The AI Growth Playbook: Lessons from Piers Linney

AI isn’t a buzzword anymore. It’s an operating system shift that’s already reshaping how we work, sell, and compete. I spoke with Piers Linney, entrepreneur, ex-Dragon, and co-founder of Implement AI, about what business leaders need to know right now to stay relevant.Piers has sat on boards, built companies from scratch, and now helps SMEs navigate the complex and fast-changing AI landscape. He pulls no punches. If you’re still dragging your feet on AI, this episode is a wake-up call.We spoke about where AI is really headed, how SMEs can integrate it practically, and why business owners need to focus on the augmented human, not just automation. He also gets candid about how he's advising his daughters on careers in a world where cognitive labour is under threat.This episode will leave you thinking harder and moving faster about how you adapt. Because if you don’t, your competitors will.Key TakeawaysAI is still in dial-up phase. Most SMEs aren’t ready for what’s coming in the next five years.The real advantage is human + machine. Businesses that augment human capabilities with AI will win.Jobs are shifting. Knowledge work isn’t safe. Creativity, adaptability, and experience are what matter now.There’s no playbook. You need to experiment, test and build your AI roadmap before your competitors do.Advising the next generation. The education system isn’t ready. Parents and leaders need to step in.🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone. 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

Sabrina Stocker is the kind of guest who reminds you what’s possible when you back yourself. From earning a decent living coaching tennis to selling everything she owned and starting again in Egypt, Sabrina shares her very real “Screw It Just Do It” moment. What stood out for me was her clarity around building a life of freedom—financial, time, and location—and her honest reflection on how mindset and lifestyle changes made it all possible. This is one for anyone who's felt the pull to pivot, to try something new, to scale with purpose. You’ll hear practical lessons on lead gen, lifestyle design, and what it really means to create a freedom-first business.Key Takeaways:The mindset shift needed to chase time and location freedom Why she left a safe income to build her dream lifeThe 3 freedoms every entrepreneur should aim forWhy building systems matters more than hustleHow lifestyle changes can fuel business success🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone. 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

What does it take to walk out of school, broke, and build a multimillion-pound business? Simon Squibb did just that. In this bite-sized episode, we rewind to his Screw It Just DO It moment: leaving school with nothing but a survival instinct and turning that into a successful agency.Simon breaks down how he started, what really fuels progress (hint: it’s not luck), and why persistence beats talent every time. If you’re stuck, second-guessing your next step, this short episode will snap you into action.Key Takeaways:Start With What You’ve Got: Simon had no degree, no money and no clue—but he started anywayFear Is Fuel: He learned to lean into fear as a superpower, not something to avoidRedefining Luck: 98% of success is controllable. Luck is built, not foundPersistence Wins: Starting, quitting, then starting again is still forward momentumPurpose Beats Profit: Chasing money never fulfilled him. Purpose did🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone. 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

Ever thought about how one freezing-cold moment could change your entire career? That’s exactly what happened to Laura Fullerton. In this bite-sized episode, we dive into how Laura went from avoiding cold water like the plague to launching Monk - a smart ice bath company that’s gained backing from the likes of Anthony Joshua and James Watt.She didn’t just build a product. She created a movement in cold water therapy. We talk about making the jump from concept to physical product, navigating hardware challenges, and why clarity of vision is essential when scaling a brand. There’s plenty to take away whether you’re still at the ideas stage or actively scaling your business.Key Takeaways:Why personal pain points are the best business ideasBuilding a hardware product with no prior experienceThe biohacking boom and how Monk integrates wearable dataHow networking and clarity of purpose accelerated her funding and partnerships🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way.🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8-9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes. Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies - exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It! #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

This week on Screw It Just DO It, I’m joined by Mark Rushmore, co-founder of SURI – Sustainable Rituals, the startup shaking up the electric toothbrush market by doing things differently.After a successful corporate career at Proctor and Gamble and Kellogg, Mark made the bold move to co-create a product that challenges fast-consumption culture with sustainability, smart design, and an obsession with customer experience. In this episode, Mark chats about what the startup grind is really like, from working with difficult suppliers, tackling complex product design, and getting things wrong before getting them right.We also talk about co-founder dynamics, building loyal communities, and why he believes values should be codified early on in any business. If you're building a purpose-driven consumer brand or looking to understand what it takes to go from idea to impact – this is the conversation you need.Key takeaways:Why product innovation starts with questioning the status quoHow to find (and keep) the right co-founderWhat it really takes to manufacture sustainablyHow customer loyalty drives lasting growthThe future of consumer brands built with purpose🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8-9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone. 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

