you get from.

Um, having been through the pain and anguish of your, of your business failure seen as positive as opposed to the, the Germans, you think it's a terrible idea, you know, if you fail, apparently in Germany, that's it.

Absolutely.

But in the Valley, failure was always seen as a sign of success and credibility and I think we have a really strong serial entrepreneur community, um, in the UK now, and you've got great founders like Michael Ton Smith who did firebox.com and then did Moshi Monsters and then started calm, right?

So it's, it is people who are sort of on that journey and it's the companies that raise money quickly where the, excuse me, where the founders have proven where the, where, where they really understand their industry.

Um, and so, you know, nobody, nobody's gonna write somebody a check that really doesn't know what they're doing, but it's all about the people when you come down to it isn't.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Do you, um, it's strange that, uh, Viva Tech is the same time as London and Tech Week.

It's a little bit of competition, do you think is on purpose?

Well, we, I think of it as the European Week of tech.

European.

So I think that's really important.

Good spin.

It's gonna be really, yeah, absolutely.

But, but when you, you know, it's interesting, you know, if you are organizing a venue, you wouldn't want to clash, but I mean, I love how you're turning into a positive, but do you feel there's absolutely a sort of competition between Paris and London at that?

I mean, the fascinating thing about Paris is it's 200 miles from London.

You know, it's a similar distance to Manchester from London.

Uh, it's a global city.

Um, you know, the Eurostar is just awesome.

It is awesome.

Isn really awesome.

Thank God we built the tunnel before Brexit.

It never would've happened after, wouldn't have happened now, but you know, that is an incredible.

You know, connection for us into Europe, which I think is really hugely underappreciated to be honest with you.

Um, and so no, being, being so close to Paris, I just think is, is, is, is completely awesome.

So this is like, this is a genuinely crazy idea.

We are in a train carriage with 75 people, network network, 75 people network.

I've all met 10 people so far and we've only just got a, but the, but the networking started on the platform, right?

It, it did all talking to each other.

Okay.

Who are you?

And also the great thing is when you build something like this, you know, when you do trade missions and you get cohorts, everybody that's here knows that they're here because somebody has picked them or chosen them to be here.

Yeah.

So everyone is relevant.

We're a team.

And even if you are, absolutely.

We're a team.

And I, and, and I really, and I think the great thing about doing stuff like this versus a speed networking event in London is there's more commitment.

There's the shared experience, it's like, and a relationship accelerator where you just get to know more people.

You've got that thing in common.

You're bump into people at event in a year and goes, oh, you were in Paris.

I don't think, it just changes the vibe so quickly, completely to have that shared experience.

Right.

Uh, what's the best thing about London?

What's the best thing about London?

You know, standard answer, 52% foreigners.

Right?

It's a truly, truly world, city.

There was my, one of my favorite statistics from back in the Olympics, which I've never verified, but sounds very London, is you could fill the Olympic stadium with Londoners from every competing nation.

Oh, I think that's gonna be, yeah, that's really nice.

Gonna be, you know, Paris is, is diverse and wonderful, but you know, I think that what was so unique and special about the London Olympics was having huge numbers of supporters for each of the competing nations.

And I think, um, yeah, yeah.

Very quickly, Andrew, just tell us what's the plan for the next couple of days?

Okay, so, uh, so as I say, we've got three groups.

So we're running three tracks.

We've got a founder's track.

We've got an investor track and we've got a corporate track running.

Um, so, uh, this afternoon, um, one of the groups is going straight to the conference cuz there's a load of really awesome stuff happening.

Uh, this afternoon at the summit.

Um, one of the groups is going to Maison Ray's lab, which is a really awesome corporate innovation lab.

Um, just behind, uh, ga also they're doing, sharing best practice and exchanging with French equivalents of, uh, of their corporate.

Fantastic.

Um, and then we've got the investor community going and meeting with some European founders who they haven't met on board.

Uh, and then, uh, this evening we're all reconvening for dinner.

We're gonna keep playing the game that we are playing, so everybody's gonna move every 10 minutes.

Make sure everybody's had the opportunity to meet you.

Oh, okay.

We're gonna keep doing the 10 minutes to meet every single person.

Yes.

We've got one long table down the, uh, wow.

Uh, down the middle of a, a beautiful, very Parisian looking building in a restaurant.

Uh, it's a really big activation on that.

And then we've got some tours.

Organized at the Viva Tech, uh, conference tomorrow.

Really?

We're just trying to, we're not doing, we're trying to not just a, a, attend a conference and not talk to anybody.

We're trying Very active as interactive.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And active as, as possible.

So.

Fantastic.

Fantastic.

So yeah.

Otherwise you just get stuck in the bar.

Okay.

Now we're gonna play business or bullshit.

Hey.

Also known as Bob.

Okay.

Uh, fantastic.

Are you ready to play?

Let, we're gonna name some things.

You just have to say business or bullshit.

Deq the music.

And we're off.

LinkedIn.

LinkedIn.

Business.

Office Dogs.

