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Motivational speaker and entrepreneur Chris Winfield struggled for years to make proper use of his time. After countless research, trial and error, facing sustained burnout, and a few bangs of his head against the wall, Chris has discovered that the key to living a permanently productive life is a 25-minute block and a simple timer. A little backstory: Desperate for a way to improve his productivity methods, resist distractions, and free up more of his time, Chris settled on the Pomodoro method. Invented by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980’s, the Pomodoro method maximizes efficiency by blocking out a 25-minute interval of heads-down work, free of interruption (also known as timeboxing), followed by regular breaks. Thanks to this time management technique, Chris cut his work week in half, transformed his career, and—most importantly—balanced his life. What Is The Pomodoro Method? Before diving into Chris’ story of major productivity transformation, here’s a quick video tutorial for timing your tasks with the Pomodoro method and a simple timer: Overcoming The Adversity Of Time Chris admits to being a former workaholic who often clocked 60-hour workweeks back-to-back. Despite the excessive hours he put into co-founding one of his companies, a marketing agency, things didn’t go exactly as planned. Many of Chris’ worst fears came true as an entrepreneur, and in his own words “the company completely imploded.” But the story doesn’t end there; in fact, it’s just the beginning. “Failing at something led me to look at it as an ultimate blessing because I realized I was completely miserable and inefficient,” Chris explains. Chris now cites this failure as one of the best things that ever happened to him, because it motivated him to make transformative changes in how he approaches not just his work, but also his entire life. “Looking back, I was so inefficient,” he admits. “I was spending 80 hours on something but not getting a lot done, because I really just didn’t understand how to work.” A Pomodoro Pact To Productivity So, if you’re in need of a personal productivity overhaul, you’re probably itching to try this method for yourself. Whether you’re a solo freelancer or a team of 100, everyone can make use of this method to help maximize their concentration. Here’s how this technique, pioneered by Francesco Cirillo, works: Choose a few important tasks you’d like to accomplish. Set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes (preferably, a tomato timer). Work on the task until the timer goes off. Take a short break — you earned it! This break should be about five minutes and marks the completion of one “Pomodoro”. Complete your next Pomodoro by repeating steps 1 through 4 in intervals. After every four Pomodoros, take a longer break, preferably one lasting 20 minutes or longer. Fun fact coming in hot: The name Pomodoro is derived from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Francesco Cirillo, the movement’s founder, used while perfecting the technique. Chris started small by resolving to accomplish one Pomodoro session a day. He quickly found that his time management practice was missing a literal timed structure, and incorporating it forced him to focus in a way he wasn’t previously capable of. Chris began gradually increasing his Pomodoro method sessions each day, seeking to optimize his productivity and subsequently help him find more balance in his life. He now has a steadfast commitment with his timer for 40 Pomodoros per week, which equates to 17 hours. He asserts that he gets more done now, in 17 hours, than he ever did when he was regularly pulling 60+ hour work weeks. “When your energy is focused on just one thing, then you become more powerful.” – Chris Winfield Chris uses a Trello board kanban-style to break down big projects into small step-by-step tasks, assigning each as an individual card. Then when he is ready to “Pomodoro” a task, he moves that card over to an “In Progress” list, starts the timer, and goes heads down into ‘focus mode’. The Trello board also gives Chris a visual view of how many Pomodoros he has completed and how many more he has to go until he can take a break and clear his mind. While he uses another app for his Pomodoro timer, the Trello board has greatly helped refine his practice and manage his to-dos. Techniques To Challenge Low Concentration The Pomodoro method doesn’t take much time, but it also doesn’t come stress-free. Eliminating all distractions and dedicating time to one single initiative isn’t easy, and it takes practice. People spend an inordinate amount of time focused on why they don’t want to do something or worrying that the end product won’t be of a certain caliber. Chris realized the only way to get past his mind games was to give up on the finesse and use a timer to just start working. Chris explained: “Give up perfectionism. Just do it anyway. Once you get started actually doing something, you will wind up finishing it. And you’ll typically do a good job. Sometimes the hard part is just getting going, but he stresses that simply getting something down, anything, even if it’s just gibberish, is crucial for your momentum.” One book Chris cites as influential to his philosophy is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It discusses the idea that we tend to talk ourselves out of doing something, despite having the power to fight the resistance inside ourselves. For Chris, he battles his own resistance by staying disciplined with his daily tasks and sticking to a time management structure to get them all done. The Discipline Decision Two of the biggest questions that those seeking an effective time management method is 1) Does the Pomodoro technique truly work for the long haul? And 2) How can you stay disciplined enough to dial into this method? Chris’s advice is simple: ‘Yes, it works. Just start by flossing your teeth.’ No, seriously. Chris is the first to tell you that he didn’t come out guns blazing, tackling 40 Pomodoros per week at the onset of his productivity journey. He didn’t start as a morning person or dedicate himself to grueling work sessions. It started with a simple decision to better his life. For him, this began with a decision to floss his teeth regularly. “I timed it: it took me 53 seconds to floss my teeth. And I said to myself, “If I can’t spare 53 seconds to do something, then what hope is there that I can accomplish bigger things?’” Chris realized that it was all about flexing his habit muscle and building upon it. Now, he boasts 40 Pomodoro sessions a week, exercises regularly, spends ample time with his wife and daughter, and has more free time at the end of the day. Oh, and he flosses regularly. A special thank you to Chris Winfield for sharing his tips and advice. Read more about his journey to working less and accomplishing more here. The post How to use the Pomodoro method for a permanently productive life appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Motivational speaker and entrepreneur Chris Winfield struggled for years to make proper use of his time. After countless research, trial and error, facing sustained burnout, and a few bangs of his head against the wall, Chris has discovered that the key to living a permanently productive life is a 25-minute block and a simple timer. A little backstory: Desperate for a way to improve his productivity methods, resist distractions, and free up more of his time, Chris settled on the Pomodoro method. Invented by Francesco Cirillo in the 1980’s, the Pomodoro method maximizes efficiency by blocking out a 25-minute interval of heads-down work, free of interruption (also known as timeboxing), followed by regular breaks. Thanks to this time management technique, Chris cut his work week in half, transformed his career, and—most importantly—balanced his life. What Is The Pomodoro Method? Before diving into Chris’ story of major productivity transformation, here’s a quick video tutorial for timing your tasks with the Pomodoro method and a simple timer: Overcoming The Adversity Of Time Chris admits to being a former workaholic who often clocked 60-hour workweeks back-to-back. Despite the excessive hours he put into co-founding one of his companies, a marketing agency, things didn’t go exactly as planned. Many of Chris’ worst fears came true as an entrepreneur, and in his own words “the company completely imploded.” But the story doesn’t end there; in fact, it’s just the beginning. “Failing at something led me to look at it as an ultimate blessing because I realized I was completely miserable and inefficient,” Chris explains. Chris now cites this failure as one of the best things that ever happened to him, because it motivated him to make transformative changes in how he approaches not just his work, but also his entire life. “Looking back, I was so inefficient,” he admits. “I was spending 80 hours on something but not getting a lot done, because I really just didn’t understand how to work.” A Pomodoro Pact To Productivity So, if you’re in need of a personal productivity overhaul, you’re probably itching to try this method for yourself. Whether you’re a solo freelancer or a team of 100, everyone can make use of this method to help maximize their concentration. Here’s how this technique, pioneered by Francesco Cirillo, works: Choose a few important tasks you’d like to accomplish. Set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes (preferably, a tomato timer). Work on the task until the timer goes off. Take a short break — you earned it! This break should be about five minutes and marks the completion of one “Pomodoro”. Complete your next Pomodoro by repeating steps 1 through 4 in intervals. After every four Pomodoros, take a longer break, preferably one lasting 20 minutes or longer. Fun fact coming in hot: The name Pomodoro is derived from the tomato-shaped kitchen timer that Francesco Cirillo, the movement’s founder, used while perfecting the technique. Chris started small by resolving to accomplish one Pomodoro session a day. He quickly found that his time management practice was missing a literal timed structure, and incorporating it forced him to focus in a way he wasn’t previously capable of. Chris began gradually increasing his Pomodoro method sessions each day, seeking to optimize his productivity and subsequently help him find more balance in his life. He now has a steadfast commitment with his timer for 40 Pomodoros per week, which equates to 17 hours. He asserts that he gets more done now, in 17 hours, than