What if you could validate your startup idea before wasting months (or years) building the wrong thing?

Aaron Solomon, founder of Ambl, shares the real story behind building a startup from the ground up - including failure, lost savings, and the hard lessons that led to raising £4.3M and scaling internationally.

In this episode:
• How to test a business idea in the real world
• Why most founders overbuild (and how to avoid it)
• The power of customer conversations
• Turning a “feature” into a scalable product
• Expanding into new markets like Dubai

A must-listen for founders, operators, and anyone building something from scratch.

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Comparison is one of the fastest ways to lose momentum as a founder.

In this Post Bag episode, we unpack why it happens, why it’s misleading, and how to stay focused on your own path.

From the “swimming” analogy to the reality behind LinkedIn success, this is a practical conversation on cutting through noise and building with clarity.

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Jenna Ackerley, founder of Events Under Canvas, built a business delivering 400 weddings a year - without cutting corners.

In this episode, she breaks down how integrity and authenticity shaped her decisions, from early growth to navigating COVID, and eventually stepping back from the day-to-day.

We cover:

• Building trust as a growth engine
• Making harder (but better) decisions
• Founder identity beyond the business
• Why doing the “right thing” actually compounds

A grounded conversation on building something that works, on paper and in real life.

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“I’ve exited… what now?”

It sounds simple. It’s not.

In this Post Bag episode, James Johnson and Freddie Birley unpack what really happens after the deal is done - and why many founders feel something they didn’t expect.

This isn’t about tactics.
It’s about what comes after the thing you thought you wanted.

Inside:
👉 Why the post-exit phase can feel strangely unclear
👉 The trap founders fall into next
👉 A different way to approach what’s coming

There’s one idea in this episode that changes how you think about the entire journey.

Submit your questions: hello@peer-effect.com

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Agata Krawiec‑Rokita, co-founder and CEO of sun.store, scaled from a €12M GMV forecast to €100M in just 12 months.

Now she’s facing the next challenge: shifting from doing everything herself to building systems that scale.

In this episode, James Johnson and Agata chat about how she decides when to stay hands-on, when to step back, and why scaling is often harder than starting.

We cover:
• The framework she uses to choose where to stay involved
• Why startup planning breaks down during rapid growth
• The mindset shift from year one to scale-up
• The line between being hands-on and micromanaging
• The one question she asks before major initiatives

The hardest part of scaling isn’t hiring great people. It’s letting go while the stakes keep rising.

Listen now to hear how she’s navigating the transition.

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Most founders misunderstand what coaching is for.

And it costs them.

In this Post Bag episode, James Johnson and Freddie Birley unpack what coaching actually does - and why the best founders use it differently.

This isn’t about frameworks.
It’s about decision-making, pressure, and telling the truth when it matters.

Listen to the end if you’ve ever asked:
“Is coaching actually worth it?”

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At some point, every founder becomes the bottleneck.

In this episode of Peer Effect, James Johnson speaks with Max Teichert, founder of Track Titan, about the transition from doing everything yourself to building systems that scale.

Max shares his journey from sim racing to launching Track Titan and explains how founders can stay close to product while avoiding burnout and decision overload. This conversation is packed with practical advice for founders navigating growth and stepping into the CEO role.

You will learn:
• The signs you're becoming the founder bottleneck
• When to delegate and when to stay involved
• Building a defensible startup advantage
• Scaling decision-making as your team grows
• Avoiding product complexity traps
• Making time for strategy as a founder
• Moving from founder mindset to CEO leadership

If you're moving from early-stage hustle to structured growth, this episode is for you.

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"How do I not become an asshole?"

Emma sent this to James Johnson and Freddie Birley for Peer Effect Post Bag.

The fact she's asking is already a good sign.

What you'll hear:

Why self-reflection matters but isn't enough. Freddie breaks down the three groups you need around you. Your team is one. But they have limits most founders don't acknowledge.

The power dynamic nobody talks about. You can fire your team. They know it. James explains how far they'll actually push - and why expecting more isn't realistic.

What one team member said that changed everything. "Just tell me if it's non-negotiable. I'd rather not waste both our times trying to convince you when you've already decided." James shares why this matters.

The 360 feedback structure that works. But only if you have a facilitator. James explains why doing this yourself doesn't create safety for honest feedback.

The question that forces honesty. "Bring to mind my most problematic behavior." Freddie shares the full framework and why it works when normal feedback requests don't.

Why power distance kills feedback. As you get more senior, people stop speaking up. You read silence as approval. It's not. They're just calibrated to the hierarchy.

What happens in remote teams. Trust takes a lot to build, not much to break. Remote makes it harder. James and Freddie explain why this compounds the problem.

The reality:

It's hard for founders to get honest feedback on how they're actually experienced.

Your team will only push once, maybe twice. Then they stop. That's not them being not brave. That's just the dynamic.

If you're asking the question "how do I not become an asshole," you're probably not the one at risk.

One action: Listen to the end for what to do today if you want honest feedback.

Submit your questions: hello@peer-effect.com

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