Office dogs.

Ah, business.

Very good.

Ballpark figures.

Ballpark figures.

Depends if you're raising venture money or not.

Bullshit.

Bullshit.

Uh, wheelhouses, I don't even know what that is.

As in that is or isn't my wheelhouse.

Oh, wheelhouse.

Oh, sorry.

Oh, bullshit.

MBAs.

MBAs.

Bullshit.

Sorry.

Yeah.

Uh, diversity quota.

Diversity.

Oh, well, well think bullshit.

Uh.

Work clothes.

Work clothes.

Formal work clothes.

Oh, bullshit.

Desking.

Hot desking business.

Yeah.

You don't mind it.

You should sit next to a different person every day.

I like it.

Don't worry about the drawers.

Just don't look at the drawers.

Nobody should have drawers.

Blue sky thinking.

Bossy was sky thinking.

Uh, that's how you innovate.

You gotta be, have no idea's.

A bad idea.

Business plans.

Business plan.

Oh, business, I suppose.

Uh, pivoting.

Pivoting our business.

You sure doesn't show failure, is it not?

Failure's?

Great.

That's business.

Yeah.

Oh, in-office Fitness, Martin.

In-office.

Fitness guy.

Bullshit.

You've never done one.

You've been absolutely brilliant.

Andrew, thank you very, very much, much.

Thank you so much.

I know we'll chat more as we go on this beautiful journey.

Thank you.

Business Without Bullshit is brought to you by Ori Clark.

Straight Talking financial and legal advice since 1935.

You can find us@oriclark.com.

My name's fidi Houston.

I'm the founder of Slinger.

Um, we're a plat tech platform, um, helping remove the key in efficiencies in hiring.

So unpack that a bit.

What problem does your business solve?

We're trying to make the CV redundant, essentially.

You know, our parents, us people younger than us are still running around with paper cvs.

They're are archaic systems, but we're still using, so we, something is, is wrong with it there.

What's, what's wrong with a cv?

It's paper based.

Right?

Right.

Or you have it online still.

You send it around, but for one you can lie on it still.

Um, you're asking the average kid to write up.

A cover letter, CV for, you know, a bartender job.

And, um, at the same time all the people are hiring are struggling to get people through the door.

So fair force, something needs to change.

Very good.

I'm also a part of the Google cohort.

Um, so this year they've just selected 40 of us, so 4,000 applications, um, to be in, in Google investing in our business now.

Okay, great.

And what are you hoping to get out of this?

Out of this?

Um, yeah, I'm really interested by the labor markets in France.

Um, I dunno, the laws and stuff like that.

Really looking forward to meeting business leaders, um, key policy makers out there and just, you know, having a network across like the river there basically.

How old is your business?

Two years old.

Two years old.

You founded it, just you or?

Yeah, stupidly.

Um, I co I founded it, um, with zero pounds.

Um, basically use my whole network I've built over the last 10 years, um, to get it off the ground.

Fantastic.

Doesn't sound stupid.

You didn't have to put any money into it.

Yeah, you put it off the ground.

Yeah.

Money helps though.

And thankfully we're just, um, secured our first round of investment.

Is that from Google?

Uh, Google are part of that round, um, part of the investment round.

So we've secured over half a million pounds.

Um, and yeah, ready to like, take it a bit larger and bigger.

Very good.

Fantastic.

And how does London and partners help you unlock the potential of your business?

Well, like for one, like there's a network in this carriage right now on the train, right?

Like, I've met so many people today doing the, um, networking event.

Um, already like got some clients.

Um, that's fantastic.

Some people have more knowledge, um, already about the labor markets already.

Um, yeah, it's just a wealth of network and like, it's something I always value.

I would say your, your network's, your net worth.

Um, so yeah, London Partners is um, helping out loads.

Your network is your net worth.

I like that.

Absolutely.

Might say that to the wife.

Be out again.

Well, talking of net worth darling, I'd like to point out I've got over 2000 connections on LinkedIn.

So we're traveling by train, which is fairly green.

Is it an electric train?

I don't even know.

Uh, but, uh, you doing, is your business doing anything about climate change?

Climate change?

Um, unfortunately that's not our focus at the moment.

No.

Um, we pay.

We're all about, um, raising the standards for workers.

Yeah.

So all our workers get at least London living wage, um, and we actually pay, pay 30% above that.

Um, so yeah, we're all about improving the work conditions.

So it's a bit more than cvs.

You're actually trying to sort of raise wages.

Absolutely.

And how, by, by matching people better or, well, yeah, that's it.

So we vet all the businesses before they come on board as well.

It's really important that we have the best businesses.

So for our workers to go to Who's, who's your customer?

The business?

Is it?

Yeah.

The business is your customer and then you find the people who aren't writing cvs or using your platform as well.

Yeah, absolutely.

Okay.

And they would fill in information about their career or you, it's more that you structure it because everyone does a CV different and so we actually do video interviews.

Ah, okay.

Um, nice.

