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Bulletproof Entrepreneur

Bulletproof Entrepreneur

By: Alan Smith
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A podcast for entrepreneurs – reverse engineering the formula for successful scale, sale and exit. Inspired conversations with world-class entrepreneurs and the specialists who support them.© 2023 Bulletproof Entrepreneur Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Finance
Episodes
  • #87 He arrived in the UK with £500 and sold his company to one of word's biggest banks - Anton Padmasiri
    May 1 2026

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    Anton arrived in the UK with £500 in his pocket. Years later, he founded WealthOS. He recently sold it to one of the world's largest banks.

    In this episode, Alan sits down with the founder of WealthOS to talk through what the journey from arrival to acquisition actually looked like.

    We hear about the door-knocking days in suburban Surrey, and the decision to leave a senior corporate role with two children in private school and a mortgage to cover. He shares the framework he used to pick a co-founder, and why the person who scored highest was not who anyone expected.

    We get into the angel rounds, the strategic investment from Barclays, and the Liz Truss-era fundraising window that nearly ended the company.

    There is the November when the bank account was down to four figures and payroll was three weeks away. The conversation he had with his wife about pulling the kids out of school. And the call from JP Morgan that came when an exit was not on his mind.

    He also shares the principle his former chair gave him about how good businesses get acquired, and his answer to what wealth actually means after you have built and sold one.

    Links:

    Wealth OS: https://www.wealthos.cloud/

    Anton's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonpadmasiri/


    Books:

    "Dreams From My Father" by Barack Obama - https://amzn.eu/d/074kFId1

    "Range" by David Epstein - https://amzn.eu/d/0iBX3kyj

    "Build" by Tony Fadell - https://amzn.eu/d/06ueeONi


    Podcasts:

    "Invest Like The Best" by Patrick O'Shaughnessy - https://pod.link/1154105909


    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

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    1 hr and 7 mins
  • #86 Darya Simanovich — I Arrived in London with £300 and Built 15 Businesses. Here’s What Actually Worked.
    Apr 16 2026

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    Darya Simanovich arrived in London 20 years ago with £300, no contacts, and barely any English. Today she runs two businesses, holds a full-time role supporting small business owners across London, mentors 400 founders a year, and has just published her first book.

    In this episode, Daria breaks down what 15 businesses across completely different industries actually taught her about failure, timing, and the kind of resilience nobody calls resilience to your face. She also shares the frameworks she gives every founder she meets, including one with a 72-hour deadline that she says determines whether anything actually gets done.

    If you have ever wondered whether the entrepreneurship path is for you, or you are already on it and wondering what separates the ones who make it, this is the conversation.

    Darya's book: https://amzn.eu/d/0j0KvWsr

    Links to other recommended resources:

    The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

    Atomic Habits

    The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life

    The Psychology of Money: Timeless lessons on wealth, greed, and happiness



    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • #85 The Music Entrepreneur Who Sold Out To Stay In - Ian Grenfell of Quietus
    Apr 2 2026

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    Ian has spent 45 years in the music industry, managing Simply Red, Simple Minds, The Pretenders, and Suede. He started at 17 with a boot full of vinyl and a two-litre Cortina, driving 1,200 miles a week as a sales rep.

    He went on to oversee the biggest self-released album in history - Simply Red's Home, which outsold most Taylor Swift records and still holds the record today!

    But Ian's story isn't just about music.

    It's about what happens when a founder tries to exit a business built entirely on relationships, trust, and instinct. After a bruising experience selling 50% to Live Nation and rejecting a buyout offer before his plane left the runway at Heathrow, Ian found a route almost nobody in his world had heard of - and it changed everything.

    This is a conversation about sliding doors moments, creative courage, knowing when enough is enough, and an exit strategy that let him cash out, stay involved, and reward every person who helped him build it.




    This podcast is produced by Tribunista

    Sponsored by Capital Asset Management

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
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