The HiveMind Interviews: Sharing the secrets of successful Fintechs
jamesbarkert
26 episodes
2 weeks ago
Building sustainable Fintech companies isn’t easy. Selling is more complex and risk-driven, decision making is syndicated, and sales cycles are longer. Delivering product requires more resilient and expensive engineering, and the market it crowded.
I wanted to explore how to build a commercially successful Fintech from every perspective; from the buyer, through product and across sales and marketing. Revenue isn’t simply a ’sales’ challenge - it only happens when the entire machine is working perfectly. Let’s unlock the secrets together with my guests.
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Building sustainable Fintech companies isn’t easy. Selling is more complex and risk-driven, decision making is syndicated, and sales cycles are longer. Delivering product requires more resilient and expensive engineering, and the market it crowded.
I wanted to explore how to build a commercially successful Fintech from every perspective; from the buyer, through product and across sales and marketing. Revenue isn’t simply a ’sales’ challenge - it only happens when the entire machine is working perfectly. Let’s unlock the secrets together with my guests.
HiveMind: Rewriting the Rules of Business, with Octopus CEO Simon Rogerson
The HiveMind Interviews: Sharing the secrets of successful Fintechs
51 minutes 14 seconds
5 months ago
HiveMind: Rewriting the Rules of Business, with Octopus CEO Simon Rogerson
Discover how Simon Rogerson, co-founder of Octopus Group, turned 15,000 cold calls into a £13 billion financial powerhouse by challenging industry norms. Insights on entrepreneurship, purpose-driven leadership, and scaling innovation.
In this episode of James Barker’s Studio, we sit down with Simon Rogerson, the entrepreneurial force behind Octopus Group—one of the UK’s most innovative financial services companies, now managing over £13 billion in assets.
Simon shares how he and his co-founders launched Octopus with a mission to challenge the stale, self-serving norms of the financial industry. You’ll hear how they:
Started out with a rebellious mindset and zero industry baggage
Built a purpose-led culture that underpins every Octopus venture
Scaled their impact across energy, healthcare, and real estate sectors
From venture capital to ethical investing, Simon breaks down what it really takes to build a fast-growth company without losing your soul.
Keywords: Simon Rogerson, Octopus Group, UK fintech, financial services innovation, startup culture, ethical investing, purpose-driven leadership, scale-up story, James Barker podcast
Listen if you want to learn:
How to disrupt a legacy industry
Why purpose beats profit in the long run
The secrets behind Octopus’s startup-to-scaleup journey
🧭 Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Context – Meet Simon Rogerson and the radical mindset behind Octopus.
04:12 – Starting Octopus with No Experience – Why inexperience was their greatest advantage.
10:45 – Culture as a Superpower – The no-assholes hiring rule and why culture trumps strategy.
17:30 – Scaling with Purpose – Growth driven by impact, not just profits.
25:40 – Innovation at Octopus – How Octopus keeps launching bold new ventures.
32:50 – Why Most Companies Are Scared of Standing for Something – The business risk of playing it safe.
38:15 – Advice to Founders – Building something meaningful instead of just big.
45:00 – The Future of Octopus – What’s next for the group’s ever-growing ambitions.
48:33 – Closing Reflections – Simon’s personal philosophy on leadership and legacy.
The HiveMind Interviews: Sharing the secrets of successful Fintechs
Building sustainable Fintech companies isn’t easy. Selling is more complex and risk-driven, decision making is syndicated, and sales cycles are longer. Delivering product requires more resilient and expensive engineering, and the market it crowded.
I wanted to explore how to build a commercially successful Fintech from every perspective; from the buyer, through product and across sales and marketing. Revenue isn’t simply a ’sales’ challenge - it only happens when the entire machine is working perfectly. Let’s unlock the secrets together with my guests.
