The Founder Files Metavolve

A lot has changed since we last had Christiaan van den Berg from JOBJACK on the podcast! In this episode, Christiaan returns to share their impressive journey from pre-product market fit to scaling a successful SaaS business.

In just a year, JOBJACK, now a leading recruitment platform in South Africa, has attracted over 3 million users, raised significant funding, and doubled their team.

To understand how they did it, we get into:


How JobJack found their traction and selected winning markets.
The secrets behind creating a great user experience.


Identifying repeatable value propositions for sustainable growth
Approaching investment rounds and securing a 45 million rand pre-series A round
Building a robust leadership team and scaling operations
Balancing personal life with being a founder

With practical insights on investment, leadership, and operational scaling, this episode is packed with actionable advice for entrepreneurs in South Africa. Tune in now!

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This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.

Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that make building a great sustainable business less complex. Reach out to our team to learn more: ⁠⁠⁠https://metavolve.co/⁠⁠⁠

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🔔 Follow The Founder Files EVERYWHERE

⭐ Leave a review right here

💭 Share your thoughts on this episode with your network


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In this episode, we welcome Paul Cook, the co-founder and managing director of Silvertree Brands. Join Cameron as he dives into Paul's incredible journey of building not just one, but a portfolio of purpose-driven, direct-to-consumer, and niche e-commerce businesses.

Listen as they discuss:


The innovative strategies behind Silvertree Brands' growth and portfolio selection
Lessons learned from good and bad business models
The critical importance of customer experience in scaling a business
Transitions founders face when merging with larger groups
The founder to CEO journey and founder exits

Tune in for an engaging and insightful conversation filled with actionable takeaways and personal growth experiences.

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This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.

Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that make building a great sustainable business less complex. Reach out to our team to learn more: ⁠⁠https://metavolve.co/⁠⁠

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To support The Founder Files:

🔔 Follow The Founder Files EVERYWHERE

⭐ Leave a review right here

💭 Share your thoughts on LinkedIn and tag Cameron Coutts


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefounderfiles/message

In this episode, Steve Uria, the founder of SWEAT1000 & Switch Playground recounts his journey from Cape Town to New York, sharing key lessons and missteps in scaling a business internationally. From conducting due diligence on a napkin to navigating the complexities of franchising, Steve's candid story provides a roadmap for entrepreneurs looking to make a global impact

Fuelled by passion and a relentless pursuit of wellness, Steve's story is not just about scaling a business—it’s about building a lifestyle that reaches across borders. Tune in for an unmissable blend of inspiration, practical advice, and the raw realities of entrepreneurship.

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This episode is brought to you by Metavolve.

Metavolve turns highly capable African founders into confident business leaders by helping them develop clear and comprehensive business strategies that make building a great sustainable business less complex. Reach out to our team to learn more: ⁠https://metavolve.co/⁠

---

To support The Founder Files:

🔔 Follow The Founder Files EVERYWHERE

⭐ Leave a review right here

💭 Share your thoughts on Linkedin and tag Cameron Coutts


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefounderfiles/message

Ever wondered how a strong vision can pivot an entire industry?

In this candid chat with Murray Clark, Cameron Coutts gets up close and personal with the story behind Neighbourgood.

Murray talks about turning challenges into a thriving real estate model in Cape Town, perfectly tailored for today's digital nomads and remote workers.

He shares the ups and downs of disrupting the traditional property market by leveraging the experience economy and creating a unique coliving and coworking community.

While he shares his scaling story, you'll get into the details of Neighbourgood’s strategic growth, including the recent acquisition of Local Knowledge.

Tune in to get a real-life case study of how you can stay true to your vision while innovatively meeting market demands.


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefounderfiles/message

What if building a startup from the ground up wasn't the only path to success as an entrepreneur?



In this enlightening episode, we meet Andrew Swiler, CEO of Lanteria HR, who flipped the script by acquiring the business and catapulting it to new heights.



Andrew explains how he secured investment within 15 minutes by showcasing the untapped potential of a business ripe for growth, emphasising customer longevity (LTV) over ARR and MRR metrics.



If you've ever wondered about:

- how to talk to VCs and secure your fundraising,

- how to improve your customer retention and LTV,

- what makes service components in SaaS appealing,

- the cost and benefits of acquiring a business rather than starting from scratch,

... this episode is your treasure trove of insights.



Tune in for a candid conversation where they unravel the not-so-talked-about strategies of customer retention, long-term value over short-term gains, and the surprisingly low-cost path to scaling a business that's been plateauing. Tune in for a session that might just redefine your approach to scaling and exiting.


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What if you could hardwire loyalty into your customers and employees? What if performance and rewards were seamlessly interlinked across your entire business?

Scaling expert Cameron Coutts sits down with Ross Drakes, CEO of Nice Work, to explore how Web 3.0 could transform traditional business models from the ground up.

Learn how NFTs, tokenisation, and decentralised participation can reinvent brand experiences, employee profit-sharing, and organisational structures.

Tune in now if you're ready to find new ways to build community, retain talent, and distribute value.


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thefounderfiles/message