So they pre-record videos and the team ves and then we also get verification from their previous employers.

Ah, yeah.

I it's, it's actually almost prejudiced, but it's absolutely right.

You could see someone talking in 30 seconds.

So you could read a CV five times.

Yeah.

Yeah.

You wanna see 'em talk?

Absolutely.

It is hospitality.

It's all of our skills.

So Yeah.

Cuz if they're a bomb, they have to be able to listen to some of theses problems.

Absolutely.

At bomb.

Absolutely.

Yeah.

Is there, if you could pick one thing that is utter, utter bullshit about business, what would it be?

In general?

Like all business, anything.

Uh, well it's all the smoke and mirrors, right?

Everyone looks the peers and like what they're doing and especially in the investment way.

Um, we've seen like businesses in the last 10 years, hyperinflated, hyper overvalued.

Um, I'm really like, I'm actually glad that the markets have come into more of a sensible world now.

Um, did you see the, uh, recent investment into the two, two week old startup in Paris?

Mistral, Mistral?

No.

140 million.

You know, it's an absolute joke.

Yeah.

It's not great because like, As a, as a black founder, um, the stats already against us.

We, it is less than 1% chance of all VC money, um, goes to black founders.

So like, these kind of stories just make the investment even harder and enough fake.

Do you think it's a very complex problem that, and I'm always interested, do you think a London VC sitting opposite a black person who has a business is gonna not invest based on the fact they're black?

Or do you think it's more entwined and in, you know, sort of complex why that statistic exists?

Yeah, it's, well, you know, it, it's, it's part of the, the system that exists already, but I understand from an investor's perspective that at the end of the day it's numbers and risk.

Um, and I've had feces sit in the room and go, Because of the, um, systematic issues that happen.

Uh, your, your investing in you is a higher risk.

Simple as that.

The math speaks for itself.

Well, it's a higher risk to VCs to invest in you because statistically more black businesses fail.

They fail.

And you've got this, you know, if you could barely walk through London without getting stopped on the streets.

Yeah.

How you're gonna make a successful business.

And you know, like the stat speak for itself.

And you also, I mean, there's another thing that you are, um, clearly think is utter article bullshit, which is cvs.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They can clearly do one.

What should people avoid when they're doing business with Brits, particularly Londoners?

I think we need to start cutting through like that, Britishness.

So while I'm understanding spending time in New York and with more Europeans, they hate all this.

Hi, how are you And all this fake niceness.

Be fake to the point.

Let's go.

Yeah.

And don't sit in a room networking with one person and feel like politely.

You have to like, sorry, I'm talking to them.

Just go, let's get out.

Yeah.

You and, and you find, you find that for, uh, New York.

For sure.

You know?

Yes.

And, and Europe generally, or where have you been in Europe specifically?

Um, I've been to Lisbon last year for the web summit.

Uh, met loads of Germans, Scandinavians, and yeah, they said, I hate emailing Brits.

The most bullshit with asking how their weekends were and all of this.

They're like, we don't care, at least.

Yeah.

That's very honest feedback.

I was like, I appreciate that.

I didn't realize how British I was until I was there.

Oh.

I was like, this is a lot.

And I had to pitch differently out there as well.

Interesting.

What was different about the pitching?

Uh, pitching, um, in, when you're pitching Europeans, you have to be quite conservative.

Um, almost coming from a perspective like you're asking for money.

Um, in America you have to walk in bold, big, say you are the best at what you're doing.

Um, and then you are telling them it's an opportunity they've got to join you.

Yeah.

Okay.

Um, and I've never felt so small in my life.

I've very, you've put yourself up.

Yeah, absolutely.

We've, you hiding yourself up as much Mark.

In, um, London, I've never, I felt like I was in a bigger seat in the world.

I've never gone to New York before, never cared to, cuz I'm from London.

If I'm going on holiday, I'm looking for island life.

When I went on a trade mission last year, I was impressed at the level of business there and never felt so small as in financially like the Game America.

Cute.

Like your raise is like half a million and stuff like that.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Your business to start with.

Five, 10 million ready to go out there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Okay, finally, and feel free to give us your pitch if you want to.

Why should we care about your business?

Absolutely.

We're revolutionizing the hiring end process.

We're moving the key efficiency needed.

Um, we're solving a problem in a blue collar market where there's a huge, um, shortage of supply of labor.

Um, and we are getting people connected way quicker.

And yeah, it's time to change, but you're getting them paid more, which is, is from an employer's perspective, is that not increasing employer's costs?

Is that Absolutely, but if you want quality of staff, pay for it.

Pay for quality.

Very good.

It, uh, the industry has over 140% turnover.

Um, maybe, yeah.

So by the time you, you go through one year, you've got a whole one and a half new team.

Or, or, or the average industry turnover.

It's a hundred thousand of all, all industries, basically.

Of all blue collar market.

Wow.

Blue collar market.

Wow, wow, wow.

Okay.

So it changes so fast.

Brilliant.

No worries.

Thank you very much, Theo.

I love it.

