PODCAST · technology
Startup Builders & Backers
by Neil C. Hughes
Startup Builders & Backers is a podcast that takes you inside the minds of the people shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship. Part of the Tech Talks Network, this series goes beyond headlines and hype to bring you real conversations with startup founders, angel investors, VCs, and seasoned operators who are building, backing, and scaling the next generation of companies. You might know me from Tech Talks Daily, where we explore a broad spectrum of business technology. But here, the focus narrows to the pulse of the startup ecosystem. From the spark of an idea to the complexities of funding, go-to-market strategies, team building, and exits, this series unpacks what it really takes to create a successful venture in today’s fast-moving environment. In each episode, we uncover what motivates founders to leave stability behind in pursuit of something bigger. We explore how investors identify promise amid uncertainty, what they’re looking for right now, and how
Episodes
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Making Complex Healthcare Systems Feel Simple With VITL
What can founders learn from a healthcare workflow that large organizations and independent clinics were both struggling to fix? In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I speak with Charlie Jordan, founder and CEO of VITL, about identifying overlooked customer problems, building technology...
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Building Through AI Uncertainty With ChurnZero
What happens when founders can build faster than business buyers can adopt? In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I speak with YouMon Tsang, founder and CEO of ChurnZero. YouMon has built four companies and completed three successful exits, giving him a candid perspective on category...
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Building a Global Startup From £180 With Go Swag
Can a startup launched with £180 grow into a global business serving some of the world’s largest companies? In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I speak with Connor McKenna, co-founder and CEO of Go Swag. His story begins in a Glasgow software agency, where he and co-founder Ben wanted…
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The Expedia Of Racquet Sports - TheStartup Opportunity Hidden In A Fragmented Industry
Have you ever tried to book a tennis, pickleball, padel, or squash court and wondered why the process still feels stuck in another decade? In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, I sit down with Daren Hornig, founder and CEO of CourtsApp, to discuss how he spotted a major gap in one of…
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Route 101 On Building Resilient Businesses Through Uncertain Times
Have you ever wondered what separates entrepreneurs who survive economic crises from those who thrive because of them? In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I sit down with Russell Attwood, CEO of Route 101, whose entrepreneurial journey spans multiple decades, technology shifts, and...
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HBX Group and What Startup Founders Can Learn From AI’s Transformation of the Travel Industry
What does it take to build, scale, sell a company, step away from business, and then return because you believe an entire industry is about to be reinvented by AI? In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, I spoke with David Amsellem, founder of luxury concierge company John Paul and now...
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Scaling AgTech Across Europe Lessons From eAgronom CEO Robin Saluoks
What does it take to transform one of the world’s oldest industries using some of the newest technologies available today? In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, I sit down with Robin Saluoks, CEO and Co-Founder of eAgronom, to explore how a childhood connection to farming evolved into...
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How Founder-Led Thinking Creates Faster AI Innovation
What happens when the best AI hires are not AI specialists at all, but founders? In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, I sat down with Fran Loftus, Chief Experience Officer at EliseAI, to talk about a hiring philosophy that goes against the grain. At a time when so many companies are...
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The Hidden Cost Of A Bad Hire In Early Stage Startups
For founders moving fast and feeling pressure to scale, that insight alone could save months of frustration and lost momentum. We also explore how to balance urgency with long-term fit. Darren makes a strong case for clarity before speed. Know exactly what you are hiring for. Separate cultural...
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From Founder to Educator: How Danielle Vogel Is Shaping the Next Generation of Builders
What if entrepreneurship were not only about starting companies, but about shaping how a generation thinks about impact, ownership, and responsibility? In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, I’m joined by Danielle Vogel, Assistant Director of the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship at...
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From High School Dropout to Redefining Modern Wealth Management
What does it really take to rewrite your own story, and then challenge an entire industry at the same time? In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I’m joined by Steven Woods, Founder of Stirlingshire Investments, for a conversation that goes far beyond balance sheets and buzzwords.…
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From Startup to Scale: How Emanuel Pirker Built and Evolved Stratodesk into IGEL
What makes a startup founder stay inspired after years of building, scaling, and sometimes starting over? In this episode of The Startup Builders and Backers Podcast, Emanuel Pirker shares a founder’s journey that every entrepreneur can learn from. Recorded live at IGEL’s Now & Next event in...
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The LoopUp Startup Story to Becoming the World's Most Global Telco
In this episode of Tech Talks Daily, I sit down with Steve Flavell, co-CEO of LoopUp, to hear how a company once known for improving conference calls became a global force in cloud telephony. LoopUp began in 2003 with a mission to make conference calls less frustrating, growing steadily for more...
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Building a Support Ecosystem That Drives Startup Growth
What if you could accelerate your startup’s growth with the combined power of AI, targeted mentorship, and a connected community? In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, I speak with serial entrepreneur, investor, and technologist Paul Pluschkell, the founder of StartupOS, to unpack how...
