Scale To Win with Dominic Monkhouse

Council estate South London to 30 mergers and acquisitions. No capital, no plan, but always knew wealth was what he wanted. Lee Smith went from DJ to jewellers to law firms to web design and IT—then discovered mergers and acquisitions in 2014 and everything changed. Now he's building two sector groups to £10M in profit, buying businesses at 3-4x multiples and exiting at 7-10x, and he's got some contrarian views that'll make you rethink everything about UK business ownership.In this episode, Lee reveals why buying 100% of a business is almost always the worst deal structure, why you don't need to understand what a business does to own it successfully, and why by the end of this decade the most valuable asset in Britain will be an SME producing profits. He shares his ethical partnership structure that keeps founders and directors aligned, explains how he bought an HVAC company he barely understands and grew it while only being there one day per week, and why he thinks the UK government is waging war on business owners—making it harder to employ people, easier for rogue employees to sue, and creating a clear choice by 2030: own a business with options and spare cash, or be an employee struggling more than ever.What you'll learn:🏢 Why you don't need to understand a business to own it (just need right people in right seats)💰 How to structure deals that keep founders and key directors aligned (20% founder retention + director equity)📊 What to look for when buying: £2M+ revenue, second-tier management in place, profitability doesn't matter🎯 The buy-build-sell playbook: buy at 3-4x EBITDA, build to £10M+ profit, exit at 7-10x⚠️ Why the UK government is anti-business (more taxes, more regulation, easier to sue companies)Book recommendations:Who? - Geoff Smart & Randy Street - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Who-Method-Hiring-Geoff-Smart/dp/0345504194Think and Grow Rich - Napoleon Hill - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Think-Grow-Rich-Napoleon-Hill/dp/9388423526Die with Zero - Bill Perkins - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Die-Zero-Getting-Your-Money/dp/0358099765The Fourth Turning - William Strauss & Neil Howe - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fourth-Turning-American-Prophecy-Rendezvous/dp/0767900464About the Guest:Lee Smith grew up on a council estate in South London with no capital behind him and no plan to wealth—but he always knew wealth was something he wanted to achieve. His career path was unconventional: DJ, jewellers, law firms, then starting his own web design and IT company. In 2014, he discovered mergers and acquisitions, which "completely flipped the switch" in his life. He's now completed 30 M&A transactions and is building two separate sector groups (HVAC/construction and renewable energy) to £10M in profit.His key message to business owners: the UK government is waging war on individuals through cost-of-living, energy costs, and employment regulations. By 2030, there will be a clear choice—either own a business and have options and spare cash, or be an employee struggling even more than now. His ideal scenario: buy more businesses, make all employees shareholders through EMI schemes, so when they exit, everyone gets a payday that gets them onto the wealth ladder.Connect with Lee Smith - https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeantonysmith/--------Sign up to receive our weekly Scale To Win newsletter:https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouseChapters:00:00 Introduction02:03 Views on UK government's impact on business06:58 Why Lee chose to buy into HVAC sector08:44 Structuring deals with existing management in mind12:28 Challenges small businesses face in scaling and compliance14:36 Critique of UK government’s business policies20:02 Advice for first-time business buyers25:11 Offering employee share schemes to improve engagement31:27 Reflection on challenges like contracting with tier one customers35:27 Recommended books that influenced Lee’s outlook37:46 The Fourth Turning's impact on Lee's family planning

Work-life balance is a complete myth for founders and CEOs. The experience myth keeps people pigeonholed. Goals should force your identity change, not the other way around. Eric Partaker—McKinsey consultant turned Skype early team member turned restaurant chain founder turned CEO coach with 1.2M LinkedIn followers—breaks down why everything you've been told about building a successful career and company is backwards.In this episode, Eric shares why he went from world's worst procrastinator (bought books in 2000, didn't read them until 2010) to super producer, why he lost everything when his restaurant chain went up in smoke during COVID, and why that experience made him a better coach. He also unpacks the cultural differences between US optimism, UK scepticism, and Norwegian Janteloven (the law that says "you shall not think you