The Startup Leap

The #1 Podcast For Day Zero Operators Taking The Startup Leap with Yvonne Bajela and Maria Rotilu.

We’re back with 3 must listen founder stories + help us shape 2026!

Jan 24, 2026

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6 min read

We’re back with 3 must listen founder stories + help us shape 2026!

Startup Leap Returns: New Year, Unfiltered Founder Wisdom and one ask. Let’s get into it 👇🏾

The Startup Leap

Smuggle. Share. Scale. The Zero-Waste Marketplace That Beat the Bin

Aug 27, 2025

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8 min read

Smuggle. Share. Scale. The Zero-Waste Marketplace That Beat the Bin

Inside the zero-waste playbook: how a 12-person WhatsApp test became a 7M-user marketplace with a volunteer flywheel, flat-fee SaaS, and enterprise wins that beat the bin.

The Startup Leap

Told ‘No’ at the Start - Heard ‘Yes’ at Apple

Aug 19, 2025

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8 min read

Told ‘No’ at the Start - Heard ‘Yes’ at Apple

A neuroscientist’s invisible HR engine and a music-ID moonshot, grown with grants, grit and day-one App Store timing.

The Startup Leap

Aug 3, 2025

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9 min read

When Investors Said No — Twice

The untold stories of two founders who turned “impossible” ideas into market-defining companies.

The Startup Leap

How a Tanzanian TV Host Built Africa’s Most Relentless Fintech

Jul 27, 2025

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9 min read

How a Tanzanian TV Host Built Africa’s Most Relentless Fintech

From broken remittances to global infrastructure - Nala’s Benjamin Fernandes shares what it really takes to build on hard mode.

The Startup Leap

Jul 20, 2025

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6 min read

Building Against the Odds

How founders based in Africa turned regulatory chaos, investor doubt, and market scepticism into startup success

The Startup Leap

How Coen Jonker Built a 17M-User Digital Bank From a Consulting Project

Jul 13, 2025

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9 min read

How Coen Jonker Built a 17M-User Digital Bank From a Consulting Project

Before TymeBank became South Africa’s fastest-growing bank, Coen was pitching inside Deloitte and hearing “no” from 250 investors. Here’s how he turned rejection into resilience and built a digital bank for 17M+ people...

The Startup Leap

Jul 6, 2025

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10 min read

Not Every Startup Needs a VC Cheque

Why bootstrapping, grants, and customer revenue might just beat chasing VC and how these founders made it work

The Startup Leap

From the Ground Up: Founders Rebuilding Our Climate Future

Jun 29, 2025

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9 min read

From the Ground Up: Founders Rebuilding Our Climate Future

From fintech to food systems - two founders turning carbon into a business model, plus what London Climate Action Week reveals about the future of removals, resilience, and real climate strategy.

The Startup Leap

Coding

You Don’t Need to Code to Think Like a Builder

Jun 22, 2025

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8 min read

You Don’t Need to Code to Think Like a Builder

From HTML on a Nokia to AI-powered healthcare - plus the latest from London Tech Week on investment in compute, the UK’s first Entrepreneurship Advisor, and the launch of the world’s first AI regulatory sandbox.

The Startup Leap

Fall Hard, Rise Smart. How Founders Bounced Back From Brutal Setbacks.

Jun 15, 2025

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7 min read

Fall Hard, Rise Smart. How Founders Bounced Back From Brutal Setbacks.

Inside the real moments founders almost gave up - and the exact moves that got them back on track.

The Startup Leap

Validation

Prove It First. How Founders Validated Before Building.

Jun 8, 2025

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7 min read

Prove It First. How Founders Validated Before Building.

Inside the scrappy, smart tactics that got early customers saying “yes.”

The Startup Leap

FullTime

Burn the Boats. Going All In On Your Startup Idea.

Jun 1, 2025

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7 min read

Burn the Boats. Going All In On Your Startup Idea.

Inside the moments with founders who didn't play it safe. No Plan B.

The Startup Leap

Burnout

May 25, 2025

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5 min read

On Burnout & Managing Your Energy

How Six Startup Leap Founders Protect Their Most Vital Resource, Their Energy.

The Startup Leap

Trust Your Gut: The Invisible Co-Founder in Every Start-up

May 18, 2025

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6 min read

Trust Your Gut: The Invisible Co-Founder in Every Start-up

Some of the boldest startup leaps start with a gut feeling. This week, we hear the stories of founders who trusted their instinct - when logic said otherwise...

The Startup Leap

Building the World’s Largest Shared Wardrobe with Eshita Kabra-Davies of By Rotation

Apr 27, 2025

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7 min read

Building the World’s Largest Shared Wardrobe with Eshita Kabra-Davies of By Rotation

Eshita founded By Rotation to transform fashion and fight textile waste. From a honeymoon aha moment to building the world’s largest shared wardrobe, she’s scaling globally - owning 70% of her business and reshaping how we consume. Hear Eshita’s leap story...

