Founders, Funding & Fallout

What happens when startup founders fall out?

In this episode, Jon and Steve sit down with three North East business leaders, Tristan Watson (Field Trip Supplies, Ignite Accelerator), Neil Stephenson (Stephenson Capital), and Dave Gibson (Blu Sky), to talk about the highs, lows, and hard truths of growing and selling companies.

From cap tables and paperwork to founder alignment and investor expectations, they explore what really goes on behind the boardroom doors, and how to keep relationships intact when things get tough.

It’s a candid, insightful conversation for anyone building, investing in, or leading a business that’s aiming to scale.

Follow Blu Sky for more conversations at the intersection of business, finance, and real-world growth.

Jon and Steve chat with three founders about the real-world impact of AI on creativity, leadership, and building products:

• Ellie Chapman – Founder, Lim (live visualisation & facilitation)

• Alistair McLeod – Founder, Gray Fox Consulting (fractional CIO/CTO)

• Stephen “Mitch” Mitchell – Founder & CEO, SQCDP.co.uk (factory digitisation)

In this episode:

• How AI is reshaping creative work—without replacing human connection

• Leaders setting guardrails: ethics, transparency, and “AI red lines”

• Using AI to boost productivity (20–30%?) vs. risking sameness and shortcuts

• Hallucinations, fact-checking, and why value should come before tech

• Startups vs. enterprises: who adapts faster?

• Data-driven manufacturing, better meetings, and the premium on human facilitation

Takeaways:

Curiosity beats fear, quality control matters, and the future belongs to teams that blend human judgment with smart automation.

Follow the show for more candid conversations with founders and operators.

#TwoPintsPodcast #AI #Creativity #Leadership #Innovation #NorthEastBusiness

In this episode, Jon and Steve are joined by three North East founders who’ve each taken very different paths to building a business:

💻 Mark Renney – Managing Director, Wubbleyou

🧠 Billy Webber – CEO, XR Therapeutics

⚙️ Jarek Rosinski – Founder, Transmission Dynamics

Together, they share candid stories about the highs, lows, and lessons of entrepreneurship – from turning university spinouts into thriving companies, to weathering setbacks and learning the value of resilience along the way.

We discuss:

• The defining moments that sparked their ventures

• Why resilience is more than just a buzzword

• Surviving setbacks and using them as fuel

• Balancing vision with day-to-day reality

• The advice they’d give their younger founder selves

This episode is an honest reminder that behind every business is a story of risk, resilience, and relentless determination.

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🎧 Two Pints of Lager and a Spreadsheet is Blu Sky’s podcast about the real stuff behind running a business — hosted by co-founders Jon Dudgeon and Steve Robinson.

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🌐 Learn more at blusky.co.uk