are anything"), and why the Vikings' entrepreneurial spirit somehow disappeared from modern Norway.What you'll learn:⚖️ Why work-life balance is a myth—it's really about work-life satisfaction🎯 Why going for 10X goals forces identity change (not choosing identity first)🌍 How cultural attitudes toward ambition differ: US vs UK vs Norway📈 Why 10X is easier than 10%—and how it fundamentally changes thinking🏅 Why we don't question Olympic athletes chasing gold medals but judge business people💼 Why star performers deliver 800% more output than average in complex rolesBook recommendations:The Now Habit - Neil Fiore - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Now-Habit-Overcoming-Procrastination-Guilt-Free/dp/1585425524The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Lencioni/dp/0787960756Built to Last - Jim Collins & Jerry Porras - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Built-Last-Successful-Visionary-Essentials/dp/0060516402About the Guest:Eric Partaker is a CEO coach, mentor, and peak performance expert who built a 1.2M+ following on LinkedIn over the last couple of years despite being 50 years old and "not a social media person" three years ago. His career has been a chain of massive pivots: started as a consultant at McKinsey, joined the early team at Skype (back when people actually used Skype before Riverside), helped with the blitz-scaling that led to a $2-3 billion exit to eBay about 21 years ago, then did a complete pivot to build a Mexican restaurant chain called Chilango.He went from being the world's worst procrastinator (so bad he bought books on overcoming procrastination in 2000 and didn't read them until 2010) to a super producer after reading The Now Habit by Neil Fiore. He credits Five Dysfunctions of a Team for helping him optimise leadership teams (particularly around avoidance of conflict and artificial harmony) and Built to Last for optimising company performance. His current mission: helping founders and CEOs stop pursuing the myth of balance, go for 10X goals that force identity change, and just have the courage to do whatever that critical thing is they're avoiding right now.--------Sign up to receive our weekly Scale To Win newsletter:https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouseChapters:00:00 Introduction01:00 Eric's diverse career journey and background06:02 10x goals and their impact on mindset09:45 Cultural influences on ambition and success12:35 Work-life balance vs. work-life satisfaction18:01 Fascination with achievement and peak performance22:38 Transition from McKinsey to creating a restaurant chain28:03 Reflecting on debt and expansion mistakes33:30 Building leadership teams and hiring strategies38:43 Importance of reallocating resources and hiring stars40:42 Understanding and addressing business constraints42:28 Books that transformed Eric's personal and professional growth

Formal education is becoming irrelevant. The UK is a great place to build a business. These aren't platitudes—they're battle-tested beliefs from someone who spent 20 years in the military, led the UK's COVID testing programme, and is now co-founding Electric Twin with Ben Warner (the PM's former chief data advisor) to build synthetic audiences that let businesses test decisions in seconds rather than weeks.In this episode, Alex Cooper breaks down why the most memorable periods of your life will be the ones where you had zero balance, why you should hire polymaths with agility and hunger rather than certificates in AI, and how his company uses generative AI to simulate human decision-making with startling accuracy. He also shares lessons from scaling from 0 to 17 people, why founder-led sales matters even when you've never done it before, and why he'd rather die at 93 still working every day than retire to garden.What you'll learn:🎓 Why formal education and skills-based qualifications are becoming increasingly irrelevant🇬🇧 Why London is an underrated place to build a tech business (despite the moaning)⚖️ Why balance is bullshit—and why your deathbed memories will be from the unbalanced times🤖 How synthetic audiences let you test business decisions in seconds with real-world accuracy🚀 Why the OODA loop (Observe, Orientate, Decide, Act) gives decisive competitive advantage💼 Why founder-led sales is essential even when you've never done sales beforeBook recommendations:The Box - Marc Levinson - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Box-Shipping-Container-Smaller-Economy/dp/0691170819My War Gone By, I Miss It So - Anthony Lloyd - https://www.amazon.co.uk/War-Gone-Miss-Anthony-Loyd/dp/0140298541Bad Blood - John Carreyrou - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bad-Blood-Secrets-Silicon-Startup/dp/1509868054About the Guest:It was during COVID that Alex met his co-founder Ben Warner, who was the Prime Minister's chief advisor for data and digital. They became friends, and a couple of years after the pandemic, Ben suggested