Episode 8

Navigating the Highs and Lows: Lessons in Startup Success and Failure

Published on: 31st October, 2023

Entrepreneurial Evolution: Overcoming Business Hurdles and Attaining Startup Triumphs with the Real World Entrepreneurship Podcast.

Welcome aboard to another insightful episode of the Real World Entrepreneurship Podcast with big-league guests Bhairav Patel and Alan Clarke. In every entrepreneurial voyage, navigating the hazardous waters of business failures plays an instrumental part. This episode dives deep into the complexities surrounding these failures, exploring how they mold the entrepreneurial narrative uniquely. Failing to hit the product-market fit right, dwindling cash flow, and team friction are just a few markers on the road to startup success. Remember, even in business endeavours, the old proverb reigns true, failures can indeed morph into the stepping-stones to success.


Exploring the Underbelly of Business Disasters


From the outside, failure might seem like a simple concept, a clear-cut scenario of running out of funds or falling short on product performance. However, the narrative is much more complex and intertwined than what meets the eye. Surprisingly, running out of cash rarely has an explicit warning siren, often popping up unexpectedly due to the blend of unseen expenses, lack of oversight, or other business hindrances siphoning off the funds. The episode elaborates on these notions, detailing the workings behind the manifestations of business failures and how to steer clear of them.

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About the Podcast

Real World Entrepreneurship
Talking the truth to entrepreneurs
In this podcast Alan and Bhairav talk about the real world issues that are faced by entrepreneurs and small business owners

We have both run successful businesses, raised money, grown them globally and now we're giving practical advice to the next generation of entrepreneurs. We don't do platitudes.

We also talk to entrepreneurs from across the world and get them to share their stories and challenges

About your hosts

Alan Clarke

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Strategy and Marketing specialist who helps businesses unblock the blockages that are preventing them reaching their full potential.

I love helping businesses develop strategies and action plans that get them working better and achieving their ambitions.

I excel at tackling thorny problems and difficult tasks, making things happen and achieving business goals.

I have an ability to break through the clutter, identify the nub of the problem and get the business moving forward.

Those working with me feel energised and empowered.

People like my honest, direct approach and my focus on securing meaningful results.

Bhairav Patel

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I've worked in IT for over 20 years starting life as a consultant at PwC and IBM and then moving across the table to becoming the CTO for Norway's largest privately owned e-commerce business.

After growing a number of brands and expanding the business across Europe, I joined a FinTech startup that raised $12M in 2012 and was added to the Forbes FinTech 50 list in 2016.

Following a short spell at an e-commerce business in Bangkok, I started Atom Ventures where we invest in and help small businesses and startups grow their business by providing high quality technology advice and development