Appreciate, appreciate.

So now we're gonna play our game, business or bullshit or commonly known, Bob.

Okay.

You ready?

And we're gonna say something and you've just gotta tell us whether you think it is business or bullshit.

You gotta make a choice.

You can comment if you wish.

Okay.

Are you ready?

Yep.

Okay, fantastic.

We're off.

LinkedIn business office, dogs, business, uh, ballpark figures.

Bullshit.

What do you think?

Uh, wheelhouses as in that is or isn't my wheelhouse business?

Yeah.

MBS bullshit.

Yes, correct.

Ding uh, diversity quota business.

Yeah.

That must play quite a big part in your business.

Yeah, absolutely.

We collect all the stats of everyone we've got, and I'm really proud to say like, we're a tribe that looks like London.

We're a tribe.

It looks like London.

Very good.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Formal work clothes, formal work clothes.

Oh, bullshit.

Yeah.

He is currently pointing to his excellent outfit, which is a very trendy shirt.

Immaculate haircut, hot desking business.

Uh, blue sky thinking business business plans.

Bullshit.

We should have, we should established at the start if they speak French.

Do you speak French?

Absolutely not.

Yeah.

Excellent.

Lamb Boy.

Like stuck in my own little world.

Say what the French like to say.

Pivoting.

Yeah.

Business.

Yeah.

Uh, in office fitness classes.

Bullshit.

Thank you Theo.

Thank It's really, really nice to be here.

Pleasure.

Really appreciate that.

My name is DMI Hastra and I'm the founder and CEO of Moon Hub.

Um, what does Mean Hub do?

What problem is your business solving?

Uh, training sucks.

Whether you're a corporate, an organization, or what have you, doesn't work and you throw lots of money at it.

Uh, we help you waste less money by making it more efficient using virtual reality.

We film real life scenarios and we are able to give you, uh, good feedback on how quickly you notice certain things, uh, how, you know, spatial aware you are, or from a look and a click.

So making it really engaging and also giving you some great data and insights for the same price or even cheaper than the, so you create the contents.

Yeah.

We create the content ourselves and we have an offthe shelf library of training and I'm put on a virtual reality headset.

It's one of these sorts of things.

You are, yeah.

Okay.

And we have an off-the-shelf library of training where you can train from a vast array of topics like d, EI training, security, uh, wellbeing, and health and safety as well.

It's been like the matrix when you sort of uploading skills Almost is Maybe a little bit, yeah.

Maybe if you train, if you trained yourself for some of this, have you got the, you know, alright.

Every scenario.

Yeah.

I have to run through it.

Uh, okay.

Very good.

Yeah.

But training, training in these things can be so expensive, particularly if you are like, you know, you need actors and stuff like that to go through role playing and things like that with people.

So you must, it must save people money to use you guys instead.

It does a lot.

So we can actually give this to people for as little as five pounds per person per month.

Um, that is changing very soon.

So by the time you're listening to this, it will have been increased.

Sorry, you missed your chance.

Um, And yeah, it's because we're competing with the old archaic way of training these online e-learning platforms that just don't work.

But they're legacy contracts that cost companies millions and millions every year.

We're giving them the same content, but delivered in a much more efficient manner and giving you way more information and data based on how people are actually, you know, observing these scenarios.

Presumably cuz people are participating far more.

If you're doing an online course, you're just passive, right?

Yeah, exactly.

Well, I mean it's, uh, as a dyslexic and after 20 years of French and I don't speak any, I was just like, why don't they just put me in France for a few months?

You would've learned more.

But it's that immersive.

It's immersive part.

It really is.

And um, yeah, when you are, I mean, studies are shown you can increase your retention rate up to 75%.

With vrec rate of staff rates of people training of knowledge.

Yeah.

I heard you say this stat yesterday.

Yeah.

And I was just like absolutely blown away by it.

What is it?

5% if you just read something.

Yep.

So typically corporate learning has only got an efficacy, uh, for retention of about five to 10% after about a few weeks.

Uh, whereas it can be up to 75% when using VR training.

We've also done our own internal study with the University of Elite Beckett, and we found ours to be 72%.

We think our parameters for measurement were a little bit stricter, to be honest, but that's by the bottom.

Um, well, co covid had a huge impact as, as, as professional advisors and doing everything on Zoom.

I couldn't remember the meetings.

Yeah.

And, and just being in a different space, you know.

And that's the weird thing about a meeting.

You were, our first thing I remember is where I was sitting in what room?

Yeah.

And then my brain starts saying, oh, that meeting.

Exactly.

And it starts giving me information.

But now I had what we had a year and a half on Zoom, and I'm meeting these clients who remember the conversation.

I'm sorry guys.

Yeah.

And I, and girls.

I, and I just have no reference point.

Yeah.

You know, and it's almost that something to hang your hat on, you know?

Exactly, exactly.

So yeah, training is a very important part of learning, uh, in corporates, but, and just in companies in general, they put a lot of money behind it and they, they don't get much in terms of return on investment.

So we are here to fix that.

Okay.

Very good.

And what are you really hoping to achieve out of this trip?

What would be your aim?

Uh, so I was on this trip last year.

I remember being on this particular podcast last year.

Yeah.

Um, That last year, this trip was great because it got me to meet some fantastic people.

Um, I've just been accepted onto the Google Black Founders Fund.

Um, and did you get anything a, a materials thing that we could talk about from last year or, yeah, I mean, so from the trip last year, uh, and the Viva

Tech trip, I mean, to be honest, that was me getting to know my cohort members more from the Google Black Founders one, cuz it was them who brought me along.

It was them bringing me along this time as well.

Um, but it was great to get to know the ecosystem more, um, and connect with some people from London and Partners, uh, who then I then actually became part of the London Partners.

Cohort.

So I'm now part of the Mayor's International Business Program.

Great.

That's now the growth program growth.

Yeah.

Growth.

Yes.

Growth.

Growth.

And how have they, how have London and partners helped you unlock the potential in your business?

Uh, great question.

So I've been on a few trips, um, or a few things with them, but Chicago, that was great.

Last year on the Reach mission, uh, we partnered with one of the big four consultants out in the US from that trip.

So we're now a business intermediary for them and we're being, uh, pitched to North American retailers, uh, basically because of what we've been able to do so well, very much Fantastic.

Fantastic.

And, and without charging you, which is always good news, you know?

It is very good news.

Yeah.

Yeah.

He's Don't start charging us.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Uh, very good.

And we're, we're traveling by trains fairly, fairly environmentally friendly.

Are you doing anything about climate change as a business?

I mean, we can only do so much.

We're trying to make sure that we use responsible routes for delivering headsets so that we order in bulk so that we don't have to do multiple small trips.

Which headset are you using?

Uh, we use a variety.

We are not, uh, we're not, you're excited about the new Apple one?

Yeah, we are.

Uh, it's great for the immersive space cuz people are less, uh, scared and more familiar with VR now.

Um, and whenever things start getting meed a lot online, it's always a great sign becoming more and more part of pop culture.

So I enjoy that.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Interesting.

That's a very fair comment.

If you could pick something that was, is utter utter bullshit Yes.

About business, what would it be?

Business in general?

Yeah.

Oh wow.

That is on the spot.

Uh, um, how easy people think it can be.

Uh, I think people looking from the outside don't understand how many things, uh, you need to juggle whilst running a company.

How easy it is to run, to build a business.

Some people, some people think it's easy cause they only hear the big successes and stuff.

Exactly.

It is astronomically hard.

Yeah.

People who leave Goldman's, who leave some of the most high pressure jobs in the world, And immediately you turn back into those jobs after maybe a year or two of trying to be a founder.

It's insanely difficult.

We should start a newspaper that just publishes about failed businesses and interviews.

Founders that have got, it's all gone wrong.

You know, normally we love bad news, so we should love that.

What should people avoid when doing business with British people or London people?

Any tips for some of their business with a British or Londoners?

Or, or, or, or should they do what they should or should they do?

What should they do?

With, with people from London in general, we move at quite a fast pace.

Um, so avoid dragging your feet too much.

That's a really good point actually.

Yeah, I'd say avoid dragging your feet too much cuz things in London do move very quickly.

Making decisions slowly.

You mean making decision slowly.

Having things are a bit too, like much of, I mean, enterprise companies can afford to do so cuz they're enterprise if they're working with startups.

Um, but typically we like to move a little bit faster in the startup type ecosystem, uh, especially in London.

What's the best thing about London?

Best thing about London is how you can be, I think every, like 20 minutes you go on a bus in London is like a whole new town or village by itself, with its own micro community and like way of doing things.

And that also then goes for being in business.

You have different ideas, different, uh, sectors of like, or little bubbles of creative industries or fi uh, fintechs and, you know, it's so closely consolidated and the culture is such a melting pot that you could actually get a lot of inspiration from going.

Kind of anywhere within London.

It's kind of, yeah.

Every area has its ha will have its thing.

Yeah.

But it's also self-contained, but then it's completely integrated and things like the tube we have to thank I guess, for that.

Yeah.

You know?

Exactly.

Just bring us all together finally.

Uh, and feel free, uh, to tell us, ask this question anyway, but why should we care about your business?

You should care about my business.

Cause I'm saving everybody from mind numbing training, uh, and allowing them to, allowing them to feel a little bit more inspired going into a corporate office, which is already an uphill battle.

Um, so yeah, that's what we're trying to do.

So for all you, gen Z is out there, your corporate environment can be quite fun.

Just, uh, ask your employer why your friends are training in VR and you're not.

Boom.

Nice.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

Okay, we're gonna play a little game now.

It's called business or Bullshit.

Nice.

You've played it before.

I have.

We now have an official game set, which we're excited about.

An official game.

No, look at that.

I didn't, I didn't see this last.

Bob is it's known.

Nice.

Which we're quite pleased with as well.