they set up a business together. At the time, Ben had been experimenting with early AI models to try to simulate human decision-making, but the models weren't good enough. With the advent of generative AI, it became possible—and Electric Twin was born. The company combines high-quality seed data, builds out synthetic populations of agents, and uses complex processes powered by commercial LLMs (they don't have their own model) to generate results that match real-world responses. They've run 40,000 evaluations to date.Electric Twin now has 17 people and works primarily with enterprise clients like News UK (The Times), helping them make decisions about everything from podcast positioning to content strategy to product launches—all in seconds rather than the weeks traditional market research would take. They brought in a head of sales from MongoDB last year who implemented the MEDIC framework with discipline, focusing on setting up long-term relationships rather than rushing to close deals. The company has raised funding, is targeting the US market, and Alex is adamant about maintaining talent density as they scale from 17 to 50 people through what he calls "quite a difficult phase."Alex is unapologetically elitist—he loves being around super smart people who are the best at their job, which is all he's known for 20 years. He's nearly 50, has no retirement plans, and would rather be like his mentor who came into the House of Lords every day at 93 because "otherwise my brain would rot." He reads voraciously and eclectically (five books on piracy while surfing in Mexico, four books on shipping containers), spends weekends in South Wales mending fences and making cider to physically dislocate from the AI world, and firmly believes the periods of his life he'll remember on his deathbed are the ones where he had no balance whatsoever.Sign up to receive our weekly Scale To Win newsletter:https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouseChapters:00:00 Introduction01:00 Formal education vs lifelong learning in the AI era04:02 Why balance is overrated and intense focus matters09:00 From army officer to founder of an AI startup13:54 Building human behaviour simulations with synthetic audiences17:17 How generative AI powers accurate real-time decision testing21:12 COVID, consumer behaviour, and why experts often get it wrong28:08 Why London is still a top place to start a business33:18 Lessons from 20 years in the military37:28 Scaling culture from 17 to 50 employees42:15 Learning B2B sales and the power of founder-led GTM47:58 Charisma, fraud, and lessons from Bad Blood and Theranos

Market research used to take four weeks and cost $20,000. Steve Phillips built Zappi to turn that into four hours and $2,000—and he started 12 years ago, long before generative AI made this vision sound obvious. Now, with nearly 300 people and $80 million in revenue, he's challenging his organisation to double revenues in five years without adding headcount by pairing every employee with an AI agent to handle the annoying, time-consuming work.In this episode, Steve breaks down why entrepreneurs can actually be lazy (in the right way), why you should never hire yourself, why innovation is a mindset rather than an age, and how going from 40 to 140 people in six months was utterly disastrous but created an amazing culture that propelled the business for years. He also shares why he stepped aside as CEO, how he maintains his role as Chief Innovation Officer, and why the future is already here—we're just not utilising AI to do amazing things in business yet.What you'll learn:💡 Why entrepreneurs can be lazy—and why doing "work" might be the wrong thing🚫 Why you should hire for your weaknesses, not people who are just like you🧠 Why innovation is a mindset at 56, not just for 23-year-olds in garages🤖 How to pair every employee with an AI agent to automate administrative tasks📈 Why going from 40 to 140 people in six months crashed productivity for a year⚙️ How to challenge your organisation to double revenue without increasing headcountPodcast recommendations:A16Z (Andreessen Horowitz) - https://a16z.com/podcasts/Hard Fork - New York Times / Platformer - https://www.nytimes.com/column/hard-forkAll In Podcast - https://www.allinpodcast.co/About the Guest:Steve Phillips is the founder and Chief Innovation Officer (and Chair) at Zappi, a consumer insights platform he started 12 years ago with the founding ambition of turning market research projects that took four weeks and cost $20,000 into four hours and $2,000. Zappi was AI-first from the beginning—using old-fashioned "if that, then this" automation to speed up and democratize consumer insights long before generative AI became mainstream. After merging with a South African technology company early on, Steve scaled Zappi to nearly 300 people and approximately $80 million in revenue, still growing at around 15% annually with growth rates now increasing as they focus