he ever did when he was regularly pulling 60+ hour work weeks. “When your energy is focused on just one thing, then you become more powerful.” – Chris Winfield Chris uses a Trello board kanban-style to break down big projects into small step-by-step tasks, assigning each as an individual card. Then when he is ready to “Pomodoro” a task, he moves that card over to an “In Progress” list, starts the timer, and goes heads down into ‘focus mode’. The Trello board also gives Chris a visual view of how many Pomodoros he has completed and how many more he has to go until he can take a break and clear his mind. While he uses another app for his Pomodoro timer, the Trello board has greatly helped refine his practice and manage his to-dos. Techniques To Challenge Low Concentration The Pomodoro method doesn’t take much time, but it also doesn’t come stress-free. Eliminating all distractions and dedicating time to one single initiative isn’t easy, and it takes practice. People spend an inordinate amount of time focused on why they don’t want to do something or worrying that the end product won’t be of a certain caliber. Chris realized the only way to get past his mind games was to give up on the finesse and use a timer to just start working. Chris explained: “Give up perfectionism. Just do it anyway. Once you get started actually doing something, you will wind up finishing it. And you’ll typically do a good job. Sometimes the hard part is just getting going, but he stresses that simply getting something down, anything, even if it’s just gibberish, is crucial for your momentum.” One book Chris cites as influential to his philosophy is The War of Art by Steven Pressfield. It discusses the idea that we tend to talk ourselves out of doing something, despite having the power to fight the resistance inside ourselves. For Chris, he battles his own resistance by staying disciplined with his daily tasks and sticking to a time management structure to get them all done. The Discipline Decision Two of the biggest questions that those seeking an effective time management method is 1) Does the Pomodoro technique truly work for the long haul? And 2) How can you stay disciplined enough to dial into this method? Chris’s advice is simple: ‘Yes, it works. Just start by flossing your teeth.’ No, seriously. Chris is the first to tell you that he didn’t come out guns blazing, tackling 40 Pomodoros per week at the onset of his productivity journey. He didn’t start as a morning person or dedicate himself to grueling work sessions. It started with a simple decision to better his life. For him, this began with a decision to floss his teeth regularly. “I timed it: it took me 53 seconds to floss my teeth. And I said to myself, “If I can’t spare 53 seconds to do something, then what hope is there that I can accomplish bigger things?’” Chris realized that it was all about flexing his habit muscle and building upon it. Now, he boasts 40 Pomodoro sessions a week, exercises regularly, spends ample time with his wife and daughter, and has more free time at the end of the day. Oh, and he flosses regularly. A special thank you to Chris Winfield for sharing his tips and advice. Read more about his journey to working less and accomplishing more here. The post How to use the Pomodoro method for a permanently productive life appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Did you know that when you first wake up in the morning, your brain is physically bigger than it will be when you go to sleep? It’s because our brains are the most hydrated after a period of rest. According to authors Dr. Robert Carter and Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter in their book, The Morning Mind, the best performing brain is a hydrated brain. So here’s the conundrum: If humans already have an inherent biological advantage to being morning people, why is it so (so, so, so) hard for so many of us to be chipper and productive at the crack of dawn? One way to channel your inner early riser is to mimic the habits of successful morning people: have a routine, meditate, exercise before work. But how do those habits get formed in the first place? They originate in that happy, hydrated, “morning” brain. Let’s take a look at how these early risers think and process their world—with enough science (and coffee), we might just unlock the mysteries of their productivity. Good Morning, What’s Your Chronotype? Personality psychologists have dubbed the difference between our early-to-rise or late-to-bed tendencies as “morningness” and “eveningness.” These two poles point to a person’s circadian preferences, or chronotype. Our chronotype is, in essence, how we prefer to organize our day for peak performance and rest periods based on underlying rhythms in our bodies built by biology (nature) and life circumstances (nurture). We might be a morning lark, a night owl, or a bird somewhere in between. As it turns out, our tendency for morningness or eveningness can affect our personality and behavior. A 2017 study published by CUNY psychologist Anastasiya Lipnevich et al. in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology combined the findings of samples totalling over 16,000 individuals to look at these two concepts in comparison with the Big Five model of personality traits: Conscientiousness; or, sense of duty Extraversion; or, receptiveness to social experiences Neuroticism; or, sensitivity to problems and threats Agreeableness; or, the desire to be friendly towards others Openness; or, enjoyment of new experiences Rather than being a part of these core five personality traits, morningness and eveningness are distinct concepts that affect how our personalities exhibit themselves. For example, the study found that conscientiousness is most strongly linked to morningness tendencies, while extraversion and openness are more strongly connected to eveningness. Want to know where you fall on the spectrum? Take a quiz! The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), developed by researchers James A. Horne and Olov Ostberg in 1976, gives you insight into your “circadian rhythm type.” The questions determine a score ranging from 16-86, placing you on a spectrum from full-on night owl to extreme early bird. If you’d rather know your type, try this Chronotype Quiz from Atlassian that will help you optimize your chronotype for your workday. But only rarely do people fall squarely into either camp. Lipnevich told The Cut that as many as 80% of people fall somewhere in between. Scores between 42-58 indicate “intermediate” types of tendencies, which means you can lean towards either time of day, depending on motivation, required tasks, and energy levels. You’ll also waffle between the two poles as you age, being geared more towards eveningness in your twenties, and morningness in your fifties. Cracking The Morning Chronotype Code The role of chronotype on our behaviors and tendencies has been studied in various forms across the past few decades, and—to no surprise—different studies show different results. What is clear is that there is a significant biological factor that plays into chronotypes. Roughly explained, from your brain to your gut, you have various internal clocks that send out alarms throughout the day. These alarms don’t go off at the same time for everyone. Your body’s rhythms are personalized to your DNA and may or may not fit within society’s general structure of a 9-5 workday—creating problems for you (and maybe your boss) if you’re not naturally a morning person. All is not lost for night owls, however. If your life simply doesn’t permit you to build your own circadian-perfect schedule into the wee hours, there are some behavioral tendencies that morning people emit that you can build into productive habits—no matter your chronotype. 1. Staying consistent with what’s important Results from a large 2010 study in the European Journal of Personality showed that conscientiousness (remember that sense of duty thing?) is the Big Five personality trait most directly linked to morningness. Conscientious people are responsible, organized, hard-working, reliable, and able to control impulses to stay on track towards their goals. It’s a key factor for success, but often hard to master. If trying to mimic morning habits themselves feels difficult, maybe unearthing your sense of duty towards your most important goals might help. Waking up at 6 a.m. every day to workout might feel torturous on the surface, but thinking about your dedication to your health so you can feel energized to work on your passion project after you leave the office might give you the motivation to show up day after day. 2. Proactively tackling your tasks A 2009 study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology found that morning people were more proactive than night people. However, the researchers also found that folks with small differences between their workdays and free days were more proactive. So going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday (regardless of when that is) has the potential to help you take on tasks with less procrastination. You can also try “eating the frog,” another proven proactive technique—by tackling your top task first so that, no matter when you start on your deep work, you’ll be primed to accomplish your most important goal. 3. Aim to feel like you’re working at your best This is a trickier one because happiness can be a loaded concept, but researchers Biss and Hasher reported in 2012 that, in their studies, morning people reported higher levels of positive feelings and well-being than those who scored lower on morningness. When you feel happier, you perform better. A Fast Company article makes an excellent point that this finding may have something to do with the fact that our society often rewards people who perform well during the day, so evening types trying to conform to “strong daytime expectations” might struggle more, and be less happier as a result. The fact is, we all feel our best when we can work at our best. How can you build a happier rhythm into your work? The answer might lie in getting to know the hours during which you’re really dialed in. Finding Your Ideal Time For ‘Productivityness’ Being a productive person isn’t just about the hour at which you set your alarm. Learning about your chronotype tendencies then scheduling your day to best suit your behavior, is the optimal way to be at your productivity peak. You might still have to conform to a set daytime schedule, but how you organize your hours in the day will help you channel more of your