Um, and know we're off LinkedIn.

Oh, you've gone the top.

Ah, we hit hard.

Um, from the start.

Uh, LinkedIn is bullshit at the moment.

Um, okay.

Yeah.

Office dogs business.

Very good.

Thank you.

You're doing French and in English.

Um, ship ballpark figures.

Uh, bullshit wheel.

Wheelhouses.

Ooh.

Uh, I'd say business.

Business MBAs.

I, I do this, I do not have one myself.

I was gonna say, do you have one?

Cuz that seems to color the answer.

Yeah.

I will say, I'll say business.

I won't invalidate somebody's, uh, uh, qualification training.

Maybe they should do virtual reality MBAs.

Maybe.

Who knows?

That's, that's, that's the future.

Corte and diversity.

Diversity quotas business.

I think it helps counterbalance a lot of the, uh, the inequity that we have.

Uh, in corporate structures, formal work clothes, depends on your sector.

I think bullshit, hot desking business.

There again, uh, fossil yellow Blue, blue sky thinking Business business plans.

Oh, Business.

But if you plan on sticking to your plan, good luck.

It's gonna change a lot.

Yes.

Then it's gonna be bullshit.

Have a plan.

Plan beats no plan, but don't follow plan.

Yeah.

Basically.

Yeah.

Pivoting business.

Yeah.

And the last one, uh, declares the fitness of your, in our fist fitness classes.

Just your face bullshit.

Why, why are we doing this during, during work and what is happening?

Well, you, you, you could use the virtual reality to do some meditating or some yoga or something.

You know, you could, or, or, or, I don't know, maybe sales.

We would talk about nap pods yesterday.

And I love the sound of nap pods.

See, nap pods are great.

They're all good.

But yeah, I don't know.

I feel like if I was to come back to the office and everyone was doing a hit class, I'd be incredibly confused.

Yeah.

Like, what is happening here?

I just, uh, yeah.

But, uh, everyone watching for Moon Hub.

I love you all, but No, don't do that.

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Dummy, thank you.

Thank you Dmi very much.

Thank You're fantastic.

Lovely to see you your time.

Thank you.

Thanks a lot, man.

Thank you.

So here we are at the garden hall.

We've made it on the Eurostar, a hundred people packed into a carriage.

We had found us from Google.

We have London and partners bringing them all together.

We had venture capitalist startups.

So it was all happening and we were sitting there playing business or bullshit.

And now we are in Gay Perry, in garden or, and this afternoon, this evening, we're gonna be all together for a dinner, catching up again with the startups and the VCs to see how it's all going.

Here we are at the dinner.

Andrew, how was the train for you?

It was business.

It was business.

Not even a tiny bit of bullshit.

Did you see any bullshit?

I didn't see any bullshit on the, on the train.

And what did you do after the train?

Did you, uh, get back to the hotel for a quick nap?

Uh, so we went to Maison Ray's lab, which is an awesome French, uh, innovation lab, um, where uh, it's a small company owned by a venture capital fund that works mm-hmm.

With, uh, L'Oreal and some of the big venture capital funds, um, to basically help them work with and deal with.

Did you get a British flag out?

I was thinking we need a big British umbrella when you go around.

What's the, what's the VC called?

Uh, the VC's called Raise vc.

Um, can they get around away with that?

Cause they're French so they can just use it.

English words.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Um, so, uh, I think they're about 2 billion under management.

They're quite interesting.

They're in buildings.

They've invested in, um, four good businesses.

You do roll sustainability space.

You brought them a load of business.

Yeah, so we bought 25 corporates with us.

Um, to meet them.

Um, and so sharing course meaning larger companies, sharing large companies, so I think some of them earlier, the Bears, diamonds and National Grid and some of the big, some of the really big UK companies did they talk one to one or in a, in a group.

Um, so really just sharing best practice about how difficult it is to work with startups.

They're not invented here syndrome, which is one of the big challenges, two big challenges that corporates have of, uh, of working with startups.

One is they want to look like they invented it themselves rather than they partnered with other people to come up with those ideas.

And so how do you tackle and not invented here syndrome in order that you can really work well with startups and, um, uh, and, and, and scale up.

And the other big challenge is procurement.

So how do you set up a system that allows you to work with, um, fast growth companies that don't have three years of profitable accounts, you know, and how do they cope as well?

I suppose with the fact that so many startups claim to be, whether they are or not, is another question, but claim to be disruptive.

And I would've thought most large corporates, the last thing they want is.

Actually a chunk of disruption into their, you know, world.

I'd love to guesstimate a big percentage for how many people have added, we do AI to their pitch deck over the last, I know, over the last 12 months, AI in your sandwiches.

So yeah, I think, but what's really interesting, I mean particularly the sort of chat staff chat G BT or Google Bar or whatever is gonna disrupt massively so many businesses,

whether it's a call center or a lawyer drafting a contract or so very occasionally, you know, there's an rca, I think it's every 60 years something, uh, Royal College of Art.

Data, uh, that says every 60 years something comes along that you don't expect, that seriously breaks people's business models.

And you know, sometimes you get in there early, like with Kodak, who effectively invented the digital camera and they wouldn't back it.

You know?

And then the classic story is, is that true?

Yeah.

And the classic story is Xerox Park, which is Palo Alto research into whatever, but Xerox, the printer people inventing the object orientated operating system, which is basically Windows that was invented by Xerox.

And they were like, we don't want people to not print stuff.

You know?

How did it go then?

Uh, Ray, uh, it was really good.

I think, uh, I think the idea is how do you change the infrastructure that allows big companies to test and trial and pilot working with startups?

That's fundamentally what you need.

Yeah.

The more collaborations you can enable, The more output you're gonna get.

So it was really good to have that conversation.

Just share best practice from what French corporates are doing.

You know, I think there's, what's so interesting is the demand of, we need to do this applies to some industries more than others.

So, you know, particularly with fashion, the consumers now are, are like, okay, we need you to, you know, where is, what's your supply chain in Innovat Innovate, how are you innovating?

Exactly.

You know?

And like, you know, luxury fashion food are really important to, I ask an annoying question, did Brexit come up?

Did Brexit come up this afternoon?

Only a conversation about the color of passports.

Somehow.

Sadly, we weren't allowed to keep bat maroon passports, but apparently all Australians and the Americans have got navy blue passports.

So know I've still got my maroon passport, you know, so, yeah.

Yeah.

I'm gonna proudly keep my maroon passport.

I'll be right now.

What going on right now?

Um, so right now we are in the courtyard of the National Museum of Parisian History.

So it's the equivalent of the Museum of London, which of course is in the Bru List Museum Center in the middle of London and is, uh, but it has got Yi Street in the basement.

Is there a Yi Street in the basement?

I mean, it's, suppose Paris is Yi Street, isn't it really?

But we are, uh, but of course the Museum of London's now moving into the, uh, the enormous basement of the poultry, uh, market at Spitalfields Market.

So it's gonna be a, a really big change for us.

Yeah.

So the second largest fire, they just start doing everything in East London as a West Londoner.

Can I just say, can we do something in West London?

Uh, and how, how do you think everyone's finding it so far?

Good, good team.

Well, it's big group this year.

It's a big group.

It's a big group.

Jenny Spats.

Any love interests?

Any?

I've only been keeping on half the group, so I, yeah.

What they've been up to.

Dunno what's happening at the other end of the table, but we definitely matchmaking on, on businesses and investors and corporate.

Yeah, it's important.

I dunno what's happening with the sort of dating end of the spectrum, so, uh, yeah.

Yeah.

Do you think anyone here is particularly, um, noteworthy?

Of course everyone's noteworthy, but anyone sort of particularly really, really noteworthy?

I mean, there's some brilliant founders who've raised, you know, tens of millions, uh, and, uh, you know, investors, journalists, I mean, you know, uh,

no comment on Mike Butcher who's always, you know, Mike Butcher was my business partner for a long time, so he's always a nightmare for me to deal with.

What are you hoping people will get out of tomorrow at Viva Tech?

So are, are you going tomorrow to Viva Tech?

Yes.

Going to Viva Tech tomorrow.

What time are you going?

Uh, we're going for 10 30.

We're having a tour.

We're gonna go and see in the morning.

Um, we are working with Bloom Flow, which is a really great, um, basically start engagement management platform.

Right.

Um, and so, um, they're gonna take us on a tour to meet some of the big French corporates who we, who we don't know to talk about how they're engaging with startups, share best practice on that.

Super.

Some of the super, uh, some of the, uh, the investors are doing office hours, which is really great.

So some, um, uh, some Oh, that's nice.

Yeah.

European bcs as well as some British ones.

Um, and actually some of them were already co-investing and, and, and investing with either French companies or, or, or in French and European, uh, wider European and British companies.

So it's awesome.

Hi, Dupee from Bloom Pool, who we spoke to on the train.

How did the train go for you?

It was really good.

It was really fun.

Met lots of great people.

Went really quickly.

Yeah, happy to be in Paris.

Was there anybody particular that you met on the train that was, I have met kind of stand out.

Um, some amazing people on the train.

Um, I've met two people who went to my school.

Oh my God.

This, we were hearing about this.

What the, I'm what school is this?

Fold over.

I need to know what school it was.

I grew up in Bedfordshire, small town, Bedford.

Um, I went to Dam Alice Harper School.

Oh my God.

My sister taught there.

No, you did.

No she didn't.

Are you taking.

Arabella Fashion.

Don't know when you went there, you're joking.

She was a history teacher.

Yeah.

Oh my goodness.

I dropped history at year nine after year nine, so I, I, I might not be up in it.

Woman Arabella started teaching me's.

Why Old Dam Malice Connections all of a sudden.

I don't.

Yeah.

It's a good school.

A good, it's a very good school.

It's a great school.

See this illustrator a very good point, which is that it's amazing how small the, the gaps are between people.

