Happy New Year everyone! We're very excited to be starting 2021 with a brand-new episode of the 40 Minute Mentor. With the recent announcement of Lockdown 3.0 in England, we can all do with some extra inspiration and motivation and that’s exactly what today’s 40 Minute Mentor is here to do. Just over a decade ago, today’s guest, James Hind, took his passion for cars and turned it into a business that has since grown into one of the Europe’s most popular car buying and reviewing platforms, Carwow. You’ve probably heard of it, or quite possibly used it yourself! Today, Carwow boasts a team of more than 200 people across London, Munich, and Madrid, and raised over $100m in funding since it launched. It can also lay claim to the world’s most popular YouTube car channel with over 5 million subscribers. Having jumped straight from university into running his own business, James has some fascinating insights into the life of a tech founder and what it takes to get a new venture off the ground without a ‘big brand’ CV behind him. In this episode he tells all and shares so much great advice including: How to raise money from VC’s and angel investors when you have no experience and no contacts. The growth story of Carwow and how his approach to hiring world class talent has evolved over time And the challenges of expanding into new territories and the importance of culture and communication when scaling It was such a privilege to speak to James who we’ve got to know well in recent years and respect hugely. It was great to hear his candid perspectives on some of the top issues that so many entrepreneurs struggle with. In the current climate, it was great to hear his optimism and some of the big positives he thinks have come out of the pandemic. So whether you’re thinking about starting your own business, are getting ready for your first round of funding or are looking to scale in 2021, this episode is an absolute must-listen. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, so please do get in touch at james@jbmc.co.uk If you want to find out more about James, take a look at his LinkedIn profile – https://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshind If you want to find out more about Carwow, have a look at its website and YouTube channel – https://www.carwow.co.uk/ – https://www.youtube.com/c/carwow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices