The Bottleneck Podcast

Ama Amo-Agye scaled Plantmade from £100 to £13m — and discovered that success changes the rules faster than founders expect.Ama joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to explore how the skills that drive early momentum can quietly become constraints as a business scales.From building in public to recognising when the company had outgrown her original operating model, this episode examines why success can become the hardest thing to manage.Follow Rory:
Instagram: @rorysutherland_clips
Tiktok: @Rorysutherlandclips
X: @rorysutherland
Linkedin: in/rorysutherland/Follow Elfried:
Instagram: elfriedsamba
Linkedin: in/elfriedsamba/
https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/Follow Ama:Instagram: @amaa__officialTiktok: @amaamoagyeiLinkedin: in/ama-amo-agyei/A @Sassy+ original podcast series

Growth stalls when founders lose focus.Lottie Whyte, founder of MyoMaster, joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to unpack how simplifying the business, listening to real demand, and saying no to opportunity unlocked scale.From early trade-show insights and customer objections to near-failure and relentless focus, this conversation explores how clarity, not complexity, drives sustainable growth.Follow Rory:Instagram: @rorysutherland_clipsTiktok: @RorysutherlandclipsX: @rorysutherlandLinkedin: in/rorysutherland/Follow Elfried:Instagram: elfriedsambaLinkedin: in/elfriedsamba/https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/Follow Lottie:Instagram: @lottiewhyte/Linkedin: in/lottie-whytehttps://myomaster.com/A @Sassy+ original podcast series

This episode of The Bottleneck Podcast discusses the toxic nature of modern politics. Economist Nicholas Gruen joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to explain why debating now feels like a never-ending battle, where the centre ground gets drowned out by the most extreme voices and most people are trying to win arguments rather than solve problems.They also explore why everyday communities often handle difference better than the internet does, and why GDP is a weak guide to how well a country is really doing. Education and housing, they argue, have increasingly become status bottlenecks rather than engines of shared progress, leaving us spending more without necessarily living better.Follow Rory:Instagram: @rorysutherland_clipsTiktok: @RorysutherlandclipsX: @rorysutherlandLinkedin: in/rorysutherland/Follow Elfried:Instagram: elfriedsambaLinkedin: in/elfriedsamba/https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/Follow Nick:LinkedIn: in/nicholas-gruen-783354aX: @NGruen1YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/NicholasGruenA @Sassy+ original podcast series

This episode of The Bottleneck Podcast explores what it really takes to build a billion-dollar brand. Ben Francis MBE, founder and CEO of Gymshark, joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to discuss how obsessive focus, community, and self-awareness turned a side project into one of the UK’s most successful global companies.Together they unpack the real story behind Gymshark’s rise — from sewing T-shirts at his nan’s dining table to leading a worldwide fitness brand — and reveal why staying close to the customer, thinking like a 19-year-old entrepreneur, and protecting startup energy remain at the heart of Ben’s philosophy.Follow Rory:Instagram: @rorysutherland_clipsTiktok: @RorysutherlandclipsX: @rorysutherlandLinkedin: in/rorysutherland/Follow Elfried:Instagram: elfriedsambaLinkedin: in/elfriedsamba/https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/Follow Ben:Instagram: @benfrancisTikTok: @benfrancisLinkedIn: in/gymshark/YouTube: @BenFrancisA @Sassy+ original podcast series

This episode of The Bottleneck Podcast explores how our digital world has turned attention into the ultimate commodity. Jess Butcher MBE, founder of Scroll Aware, joins Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba to discuss the hidden costs of constant connection and what it’s doing to our ability to think and focus. Together they trace her journey from early tech pioneer to advocate for balance, reflecting on how business models built on distraction have reshaped society, and why making analogue cool again might be the next great act of rebellion.Follow Rory:Instagram: @rorysutherland_clipsTiktok: @RorysutherlandclipsX: @rorysutherlandLinkedin: in/rorysutherland/Follow Elfried:Instagram: elfriedsambaLinkedin: in/elfriedsamba/https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/Follow Jess:Instagram: @jessbutchermbe @moresoulsociety Linkedin: in/jessbutcher/https://www.scrollaware.com A @Sassy+ original podcast series