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Inside the Mind of a Founder: Startup Psychology, Burnout, and Co-Founder Dynamics
In this raw and deeply human conversation, I sit down with Yael Daniely, a seasoned startup psychologist, co-founder, therapist, and founder of one of the world’s only clinical practices dedicated to the emotional well-being of startup leaders. Yael joins me from Israel in the middle of a war…
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Wells Fargo: AI, IPOs, and the Future of Venture Capital
In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, I sat down with Rahul Baig, Head of Venture Capital and Growth Equity Coverage at Wells Fargo, for one of the most wide-ranging and insightful conversations I’ve had this year. We discuss the seismic shifts occurring across the tech landscape,...
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From Startup Grit to Enterprise Scale: The Cask Canada Approach
In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, we sit down with Jeff Butler, General Manager of Cask Canada, for a candid conversation on what it really takes to launch and grow a high-performing tech consultancy in today's evolving enterprise landscape. In just over a year, Jeff helped Cask…
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Building the Internet of Trees: Dryad Networks’ Bold Vision for Wildfire Prevention
On this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I sit down with Carsten Brinkschulte, co-founder and CEO of Dryad Networks, to uncover how a seasoned telecom entrepreneur pivoted from software to saving forests. Carsten explains how witnessing devastating wildfires and his own daughter’s climate...
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How Scribe is Helping Experts and Entrepreneurs Write, Publish, and Market Their Book.
You've probably heard it before: "Self-published books don't make money." But what if we're measuring success with the wrong metrics? Eric Jorgensen, CEO of Scribe Media and million-copy bestselling author, challenges this conventional wisdom with a simple but powerful insight: "A book does not...
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Building Before You Launch? David Hirschfeld on Why That Might Be a Mistake
What if the biggest risk for startups isn't failure, but building the wrong thing too soon? In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I sit down with David Hirschfeld, founder of Tekyz Inc., to explore a different way of thinking about early-stage success. With more than 35 years in software...
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Gregory Shepard on Engineering Startup Success Through Structure, Not Hype
What if the reason so many startups fail has less to do with bad ideas and more to do with skipping the hard but necessary stages of building? In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, I’m joined by Gregory Shepard, founder of Startup Science and author of The Startup Lifecycle, a book...
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From Startup to Scale: How Tailscale Built a Billion-Dollar Business with Simplicity at Its Core
What does it take to turn a bold idea into a billion-dollar company during one of the most unpredictable periods in recent history? In this episode of Startup Builders and Backers, we meet Avery Pennarun, Co-founder and CEO of Tailscale, who shares how a lean networking startup found its stride…
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Distributed Teams and Startup Dreams: Insights from Arcanys' Co-Founder
What does it mean to truly invest in a tech startup? In this episode, we explore that question with Frederic Joye, co-founder of Arcanys and partner at Arcanys Ventures. With a career that took him from the Swiss finance sector to the beaches of the Philippines, Frederic shares a philosophy that...
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Lloyd’s and the Startup Turning AI into Wildfire Resilience
As climate risks escalate and wildfires grow more frequent and destructive, how can startups help the insurance industry adapt and evolve? In this episode of Startup Founders and Backers, we spotlight how Firebreak Risk uses artificial intelligence to change how insurers assess and underwrite...
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Unlocking Startup Potential Through Conscious Leadership and Customer Success
What does it really take to scale a startup from an idea to a thriving business generating over $100M in ARR? In this episode of Startup Builders & Backers, we explore that journey with Luke Diaz, founder of DBT Ventures, an angel investment fund focused on supporting underrepresented founders....
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Avoiding Risk When Taking a Startup International
What should tech startups know before expanding beyond their home market? In this episode of Startup Founders and Backers, we explore that very question with Dr. Shan Nair, president of Nucleus and a pioneer in international expansion services. With a background that began in nuclear physics at...
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From Copyright to Contracts: The Legal Impact of AI on IP
How is AI changing the rules of intellectual property, and what should founders be doing about it? In this debut episode of Startup Builders & Backers, we tackle one of the most pressing and under-discussed areas in the startup space: the legal impact of AI. I’m joined by Alex Watt, commercial IP...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Startup Builders & Backers is a podcast that takes you inside the minds of the people shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship. Part of the Tech Talks Network, this series goes beyond headlines and hype to bring you real conversations with startup founders, angel investors, VCs, and seasoned operators who are building, backing, and scaling the next generation of companies.
You might know me from Tech Talks Daily, where we explore a broad spectrum of business technology. But here, the focus narrows to the pulse of the startup ecosystem. From the spark of an idea to the complexities of funding, go-to-market strategies, team building, and exits, this series unpacks what it really takes to create a successful venture in today’s fast-moving environment.
In each episode, we uncover what motivates founders to leave stability behind in pursuit of something bigger. We explore how investors identify promise amid uncertainty, what they’re looking for right now, and how
HOSTED BY
Neil C. Hughes
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Startup Builders & Backers have?
Startup Builders & Backers currently has 27 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Startup Builders & Backers about?
Startup Builders & Backers is a podcast that takes you inside the minds of the people shaping the future of technology and entrepreneurship. Part of the Tech Talks Network, this series goes beyond headlines and hype to bring you real conversations with startup founders, angel investors, VCs, and...
How often does Startup Builders & Backers release new episodes?
Startup Builders & Backers has 27 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Startup Builders & Backers?
You can listen to Startup Builders & Backers on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Startup Builders & Backers?
Startup Builders & Backers is created and hosted by Neil C. Hughes.
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