If you’ve ever found yourself questioning whether there’s more to life than your 9-to-5, you need to hear this. In this bite-sized episode, I’m joined by the inspiring Victoria Azubuike, founder of The Us Group & She Who, who left behind a steady corporate career to build a mission-led business that’s now worked with over 3,000 young women across the UK. From building confidence to confronting imposter syndrome, this is a real, honest chat about doing the inner work, trusting your gut, and choosing purpose. This is the moment she decided to screw it – and just do it.Key Takeaways:Why feeling unfulfilled at work can be the start of something powerfulHow to prepare for the leap into entrepreneurshipThe mindset shift needed to turn fear into actionWhy mentorship and role models matter more than everBuilding a business that speaks to Gen Z values: diversity, inclusion, impact🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone. 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

This week’s Bite-sized Screw It Just DO It episode It delivers something every entrepreneur needs – a simple, effective way to validate an idea before you pour your savings into it.Daniel Priestley doesn’t believe in waiting around. He’s built multi-million-pound businesses by running lean, fast, and smart. In this tactical breakdown, Daniel shows you how to launch without launching using one of his go-to strategies: the “waiting list” method. Whether you’re a first-time founder or someone thinking about pivoting, this approach will save you time, money, and possibly heartbreak.You’ll learn how to:Build a pre-launch landing page in under a dayGather demand through email sign-upsRun market experiments using scorecardsAvoid the “perfect product” trapAnd, most importantly, start now—not later🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone. 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

What makes someone drop out of university after just one lecture, with no funding or formal plan, and go on to build a multi-million-pound marketing agency? That’s the question I posed to Steven Bartlett - founder of Social Chain and one of the UK’s most inspiring modern entrepreneurs. In this bite-sized episode of Screw It Just Do It, Steven breaks down the mindset shift that helped him scale a Twitter page into a global agency working with Apple, McDonald’s, and the BBC. It’s raw, it’s real, and it proves that sometimes your biggest leap comes when you stop planning and just start.Key Takeaways:Why Steven dropped out of university after one lectureHow spotting real problems creates real businessesBuilding a startup from a social media accountWhy personal branding and sales skills matter early onThe power of resilience and thinking differently🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8–9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone. 👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

This week on Screw It Just Do It, I sit down with one of the most recognisable names in ethical entrepreneurship – Rowena Bird, co-founder of Lush.From humble beginnings to running a cosmetics empire in 53 countries, Rowena’s journey is as raw and real as the ingredients in her products. But it wasn’t always bath bombs and billion-pound valuations. Before Lush came the painful collapse of their first business, Cosmetics to Go. They lost everything. And it was in the ashes of that failure that the true “screw it, just do it” moment was born.We talk about the value of growing organically, keeping control of your company, resisting investor temptation, and why they never compromised on ethics, even if it meant growing slower. If you’ve ever wondered how to scale a business with integrity, or what it takes to bounce back from losing it all - this episode is essential listening.Key Takeaways:How Lush was born from the ashes of a failed businessWhy Rowena used her credit card to relaunch instead of chasing investorsThe secrets behind building an iconic brand without compromising on ethicsWhat "growth with control" really looks like in practiceWhy creating a business people want to be part of is more important than rapid scalingHow Lush gave over £100 million to grassroots charities while scaling globally🎧 New episodes of Screw It Just DO It drop every Tuesday & Thursday - so makes sure you follow wherever you listen. You’ll hear real conversations with founders who’ve taken a risk, built something from scratch, and figured it out along the way. 🔥 Want to take things further? Join me in person this October at the Festival of Entrepreneurs on the 8-9th October at the NEC in Birmingham. The Festival of Entrepreneurs is where 5-10,000 ambitious founders come together to learn from the people who've actually done it. I'm giving my listeners free 2-day passes.  Real entrepreneurs, real stories, real strategies – exactly like what you're hearing right now, but live and in person. Go to www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk and grab your free pass before they're gone.👉 Follow the show. Turn up in October. Screw It Just DO It!  #ScrewItJustDoIt #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship

After a short break, we’re returning with even more inspiring stories, real lessons from the front lines of entrepreneurship, and honest conversations about what it really takes to build something from scratch.This is just a taste of what’s to come.Because if you’re going to build your dream, you’ve got to stop waiting and start doing.🗓️ Don’t forget to subscribe to the show on your favourite platforms!🎟️ Join us at the Festival of Entrepreneurs – 8–9 Oct, NEC Birmingham👉 www.festivalofentrepreneurs.co.uk#ScrewItJustDOIt #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship #FestivalOfEntrepreneurs #BusinessGrowth #mindsetmatters