more on AI deliverables.The company has raised multiple rounds, brought in a PE firm about three years ago to mostly replace VCs, and subsequently added new senior leaders with different skill sets (like an MIT MBA CEO who thinks very differently than Steve). Zappi had one genuine pivot—moving from automating work for other research companies to building their own IP and data asset. Now they're using AI agents internally for everything from writing quarterly business reviews to creating client proposals, and externally helping clients use their data to generate new product ideas and advertising campaigns. Steve's challenge to the organisation: double revenues in five years without increasing headcount by pairing every employee with an AI agent to eliminate time-consuming administrative tasks.Sign up to receive our weekly Scale To Win newsletter:https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse

Companies claim they're too busy for AI, and leadership teams are bloated and ineffective. The UK's productivity crisis won't be solved by working harder. These aren't controversial opinions, they're the reality Gerry Tombs is seeing as he helps businesses navigate the AI transformation after scaling ClearVision from a garage startup to £7 million in revenue and 100 people before a successful exit three years ago.In this episode, Gerry breaks down why AI will expose leaders who aren't pulling their weight, why managers will soon oversee hybrid teams of humans and AI agents, and how the millennial generation (29-44) is perfectly positioned to lead in the AI era. He also shares the brutal lessons from scaling ClearVision over 25 years—from staying in hiring too long, to ring-fencing innovation teams, to building enough trust that his leadership team could hold each other accountable rather than relying on him to fire underperformers. And yes, he hit number one in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work For—but missed the ceremony due to a migraine.What you'll learn:🤖 Why companies claiming they're "too busy for AI" are actually just terrified⚡ How AI agents will work alongside humans in hybrid teams within two years🎯 Why 50% of senior people could do more with AI—and why the rest will be exposed📊 The delegate-to-elevate framework: giving AI the work you hate so you can do what matters👥 Why leadership teams of 6-7 (including the CEO) are optimal for decision-making🏆 How Tour of Duty hiring creates adult conversations and eliminates surprise resignationsBook recommendations:The Five Dysfunctions of a Team - Patrick Lencioni - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Five-Dysfunctions-Team-Leadership-Lencioni/dp/0787960756Raving Fans - Ken Blanchard & Sheldon Bowles - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Raving-Fans-Revolutionary-Approach-Customer/dp/0006530958Coaching for Performance - John Whitmore - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Coaching-Performance-Principles-Leadership-UPDATED/dp/1473658128Breath - James Nestor - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Breath-New-Science-Lost-Art/dp/0241289130Drive - Daniel H. Pink - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Drive-Surprising-Truth-About-Motivates/dp/184767769XRocket Fuel - Gino Wickman & Mark C. Winters - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rocket-Fuel-Visionary-Integrator-Relationship/dp/1941631622Flourish - Martin Seligman - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Flourish-Visionary-Understanding-Happiness-Well-being/dp/1857885511The Alliance - Reid Hoffman, Ben Casnocha, Chris Yeh - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Alliance-Managing-Talent-Networked-Age/dp/1625275773Sign up to receive our weekly Scale To Win newsletter:https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse

Nick Holzherr, founder of Gitlaw and former Whisk CEO, advocates for the undervalued potential of AI in legal services. He reveals how distributed tech teams can scale rapidly by hiring globally within time zones. Nick promotes async work as a vital operating system for high-performing teams and highlights that one intense week of in-person bonding can sustain relationships for an entire year. He also discusses orchestrating AI agents to enhance productivity, making legal document creation accessible and affordable for small businesses.

In this engaging discussion, Mark Jankovich, Founder and CEO of Delphis Eco, shares insights from his journey in creating eco-friendly products and advocating for sustainability. He emphasizes that tackling climate change requires eliminating harmful consumer choices instead of asking individuals to do better. Mark critiques various broken systems, including farming and transportation, and underscores the interconnectedness of soil health, education, and climate. With a vision for the future, he encourages entrepreneurs to take systemic action and lead the charge toward a more sustainable world.