Absolutely.

And so, I mean, you could reach out to the universe Now, is there any one person that you would love to meet for your business who would revolutionize your business right now?

But, but, but probably someone even here knows who they are.

But someone will listen to this and say, I know who that is and can get in touch with you.

Anyone.

Oh my goodness.

Oprah Winfrey Maybe just cause she's win influential and I love her to dad, Michelle Obama, another one.

Does anyone who understands the trauma that women go through to get.

The diagnosis they need around their gynecological health.

And I'm sure those two women do.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Very good.

Fantastic.

Uh, what do you, any, did you do any, did you go back to the hotel?

Did you do press-ups in the, in the sunlight?

Did you, did you meet some businesses?

You know, I mean, everyone just worked once worse.

What worse these days, you know, I, um, got to the train station, we walked to our hotel.

I, we checked, we checked in the sunshine, we checked in Nice hotel.

Um, I, yes, very nice, very nice.

Um, I kind of got, got acclimatized.

I called my kids just to see that they're still alive and Okay.

Ah, what's the plan tomorrow?

What, what are you gonna do tomorrow?

What's the plan tomorrow for you?

Tomorrow we are going to Viva Tech in the morning.

Very excited about that.

And just going and listen to talks and stuff.

Yeah.

We are looking forward to, because that's a big difference I hear here.

It's about the talks.

It's about the conference.

Yeah, absolutely.

Panel talks just like, um, getting immersed in the tech culture, understanding what's, what's on the horizon for technology and.

Yeah, meeting some more new people.

That's very, very good.

I think that's a brilliant, thank you so much.

We'll talk again, uh, further on.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Right.

So we are back here with Theo from Slinger, who we spoke to on the train.

Theo, how was the train for you?

Awesome.

Um, I'm not gonna lie, I was a little bit tired after a massive week of networking loads.

Nothing in London Tech Week already.

London Tech Week, and, and also on the Black Founders, um, fund.

So we just started on Monday.

So we've been thrown into the Google startup.

You're dreaming about it now?

Almost.

Yeah, literally.

And, and then nothing worse than hearing where we're gonna do a networking.

Yeah.

Oh, squad event.

Two hours on this train.

And actually it was actually great.

Like met, did you meet anybody?

Incredible person.

Like amazing people.

I can't remember his name.

I'm, you know, slightly dyslexic, so I, I used that to blame.

But there was one gentleman who told me he's using vr, um, to give to coaches and teams.

To practice their training.

And that blew my mind.

Cause I'm, I'm a sports person and like it, and I'm, you know, I'm probably at that age where it's all about strategy now and you're appreciating football to a new level.

And knowing the idea of going into a coach's mind and playing the game, I was like, I'm willing to quit my jo.

Like my s whole business slinger is no more sling's done.

I'm joining you on this mission.

This is incredible.

Wow.

Yeah, I was like, um, another gentleman.

Not my first sight.

So as, so as I'm gonna take a couple of days off, enjoy the sites, go back home and done as done.

Done.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Very nice.

And did you do, after the train, did you meet anyone or do anything particularly?

Um, I, virtual didn't meet anyone.

Um, just got back to the hotel, walk around.

The sea.

I just love walking the sea and I've just walked around and just seeing what French means and Paris means, and it's beautiful.

Like I get it.

The buildings are stunning.

I love a French roof.

I was saying that earlier.

It's a vibe.

It's a real vibe.

I actually watching every, so I'm in hospitality, so seeing people outdoors, enjoying food and drink, it's actually a rarity in London.

Like we don't, we don't have outdoor spaces or anything like that.

That's cuz it's always fucking coming.

Yeah, I know.

We don't invest in it.

We don't invest in it.

Are you gonna go see Elon tomorrow?

I, I, so I got an email last week and Elon supplies guest, no one else has seen it.

And I was like, am I dreaming it?

It's only you confirming it.

Yeahing.

You are not dreaming.

I've obviously, I've gotta go and see you.

Why not?

Come on.

And if you could meet one person, just one person who could change your business right now, who would that be?

For?

Slinger.

Oh goodness.

Put it into the universe.

Manifest this shit, you know.

It'd be Danny Meyer.

Um, he's the founder of Shake Shack.

Ah, and he has a book called Enlightened Hospitality.

And it's all about, look, we can, you can teach people to do the right thing, but magic, you know, we've come across those people in hospitality or just magic.

And he talks about the magic of like, what it takes to be that person.

Um, yeah, it would be him to be there.

Very, very good.

Thank you so much.

So much.

Nice.

Thank you.

Thank you.

So we're here again with, with Danny.

Yeah.

Who we spoke to on the train.

How was the train for you?

Dmi?

Uh, chaotic.

Sick as always, but in a good way.

So I think they have the different things.

Chaotic, neutral, chaotic, good.

And all that stuff.

Chaotic.

Good.

Chaotic.

Neutral.

Yeah, chaotic.

The train was chaotic, chaotic, neutral.

Good.

No, it was chaos Are good.