Peer Effect
Best way to scale? Your peers have the answers.
This is the podcast for scaleup founders looking for insightful, actionable wisdom from some of the best operators around. Each week we’ll explore one secret that other founders and experts are using right now and how to implement it.
It’s practical wisdom to build the company AND life you want. Hosted by renowned founder coach and advisor James Johnson.
You’ve survived to £1m, now let’s scale to £10m+.
Episodes
169 episodes
Why People First Beats Deals First - Even at a VC
At a VC, deals are literally the business.But Rachel Townend's philosophy? People first, always.As Chief of Staff and General Partner at Illuminate Financial - employee #1,...
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Season 6
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Episode 5
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40:47
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Your VC Is Probably Failing (And They'll Never Tell You)
Most VCs work non-stop and still feel like they're failing. They do 2x the deals of their peers. They're at every event. And they still feel like they're not doing enough.What James J...
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Season 6
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Episode 4
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15:43
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Why Network Effects Beat Product Now (The AI Shift Killing Your Moat)
You spent a year building a feature. Someone just replicated it in a day using AI.This isn't hypothetical. Roei Samuel is watching it happen in real-time. As founder of Connected - a...
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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35:13
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Your Investors Want You to Fire Your Team (The Power Dynamic Nobody Discusses)
"What do I do if my investors tell me to fire a bunch of my team?"Alex sent this question to the Peer Effect Post Bag. And the answer from James Johnson and
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Season 6
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Episode 3
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14:05
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Why Your Bank Balance Is Lying to You (The Cash Flow Framework That Saves Businesses) - Marc Obrart
You've got £250K in the bank. You're profitable. Everything looks fine.Then your VAT bill hits and you're scrambling. Or a major client payment is 60 days late and suddenly you can't make payroll.
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Season 6
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Episode 2
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33:54
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The PR Playbook That Actually Drives Revenue (Hint: It's Not Press Releases) - Harrison Duhr
PR feels like an unquantifiable luxury when you're trying to hit profitability. But Harrison Duhr has helped hundreds of startups use media to drive actual business outcomes - fundraising, hiring top talent, and landing ideal customers.A...
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Season 6
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Episode 1
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29:11
Startup Founder Lessons: 3 Patterns From 9 Entrepreneurs | Season 5 Recap
After 9 conversations with entrepreneurs and business leaders, three patterns emerged about scaling successfully.In this Season 5 recap, I share the key lessons from conversations with founders like Mark Shepherd (Gathr), George Sullivan...
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Season 5
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Episode 18
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14:05
Is LinkedIn Worth Your Time in 2025? (Honest Answer from Founder Coaches)
LinkedIn feels noisier than ever. AI posts, surface-level expertise, endless scroll. So is it still worth your time as a founder?James Johnson and
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Season 5
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Episode 17
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14:17
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VCs Have Hidden Value for You (Most Founders Never Ask for It) with D'Arcy Martin, Outward VC
Your VCs have hidden value beyond capital. Most founders never ask for it.D'Arcy Martin has been Head of Platform at Outward VC f...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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34:07
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Why Success Feels Lonely (And What To Do About It)
"You're in it together, then you're on a pedestal, then you're a statue."In this Post Bag episode, James and Freddie Birley <...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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14:51
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Your Business Is Running You (Here's How to Take Control Back) with Steve Duncan
Your business is running you. Not the other way around.Steve Duncan spent 20 years in the same company but built three different businesses. His secret? He stopped playing defense...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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32:55
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How Do You Separate Your Identity From Your Company's Success? Peer Effect Post Bag
"How do you separate your identity from the company's success or failure?"That's Alex's question – and it's one every founder grapples with, especially in those vulnerable early stages.Welcome to the Peer Effect Post Bag, where
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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17:32
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We Had $2.5M ARR - Then We Pivoted Everything with Gaurav Bhattacharya, Jeeva AI
"We were adding customers, losing customers, adding customers, losing customers. We were stalling."Gaurav Bhattacharya had $2.5M ARR and 50 customers. On paper, things looked fine. But momentum wasn't there. Instead of pushing harder, he...
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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41:12
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When Everything's Working, How Do You Avoid Getting Complacent? | Peer Effect Post Bag
"When everything looks like it's working, how do you avoid getting complacent?"That's Sarah's question - and it's the dream problem most founders wish they had.Welcome to the Peer Effect Post Bag, where
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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14:35
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How to Double Your Sales Team Performance: Why 78% Miss Target with Matt Milligan
"78% of salespeople miss their sales targets. That means your entire revenue forecast is riding on just 22% of your team."That's the brutal reality Matt Milligan discovered after s...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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48:35
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Should You Take VC Money If You're Already Profitable? - Peer Effect Post Bag
"We're profitable, but VCs keep approaching us. Should I take their money or stay independent?"That's the question from Neil that kicked off this Post bag episode – and it's one that keeps founders up at night.Welcome to the Peer ...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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15:20
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Why Personal Development Is Business Strategy with Kate Sikora
"The realisation that I wasn't the best person for the job anymore was a big one."Kate Sikora hit the 8–10 person tipping point in her business and realised everything had to change, including herself. What followed was a three-year jour...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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32:44
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How Do I Scale as a Leader Without Losing What Made Me Effective? - The Peer Effect Post Bag
"What got you here won't get you there."James Johnson and Freddie Birley tackle the question: How do you scale yourself a...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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13:29
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Building the Future of Work: AI, Mental Health, and Leading with Humanity with Asim Amin
"I don't want to live a stressed out human experience. Mental health isn't a luxury – it's survival."Asim Amin built Plumm, a Series A HR platform with 40+ team members, after standing ...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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29:40
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I Can't Let Go of Control - How Do I Trust My Team? - Peer Effect Post Bag
"I'm struggling to let go of control as we grow. How do I trust my team without everything falling apart?"Elizabeth's question exposes the founder's dilemma: you can't scale by doing everything yourself, but delegation feels terrifying. ...
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Season 5
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Episode 7
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8:25
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Stay Calm and Win: Why Calmness Is Your Competitive Edge with Libby Swan
"I don't want to live a stressed out human experience. And that I think can be a choice."Libby Swan has run Axioned<...
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Season 5
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Episode 6
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33:24
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Post-Success Depression: Why Winning Doesn't Feel Good - Peer Effect Post Bag
"I hit my revenue goals but feel empty and unmotivated. Is this normal?"Ryan's question hits different - because post-success depression is real, and most founders don't talk about it.
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Season 5
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Episode 5
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7:15
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No Investors, No Problem - how George Sullivan has grown his bootstrapped business, The Sole Supplier, to drive £50million GMV per year
"If I had taken investment in the early years, it would've wrecked me. I wouldn't have been able to deal with investors breathing down my neck."George Sullivan turned his obs...
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Season 5
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Episode 2
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37:35
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