inner morning person. Look at your ideal day and week planning, and see what you can move around to be really effective. You can start with small steps to build your schedule around your most productive hours: Open up a conversation with your team about schedules. Does every team meeting need to start at 8am? Switching things up might stop people from spacing out. If you’re in charge of an important meeting, try to schedule it in the afternoon, or when you feel at your best for collaboration and interaction. Plan to do your shallow work (tasks that don’t require full concentration) first thing. Block out your best two productive hours to tackle your biggest daily task, so that you don’t waste that time doing things you can do when you’re less alert. Why is there so much admiration for morning people? It’s not because they can wake up early with a smile. They attract a lot of praise because they’re able to stay committed to their goals, succeed consistently over time, and seemingly stay energized and upbeat along the way. So get inspired by their big outcomes, not their small habits. Taking a proactive approach to prioritizing what’s most important and making the most of your time—so you can accomplish more and feel good about your efforts—is, after all, the morning person way! Next: 7 True Stories Of People Building Incredibly Productive Morning Routines The post How to act like a morning person (even if you’re not one) appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Did you know that when you first wake up in the morning, your brain is physically bigger than it will be when you go to sleep? It’s because our brains are the most hydrated after a period of rest. According to authors Dr. Robert Carter and Dr. Kirti Salwe Carter in their book, The Morning Mind, the best performing brain is a hydrated brain. So here’s the conundrum: If humans already have an inherent biological advantage to being morning people, why is it so (so, so, so) hard for so many of us to be chipper and productive at the crack of dawn? One way to channel your inner early riser is to mimic the habits of successful morning people: have a routine, meditate, exercise before work. But how do those habits get formed in the first place? They originate in that happy, hydrated, “morning” brain. Let’s take a look at how these early risers think and process their world—with enough science (and coffee), we might just unlock the mysteries of their productivity. Good Morning, What’s Your Chronotype? Personality psychologists have dubbed the difference between our early-to-rise or late-to-bed tendencies as “morningness” and “eveningness.” These two poles point to a person’s circadian preferences, or chronotype. Our chronotype is, in essence, how we prefer to organize our day for peak performance and rest periods based on underlying rhythms in our bodies built by biology (nature) and life circumstances (nurture). We might be a morning lark, a night owl, or a bird somewhere in between. As it turns out, our tendency for morningness or eveningness can affect our personality and behavior. A 2017 study published by CUNY psychologist Anastasiya Lipnevich et al. in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology combined the findings of samples totalling over 16,000 individuals to look at these two concepts in comparison with the Big Five model of personality traits: Conscientiousness; or, sense of duty Extraversion; or, receptiveness to social experiences Neuroticism; or, sensitivity to problems and threats Agreeableness; or, the desire to be friendly towards others Openness; or, enjoyment of new experiences Rather than being a part of these core five personality traits, morningness and eveningness are distinct concepts that affect how our personalities exhibit themselves. For example, the study found that conscientiousness is most strongly linked to morningness tendencies, while extraversion and openness are more strongly connected to eveningness. Want to know where you fall on the spectrum? Take a quiz! The Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), developed by researchers James A. Horne and Olov Ostberg in 1976, gives you insight into your “circadian rhythm type.” The questions determine a score ranging from 16-86, placing you on a spectrum from full-on night owl to extreme early bird. If you’d rather know your type, try this Chronotype Quiz from Atlassian that will help you optimize your chronotype for your workday. But only rarely do people fall squarely into either camp. Lipnevich told The Cut that as many as 80% of people fall somewhere in between. Scores between 42-58 indicate “intermediate” types of tendencies, which means you can lean towards either time of day, depending on motivation, required tasks, and energy levels. You’ll also waffle between the two poles as you age, being geared more towards eveningness in your twenties, and morningness in your fifties. Cracking The Morning Chronotype Code The role of chronotype on our behaviors and tendencies has been studied in various forms across the past few decades, and—to no surprise—different studies show different results. What is clear is that there is a significant biological factor that plays into chronotypes. Roughly explained, from your brain to your gut, you have various internal clocks that send out alarms throughout the day. These alarms don’t go off at the same time for everyone. Your body’s rhythms are personalized to your DNA and may or may not fit within society’s general structure of a 9-5 workday—creating problems for you (and maybe your boss) if you’re not naturally a morning person. All is not lost for night owls, however. If your life simply doesn’t permit you to build your own circadian-perfect schedule into the wee hours, there are some behavioral tendencies that morning people emit that you can build into productive habits—no matter your chronotype. 