What happens when the market for your technology disappears before you finish developing it? Adrian Pugsley faced exactly this challenge when solar water heating was overtaken by photovoltaics, leaving his PhD research without a clear application.

In this episode, Adrian shares how he pivoted thermal diode technology into switchable insulation, a solution to the growing crisis of overheating in modern buildings. He discusses the reality of spinning out from Ulster University, navigating IP negotiations, and the catch-22 of raising investment for deep tech: investors want trials on real buildings, but trials need investment.

An honest conversation about the funding gap that deep tech founders face, and what keeps a founder going when the runway is running out.

What if you could build a space company without venture capital? Sara Alao is proving it is possible. Her company, Stars Edge, is developing satellites that can fly lower than anyone has flown before, delivering better connectivity and resolution for everything from disaster relief to financial services.

In this episode, Sara shares her unconventional path from aerospace engineering to acting to mental health work, and how each experience taught her something essential about understanding people. She explains why she chose to do a PhD as a safety net while building the company, how she assembled a volunteer team aligned with her vision, and why she has learned to stop waiting around for investors.

Brilliant founders are building the future everywhere, not just in America. Real founders. Real constraints. Real strategies from entrepreneurs building world-changing companies across the globe.

The Founders Playbook is a podcast for entrepreneurs building companies outside the American tech bubble. Host Neil Marshall, Development Director at ChangeSchool London, brings you hard-won lessons from technology and engineering founders across the UK, Finland, Spain, Brazil, India, Syria, and beyond.

Forget the glitzy unicorn stories. This is about real entrepreneurship in capital-constrained environments: bootstrapping, protecting IP, building physical products, and scaling without millions in VC funding.

In this introductory episode, Neil sets the stage for a series featuring founders who've built £800K companies on £50K budgets, launched satellites, trained elite athletes, and created technologies saving healthcare systems billions, all from outside the Silicon Valley ecosystem.

Drawing on ChangeSchool London's work with entrepreneurs in 30+ countries, The Founders Playbook shares the strategies, struggles, and breakthroughs that don't make the headlines but make all the difference.

Meet Your Host

Neil Marshall, Development Director at ChangeSchool London, is your guide. He's not an observer from the sidelines; he's been in the trenches, working with and supporting entrepreneurs in more than 30 countries, from the UK to Uzbekistan to Kenya. He's watched them struggle and celebrate their wins, and now he's bringing their hard-won wisdom directly to you.

Your front-row seat to the real stories of resilience, problem-solving, and innovation starts here. This is the podcast for the rest of us.

Subscribe now and join us for the podcast built for founders like you.