Scaling Lean in a $500B Market: Ed Bartlett on going from zero to one & transitioning out of the CEO seat

In the start-up ecosystem, there are a few truths that never change - scaling is harder than it looks, over-hiring can kill momentum, and knowing when to hand over the CEO reins might be the hardest call of all. In this episode,Ed Barltett, Founder & CEO of Hicomply, unpacks how to successfully scale with a lean team and build a GTM engine that actually produces an intent-led pipeline. Ed breaks down why stage-fit leadership beats vanity headcount and how to plan a smooth CEO transition when the time is right. If you’re a founder starting to think about what might be next for you, then this is the perfect episode to listen to.Episode Chapters02:02 - Ed’s path into Tech 10:40 - Finding your niche in a $500B market 12:44 - Comparing the UK and US markets 17:02 - Staying lean & focusing on speed of execution 19:10 - Building a realistic GTM stack in an AI-driven world 31:58 - Founder transition & handing over the CEO reins 36:47 - Exit prep 101 in 2025 and beyond Enjoyed today's episode of Making The Grade? If you took something valuable from the episode, we'd love for you to... ✔️ Leave us a rating and review on your favourite podcast platform. ✔️ Share your ideas or guest suggestions with us at [email protected]✔️ Stay in the loop with the latest from Making The Grade and ScaleWise by following us on LinkedIn or YouTube. See you again next week!