1. Staying consistent with what’s important Results from a large 2010 study in the European Journal of Personality showed that conscientiousness (remember that sense of duty thing?) is the Big Five personality trait most directly linked to morningness. Conscientious people are responsible, organized, hard-working, reliable, and able to control impulses to stay on track towards their goals. It’s a key factor for success, but often hard to master. If trying to mimic morning habits themselves feels difficult, maybe unearthing your sense of duty towards your most important goals might help. Waking up at 6 a.m. every day to workout might feel torturous on the surface, but thinking about your dedication to your health so you can feel energized to work on your passion project after you leave the office might give you the motivation to show up day after day. 2. Proactively tackling your tasks A 2009 study published in the Journal of Applied Social Psychology found that morning people were more proactive than night people. However, the researchers also found that folks with small differences between their workdays and free days were more proactive. So going to bed and getting up at the same time everyday (regardless of when that is) has the potential to help you take on tasks with less procrastination. You can also try “eating the frog,” another proven proactive technique—by tackling your top task first so that, no matter when you start on your deep work, you’ll be primed to accomplish your most important goal. 3. Aim to feel like you’re working at your best This is a trickier one because happiness can be a loaded concept, but researchers Biss and Hasher reported in 2012 that, in their studies, morning people reported higher levels of positive feelings and well-being than those who scored lower on morningness. When you feel happier, you perform better. A Fast Company article makes an excellent point that this finding may have something to do with the fact that our society often rewards people who perform well during the day, so evening types trying to conform to “strong daytime expectations” might struggle more, and be less happier as a result. The fact is, we all feel our best when we can work at our best. How can you build a happier rhythm into your work? The answer might lie in getting to know the hours during which you’re really dialed in. Finding Your Ideal Time For ‘Productivityness’ Being a productive person isn’t just about the hour at which you set your alarm. Learning about your chronotype tendencies then scheduling your day to best suit your behavior, is the optimal way to be at your productivity peak. You might still have to conform to a set daytime schedule, but how you organize your hours in the day will help you channel more of your inner morning person. Look at your ideal day and week planning, and see what you can move around to be really effective. You can start with small steps to build your schedule around your most productive hours: Open up a conversation with your team about schedules. Does every team meeting need to start at 8am? Switching things up might stop people from spacing out. If you’re in charge of an important meeting, try to schedule it in the afternoon, or when you feel at your best for collaboration and interaction. Plan to do your shallow work (tasks that don’t require full concentration) first thing. Block out your best two productive hours to tackle your biggest daily task, so that you don’t waste that time doing things you can do when you’re less alert. Why is there so much admiration for morning people? It’s not because they can wake up early with a smile. They attract a lot of praise because they’re able to stay committed to their goals, succeed consistently over time, and seemingly stay energized and upbeat along the way. So get inspired by their big outcomes, not their small habits. Taking a proactive approach to prioritizing what’s most important and making the most of your time—so you can accomplish more and feel good about your efforts—is, after all, the morning person way! Next: 7 True Stories Of People Building Incredibly Productive Morning Routines The post How to act like a morning person (even if you’re not one) appeared first on Work Life by Atlassian. View the full article

Explore construction project management, including the project lifecycle, roles involved, and tools used to support different construction workflows. The post Construction Project Management: Processes, Roles, & Tools Explained appeared first on project-management.com. View the full article

