In this episode of the Build in Public Podcast, I sit down with Graham Davies, founder and CEO of Addition Finance. From dreaming of a career in professional rugby to reshaping the landscape of finance for startups and SMEs. The discussion covers lessons learned from both sports and business, the challenges of scaling a company, and the importance of technology in modern accounting.

Graham’s candid reflections provide invaluable insights for entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of leadership, growth, and innovation in today’s B2B market.

If you’re looking for actionable advice and real-world examples of business resilience, this episode is a must-listen.

Name: Graham Davies

Title: Founder & CEO of Addition Finance

Background: Graham’s professional journey began with a pivot from his dream of professional rugby to the world of finance. His passion for automation and innovation shaped his career as he transitioned from traditional accounting roles to becoming a portfolio CFO.

Now, as the CEO of Addition Finance, Graham leverages his experience to deliver tech-enabled financial solutions that empower startups and SMEs.

Graham’s experiences on the rugby field and later in rowing taught him invaluable lessons about perseverance, teamwork, and discipline.

• Resilience: Whether facing setbacks in sports or challenges in business, Graham emphasised the importance of “just showing up.” He likens tough weeks in business to rigorous rowing training, saying, “Just do the training,” even when motivation wanes.
• Teamwork: Rugby and rowing instilled a deep appreciation for collective effort. In both sports, success relies on every individual executing their role perfectly—a principle that translates seamlessly to building and leading business teams.
• Adaptability: These lessons not only prepared Graham for a successful finance career but also for the unpredictable nature of entrepreneurship. His ability to pivot and overcome obstacles reflects the mindset he cultivated through years of competitive sports.

Drawing from his years as a CFO and portfolio CFO for startups, Graham identified recurring issues that can derail early-stage businesses:

1. Lack of Financial Reporting: Startups often overlook the importance of accurate and timely data, making it difficult to gauge performance or make informed decisions.
2. Growth at All Costs: Venture-backed startups sometimes prioritise rapid expansion without considering whether their spending is generating meaningful returns. Graham cautioned against the "spend it because we’ve raised it" mentality, sharing examples of businesses that deployed capital inefficiently and struggled to raise subsequent funding.
3. Neglecting Efficiency: Graham champions the importance of tracking the ROI of every expense. He urges startups to experiment with small budgets and validate their models before scaling up.

The shift from managing finances to managing people brought new challenges and opportunities:

• Building a Team: As a CFO, Graham focused on numbers and processes. As a CEO, his priority became hiring the right people, aligning them with the company vision, and empowering them to succeed.
• Over-communication: Early in his CEO journey, Graham assumed that once something was...

In this episode, I talk with Ritu Soni Srivastava, a seasoned entrepreneur and the founder of TheLightbulb.ai.

Ritu shares her unconventional career path, from the corporate world to entrepreneurship, her experiences building two startups, and valuable lessons learned along the way.

The discussion covers the challenges and triumphs of founding startups, strategies for product development, balancing family life with entrepreneurial pursuits, and the importance of process-driven success in B2B environments.

• Name: Ritu Soni Srivastava
• Background: Founder of TheLightbulb.ai, former corporate executive, radio jockey, and founder of a health-focused startup acquired by U.S. investors.
• Experience: 23+ years, split evenly between corporate and startup spheres.
• Specialisation: B2B product development, consumer insights, emotion AI, and process management.

Ritu shared her unique career shift from corporate positions at Bharti Airtel to becoming a radio jockey and later, a startup founder. Her dissatisfaction with corporate life and the desire for flexibility after becoming a mother were pivotal in her move to entrepreneurship.

Ritu explained how personal struggles with postpartum weight loss motivated her to create a product that could guide others. Despite her initial DIY approach, customer feedback led to crucial iterations that emphasized hyper-personalization and behaviour change.

Having learned from the management challenges of her first venture, Ritu now focuses on overseeing her team without micromanaging. She emphasises building effective processes over obsessing about outcomes and ensures her well-being through defined work hours and team respect.

Ritu highlighted the pressure of fundraising and the subsequent demands on founders to demonstrate rapid growth. She stressed the need for focus, saying, "Process KPIs should drive behaviour, not revenue KPIs."

Fitness became a mental health anchor for Ritu during high-stress periods. Now a dedicated weightlifter and MMA enthusiast, she finds that fitness instils confidence and resilience, qualities essential for leadership.

Ritu candidly discussed the underrepresentation of women in entrepreneurship, with only 2-3% of global VC funding directed to female-led startups. She advocates for perseverance despite these barriers.

David welcomes Ritu and sets the stage for the discussion on building in public.

Ritu recounts her career trajectory from corporate jobs to entrepreneurship.

Insights into balancing family life and pursuing a startup idea.

The story behind Ritu’s first startup and key product development lessons.

Ritu reflects on team growth, funding pressures, and adapting her leadership style.

Exploring lessons from the first venture and implementing new strategies at TheLightbulb.ai.

The positive impact of fitness on...

In this episode Building in Public with David Ellis, we interview Olly Fawcett, Founder and CEO of 303 London, a creative and performance marketing agency.

We dive into 303 London’s 10-year journey, discuss the integration of creative and performance marketing, and share strategies for client acquisition in the ever-evolving digital space.

True to the Build in Public approach, Olly doesn’t sugarcoat anything. If you want a real look behind the scenes of running an agency, with all the lessons and hard truths along the way, this is the episode for you.

Known for his candid, no-nonsense approach, Olly is deeply honest about the challenges of running and scaling a business.

He started 303 London with a focus on content creation, but over the years, he’s evolved the agency into a hybrid model that blends creative and performance marketing to drive results for premium and luxury brands.

Throughout his decade-long journey, Olly has experienced the highs and lows of rapid growth, learning valuable lessons along the way about scaling too quickly, maintaining company culture, and navigating the increasing competition in the agency world.

He’s passionate about the importance of quality creative in advertising and believes in a practical, omni-channel approach to client acquisition. Whether he's sharing insights about winning clients through Instagram DMs or the hard truths about agency life, Olly brings a grounded, transparent perspective to the world of marketing.

Olly shared the journey of starting 303 London in 2013, initially focusing on content creation for theater productions.

Over time, the agency expanded into creative and performance marketing. The shift came from recognising that blending high-quality creative with performance-driven strategies was the key to long-term success.

Olly emphasised that the ability to adapt to market demands while maintaining a strong creative vision has been crucial for their growth.

According to Olly, an omni-channel approach is essential for sustainable client acquisition.

While cold emails, referrals, and in-person events are all effective, the key is combining them for maximum impact. He stressed that no single channel should be relied upon exclusively; instead, agencies should diversify their outreach and ensure they consistently show up in multiple places where potential clients are engaging.

Olly explained that creative is the most important variable for successful advertising.

He believes that while performance metrics and data-driven strategies are vital, they need to be supported by strong creatives.

The agency has focused on building a seamless ecosystem where creative assets fuel both organic and paid campaigns, ensuring that content connects with the right audiences in a meaningful way.

Olly highlighted the increasing competition in the digital agency space, with more agencies emerging post-COVID.

He explained that clients now have more options, making it harder to stand out. To overcome this, he emphasised the importance of delivering exceptional service and not over-promising on what can be achieved.

By staying true to their values and delivering consistently, agencies can navigate this crowded market.

Olly agrees that LinkedIn is an invaluable platform for B2B businesses, particularly for...