The Startup Leap

Apr 20, 2025

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7 min read

Should You Raise VC Funding?

Our hosts unpack the real trade-offs behind taking venture capital. From billion-dollar exits without VC to founders who bootstrapped before raising big, this is the honest guide to whether fundraising is right for your startup journey...

The Startup Leap

How to Find A Co-Founder From Real Tech Founder Stories

Apr 13, 2025

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8 min read

How to Find A Co-Founder From Real Tech Founder Stories

Our hosts break down what finding a co-founder really looks like beyond the pitch decks. From teaming up with ex-bosses to meeting in niche online communities, this is the real-world guide to one of the hardest early startup decisions...

The Startup Leap

TSL Monthly Roundup: Our First IRL Event. Community Shoutouts. Robin AI's Big Win. Steve Jobs. Our Takes on AI.

Apr 4, 2025

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10 min read

TSL Monthly Roundup: Our First IRL Event. Community Shoutouts. Robin AI's Big Win. Steve Jobs. Our Takes on AI.

#1 April edition 🌸

The Startup Leap

Mar 24, 2025

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7 min read

How to Find A Co-Founder From Real Tech Founder Stories

The Startup Leap

Building Tech for Central Banks with Carmelle Cadet of EmTech

Mar 10, 2025

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7 min read

Building Tech for Central Banks with Carmelle Cadet of EmTech

Carmelle founded EmTech to modernise central banks and drive financial inclusion. From Haiti to leading blockchain at IBM, she’s reshaping global finance with bold ideas and $12M raised. Hear Carmelle's leap story...

The Startup Leap

Building “PayPal” for Africa with Tayo Oviosu of Paga

Mar 3, 2025

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7 min read

Building “PayPal” for Africa with Tayo Oviosu of Paga

Tayo co-founded Paga, a fintech powerhouse transforming payments in Africa, now trusted by over 23 million users. From a frustrating date night to building a continent-wide solution, hear Tayo's leap story...

The Startup Leap

Lessons Building Africa's Most Valued Fintech Unicorn with ‘GB’ of Flutterwave

Feb 24, 2025

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8 min read

Lessons Building Africa's Most Valued Fintech Unicorn with ‘GB’ of Flutterwave

GB founded Flutterwave, streamlining payments across Africa and scaling it into a $3B fintech giant. Hear how he navigated trust, regulation, and resilience to build Africa’s top unicorn...

The Startup Leap

Feb 17, 2025

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7 min read

TSL Weekly Roundup #12

Timmy founded Fanbytes, an influencer marketing agency connecting brands with Gen Z, and sold it in a multi-million-pound deal. Starting his first business at 14, hear Timmy's leap story...

The Startup Leap

Jan 20, 2025

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7 min read

TSL Weekly Roundup #11

Gabriel left a decade in banking to co-found Landscape, an AI-driven platform transforming how venture capitalists discover founders. From navigating imposter syndrome to building a data-powered future for VC, hear his leap story...

The Startup Leap

The Startup Leap

We’re back with 3 must listen founder stories + help us shape 2026!

Smuggle. Share. Scale. The Zero-Waste Marketplace That Beat the Bin

Told ‘No’ at the Start - Heard ‘Yes’ at Apple

When Investors Said No — Twice

How a Tanzanian TV Host Built Africa’s Most Relentless Fintech

Building Against the Odds

How Coen Jonker Built a 17M-User Digital Bank From a Consulting Project

Not Every Startup Needs a VC Cheque

From the Ground Up: Founders Rebuilding Our Climate Future

You Don’t Need to Code to Think Like a Builder

Fall Hard, Rise Smart. How Founders Bounced Back From Brutal Setbacks.

Prove It First. How Founders Validated Before Building.

Burn the Boats. Going All In On Your Startup Idea.

On Burnout & Managing Your Energy

Trust Your Gut: The Invisible Co-Founder in Every Start-up

Building the World’s Largest Shared Wardrobe with Eshita Kabra-Davies of By Rotation

Should You Raise VC Funding?

How to Find A Co-Founder From Real Tech Founder Stories

TSL Monthly Roundup: Our First IRL Event. Community Shoutouts. Robin AI's Big Win. Steve Jobs. Our Takes on AI.

How to Find A Co-Founder From Real Tech Founder Stories

Building Tech for Central Banks with Carmelle Cadet of EmTech

Building “PayPal” for Africa with Tayo Oviosu of Paga

Lessons Building Africa's Most Valued Fintech Unicorn with ‘GB’ of Flutterwave

TSL Weekly Roundup #12

TSL Weekly Roundup #11

The Startup Leap

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