From a council estate in Oxford to a £100 million exit by age 37. Andrew Hulbert's journey isn't a polished Silicon Valley success story—it's raw, real, and packed with hard-won lessons about what actually matters when you're building something from nothing.In this episode, Andrew breaks down the decade-long grind of scaling Pareto from his bedroom to a 500-person, £50 million turnover business serving the world's biggest tech companies. He shares why balance is bollocks when you're building, why bright yellow McLarens don't buy happiness, why you should retire early if you can, and how a council estate upbringing gave him the hunger and community mindset that fueled everything. This is a masterclass in bootstrapping, knowing when to go all-in, and actually achieving the goal you set out to hit.What you'll learn:💷 Why money doesn't buy happiness—but time does, and how an exit gives you that back🎯 The truth about balance: why it's bollocks when you're scaling (and when it matters again)🚀 How to build a £50M business with no funding, no backers, and no marketing budget⚡ Why you don't need expensive marketing to make a massive splash in your market👔 Why corporate life doesn't work for everyone—and why that's perfectly fine🏆 How changing your peer group at 16 completely altered the trajectory of Andrew's lifeWho should listen:Bootstrapped founder-CEOs grinding through the early stages of scaleAnyone in corporate wondering if they should take the leap into entrepreneurshipLeaders thinking about exits, life after the business, and what actually mattersEntrepreneurs from non-traditional backgrounds looking for proof it's possibleBook recommendations:The E-Myth Revisited - Michael E. Gerber - https://www.amazon.co.uk/E-Myth-Revisited-Small-Businesses-About/dp/0887307280The Escape Manifesto - Escape the City - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Escape-Manifesto-Freedom-Meaningful-Living/dp/1783521430Beer Mat Entrepreneur - Mike Southon & Chris West - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beermat-Entrepreneur-Turn-Good-Great/dp/0273708074About the Guest:Andrew Hulbert is the founder of Pareto, a business he started from his bedroom at age 27 with nothing but a laptop and an idea. Over the next decade, he scaled Pareto to £50 million in annual turnover and 500 staff, serving some of the world's biggest tech companies before orchestrating a £100 million exit.Andrew finished working at 37 and has spent the last two years decompressing on a farm in Oxfordshire, reconnecting with his wife, kids, and the life he built outside the business. He's known for his unfiltered honesty about the realities of entrepreneurship, his belief that balance is a myth when you're scaling, and his conviction that money buys time—not happiness. He's also refreshingly candid about buying (and quickly selling) a bright yellow McLaren that made him feel like a "bus wanker" from The Inbetweeners.Sign up to receive our weekly Curious Leadership newsletter:https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouseChapters:00:00 Introduction01:00 From council estate to $100M exit in 10 years03:56 Five things he believes that most people don’t07:34 What time wealth really looks like now12:14 Balance is bollocks and why he went all-in15:00 Zero marketing budget but still won the industry18:09 Donuts, logos and the power of experiential sales21:04 Founder should never stop selling big opportunities24:58 Social media success doesn’t equal real success27:17 Parents as hidden entrepreneurs and early hustle lessons29:12 How he built a loyal leadership team from scratch35:54 Networking done right and the secret power of downtime38:27 Three book recs for first-time founders42:23 Escaping the trap and how his path diverged

As 2025 draws to a close, we're replaying some of the show's standout conversations from this year. This episode with James Kerr remains one of the most thought-provoking discussions. Whether you're hearing it for the first time or revisiting the insights, there's plenty here to fuel your leadership thinking as we head into the new year.James Kerr is a writer, coach, and consultant who specialises in leadership, culture and mindset in high-performing teams. His global bestseller, 'Legacy' has been described by The Daily Telegraph as “the modern version of Vince Lombardi’s guides to coaching”, saying that "for those searching for genuine keys to team culture, it is manna from heaven".James has worked with Tier One Special Forces, the English Premier League, international cricket, Formula One, America’s Cup, Major League Baseball, and Olympic pathways. He has guest lectured at Westpoint Military Academy, Sandhurst and Eton College and written for the BBC, Independent, Times and Guardian. His corporate clients have included Google, Spotify, Goldman Sachs, McKinsey & Co, Adidas, and Arc'teryx.In this frank discussion, Dominic explores the synergy between individual leadership and collective vision, and the critical role of cultural evolution in maintaining relevance and potency. James shares how the iconic “Sweeping the Shed” mantra, revolutionised team culture at the All Blacks, and how these principles can be applied beyond the rugby field into business and everyday life.DiscoverThe Role of Values in Sustainable Success: By embracing values such as humility, responsibility, and respect, the All Blacks created a foundation for long-term success, demonstrating that values-driven cultures outperform talent-driven ones.The Power of Rituals and Symbols: The enduring significance of the Haka demonstrates how rituals and symbols can reinforce identity, unity, and purpose within a team.Leadership Across Domains: The principles of leadership and cultural