The Hidden Telecoms Problem | Simon Miller | #19

Will and Becca welcome George Simm DCM, former Regimental Sergeant Major of 22 SAS, to the Looking For Growth Podcast.George discusses the discipline of SAS selection, leadership under pressure and his experiences in Oman and Northern Ireland, the lawfare dragging soldiers through the courts, and the changes he wants to see via the proposed Military Operations Bill.

Keith is the Founder and CEO of Cassi AI, an AI strategy start-up. He spent eighteen years as an RAF intelligence officer, served in No. 10 as Expert Adviser to the Prime Minister on Science and Technology, and led the Centre for Cognitive Technologies at Fujitsu.In this episode, we cover the state of the global AI race, the problem Cassi AI was built to solve, the social, psychological and systemic incentives that pull decisions off track, and what the UK government can do to foster AI development.

Will and Becca welcome Dr Jonathan Bean and Edward Ebbern to the Looking For Growth Podcast.Jonathan, co-founder and CEO of Materials Nexus (MatNex), is using AI and quantum modelling to discover the critical materials the UK can't afford to run out of.Ed, a former Army officer and co-founder of national-security fund MD One, explains why Britain's procurement is 'fundamentally broken'.In the episode, they cover China's mineral stranglehold, the broken state procurement system, unlocking UK pension capital, and how companies like MatNex could help Britain secure the materials behind everything from generators to semiconductors.

James and Becca welcome James Dunn and Richard White, co-founders of Backpedal, to the Looking For Growth podcast.Backpedal is a private bike and e-bike theft recovery service. Customers pay a subscription, Backpedal fits a tracker, and when a bike is stolen the company dispatches a network of recovery agents.James is an aerospace engineer by background, with a stint in defence and banking. Richard spent two decades in product innovation and consulting in Cambridge.The episode covers: why almost no bike thefts are properly investigated or solved, how Backpedal tracks, finds and reclaims stolen bikes, and why professional recovery succeeds where the current system fails.

James and Becca welcome Stephen Fitzpatrick and Eva Barboni to the LFG Podcast.Stephen is the founder of OVO Energy, as well as Vertical Aerospace and Kaluza, and the Co-Chair of Enterprise Britain.​​Eva has spent 20 years running political and policy campaigns all over the world; she’s the founder of Atalanta and Executive Director of Enterprise Britain.​​In this episode, they discuss their new organisation (Enterprise Britain), the UK's scale-up problem, the investment culture gap between Britain and the US, how to improve talent mobility, and the tough job market for young people.

James and Becca welcome Giacomo Skeate, co-founder of The Pint, a Gen Z-first business and news publication with an impressive social media following. In this episode, they discuss how the "Westminster bubble" is finally waking up to the power of social media, Giacomo's entrepreneurial past, a comparison between Italy and the UK, and why Giacomo remains optimistic about Britain die to its world-class assets, such as its creative industries.

James and Becca welcome Joe Reeve and Shiv Malik to the LFG Podcast.Joe co-founded LFG; now he works full-time at Eleven Labs and on running Forest City.Shiv is a former investigative journalist, tech entrepreneur, and co-author of Jilted Generation: How Britain Bankrupted Its Youth.In this episode, they discuss the housing problem in Britain, why they decided to try to build a new city, and the economic potential Forest City could unlock.

James and Becca welcome Simon Miller, Director of Public Affairs & Regional Affairs, Virgin Media O2 to the LFG Podcast.In this episode, Simon breaks down the hidden infrastructure problem beneath the UK's digital economy, why telecom share prices are lower today despite demand increasing, and why the UK must fix its digital foundations to convert its AI ambitions into reality.

James and Becca welcome Curtis, Rhys and Beavis, the local heroes in Tunstall who are cleaning up their community and sharing videos on Social Media.In this episode, they discuss what motivated them to start cleaning, the growing impact it has had on their local community, and why they are optimisitc about the future.

James and Becca Welcome Lord David Frost to the LFG Podcast. He was the Chief Brexit Negotiator and Europe adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson. He spent most of his career prior to this as a professional British diplomat.In this episode, we cover how British trade deals work, why the Foreign Office fails at negotiating, and how the UK ended up agreeing to follow EU regulations, without a seat at the table.