Alex Klein tells Jonathan Moules about his ambition to transform attitudes to computing with his kit to help people of all ages make their own and write the programmes to go with them. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Geoff Watts and Julia Fowler co-founded EDITED, an innovative tech company that brings data analysis to the retail industry, nearly a decade ago. They tell Jonathan Moules that the toughest problem they've faced was when they hired someone who wasn't a team player. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Twenty years ago, Chetan Dube left the world of academia, at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, to pursue a career in business. He tells Jonathan Moules what inspired the move. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Michelle You, co-founder of the music ticketing and concert discovery platform Songkick, tells Jonathan Moules about the fun of creating a business, and the sense of failure she felt after the company was acquired by Time Warner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

When Peter Mühlmann’s mum had some bad experiences making her first purchases online in 2007, he decided there must be a way to guide consumers to businesses they could trust. The result was Trustpilot. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Sarah Murray’s mobile alarm and tracking technology company faced an early setback when a government contract she’d been pinning her hopes on fell through. She tells Jonathan Moules how she dealt with the disappointment and bounced back. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Marcin Kleczynski’s interest in computer software was sparked at the age of 14 when a battle to remove a virus from his home computer brought him into contact with the world of cyber geeks. He teamed up with some of them to provide a free service, later turning their ‘freemium’ model into a lucrative global business, Malwarebytes. Picture credit: Alpana Aras Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Julie Deane set up the Cambridge Satchel Company as a way of financing her children's education, but its rapid success attracted outside investors and the venture took a direction that made her feel uncomfortable. She tells Jonathan Moules how she regained her confidence and took back control. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

If you are trying to fill a gap in the market and a very conservative industry tells you it can’t be done, then go for it because there is “massive opportunity and the sky’s the limit”, iZettle’s Jacob de Geer tells Jonathan Moules Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Dale Murray co-founded Omega Logic, which provided an electronic solution for mobile phone top-ups just as mobile phone use in the UK was becoming widespread. Timing played a big role in the success of the company, but it was ultimately her networking skills that saved the business Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

We’re back. Start-up Stories is returning with a new set of entrepreneurs sharing their insights about the joys and challenges of starting a business. So look out for our first episode in series five - from Monday June 4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Philipp Bock set out to solve one of the biggest problems faced by consumer businesses in Latin America - the lack of a localised cross border payments infrastructure. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Glenn Keys and Andrew Walker were childhood friends who'd both served in the army and run businesses. Eventually they found a way to pool their resources, creating a company that provides tailored healthcare solutions in 12 countries from the UK to Africa, East Timor and Iraq. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Jeff Raider has helped pioneer a high quality, low cost model for selling consumer products like glasses and razors online. He tells Jonathan Moules how he did it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

A crowded train journey home after a Chicago baseball game provided the inspiration for Katie Hill-Gottesman's Commuter Ads business, as she tells Jonathan Moules Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Bernard Liautaud's startup was the first French company to go public in the US back in the 1990s. He describes how he steered the company from idea to exit and now advises other European companies hoping to take the same route. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Slack co-founder Cal Henderson and his collaborator Stewart Butterfield started out with the aim of creating a successful video game but ended up doing something completely different. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Emily Brooke wanted to help solve the worst problem faced by urban cyclists - safety. She tells Jonathan Moules how she went about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Will Dean tells Jonathan Moules how a legal challenge acted as a catalyst for the growth of his extreme sports business Tough Mudder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article

Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh imagined a product for fixing things that would help end the global throw-away culture. She tells Jonathan Moules how she turned her idea from a fun concept into a reality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. View the full article