excellence are universal and can be applied across diverse fields, demonstrated by James’ work in sports, military, and business.Neuroscience and Leadership: The interplay between neuroscience and performance underpins how understanding the brain's responses to fear and confidence can inspire leaders to strike a balance between challenges and support, fostering growth and accountability.Connect with James - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-kerr-09a70bbConnect with Dominic - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouseBook recommendations:Viktor Frankl - Man's Search For Meaning - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/347571/mans-search-for-meaning-by-viktor-e-frankl/9781846046384Daniel Kahneman - Thinking, Fast and Slow - https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/56314/thinking-fast-and-slow-by-kahneman-daniel/9780141033570Daniel Coyle - The Culture Code - https://danielcoyle.com/the-culture-code/Jim Collins - Good To Great - https://www.jimcollins.com/article_topics/articles/good-to-great.html#articletopJames' book Legacy is out now - https://danielcoyle.com/the-culture-code/Dominic’s book Mind Your F**king Business is out now - https://www.monkhouseandcompany.com/mind-your-fking-business/--------Sign up to receive our weekly Curious Leadership newsletter: https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse

Most service businesses drown in the chaos between what customers ask for and what they actually need. Kit Cox has spent over a decade building Enate to solve exactly that, an orchestration platform that helps B2B service providers cut through vagueness, assemble data, and deliver consistently exceptional service powered by both AI and human workforce.In this episode, Kit breaks down the three stages of service delivery, why culture trumps everything else as a founder, and how radical honesty, not "fake it till you make it" builds the customer relationships that actually last. He also shares why the best hires might have learned their most valuable skills in drama class, and why lawyers and IT departments as we know them might not survive the next decade.What you'll learn:🎯 The three critical stages of service delivery and where AI actually makes the difference💡 Why culture is the single most important thing a founder can build🤝 How brutal honesty creates stronger customer relationships than polished salesmanship🧠 The "thousand types of clever" needed to build a company (and why education only tests two of them)⚡ How to systematise hiring so you're finding values and attitude, not just skills🔍 Why "what are you most proud of?" reveals more about a candidate than any competency questionWho should listen:Founder-CEOs scaling B2B service or SaaS businesses, particularly those in the 50-100+ employee rangeCTOs and COOs managing complex service delivery operationsLeaders implementing AI and automation in service environmentsAnyone trying to move from bespoke chaos to scalable, repeatable customer successPodcast recommendations:13 Minutes to the Moon - BBC World Service - https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w13xttx2Mindscape - Sean Carroll - https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/About the Guest:Kit Cox is the founder and CTO of Enate, an orchestration platform helping B2B service providers deliver exceptional services powered by AI and human teams. A manufacturing engineer by training and software engineer by passion, Kit has spent over a decade building Enate through three distinct phases, from bespoke services to a focused product for BPO providers, and now to a full-scale platform supporting service delivery in the age of generative AI.Under his leadership, Enate has grown to approximately 100 people across the UK and India, achieving 40% year-on-year growth and reaching profitability in 2023. The company secured investment from Scottish Equity Partners in 2023 and now serves some of the world's largest service providers with a laser-focused account-based approach targeting just 100 key companies.Kit is known for his commitment to culture-first leadership, his belief that successful customer relationships require radical honesty, and his conviction that it takes "a thousand different types of clever" to build a successful company, most of which aren't tested in traditional education. He champions curiosity as a hiring requirement and structures his company to act as one unified team across geographies, with India serving as a profit centre rather than just a cost-reduction play.Sign up to receive our weekly Curious Leadership newsletter:https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.comFollow Dominic on LinkedIn:https://linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouseChapters:00:00 Introduction01:42 The three lives of the business and early AI pivot 05:12 Five contrarian truths Kit believes about business and tech 07:56 Enate’s scale, global team breakdown and revenue growth 12:10 Why culture is a founder’s most vital responsibility 14:02 How values are taught, lived and kept alive at Enate 19:15 Brutal honesty as the foundation of long-term clients 22:05 How honesty leads to transformation and customer trust 26:16 Drama skills, sales success and the many types of clever 30:00 Hiring for values over credentials and traditional education 33:58 Why lawyers and IT departments are headed for extinction 37:44 The shift from IT-managed apps to integrated business tech 39:16 Scaling via customer success and embedded partnerships 42:36 Sales strategy, ABM focus and long buying cycles 44:46 Hiring systems, culture fit, and essential interview questions 49:04 Where Kit learns: podcasts, YouTube and curiosity sources