Nova&Boba

Hosted by Ama

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Jun 2026

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The Nova&Boba Podcast is here 🎸 Nova&Boba is the ONLY podcast dedicated to interviewing the UK’s most innovative young founders, offering aspiring entrepreneurs real and relatable insights to learn from. In our conversations I look to explore the Highs and Lows and everything in between about the journey of being a young and new founder while drinking one of my favourites: Boba Tea🧋 Are you ready to start a business? Don’t let this podcast put you off.

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43 recent

June 11, 202636 min

Gen Z Doesn't Hate Ads They Hate Bad Ads

Alexandra Naomi Perez is Chief of Staff at Thrad AI, a startup building the infrastructure for advertising inside LLMs like ChatGPT. She went from studying politics and security at UCL to becoming one of the youngest operators in AI and in this episode, she breaks down exactly how she did it.We talk about why Gen Z hates bad ads (not ads themselves), why Silicon Valley feels nothing like the UK startup scene, and how the next generation of founders can become "technical" without learning to code from scratch.Alexandra also shares why startups should sacrifice hours, not relationships, why capable women in tech still battle imposter syndrome, and why your environment matters more than your talent. Plus: how AI tools, automations, and agentic workflows are reshaping startup operations, why founders should ditch the work-life balance debate and chase efficiency instead, and what it actually takes to be a great Chief of Staff at an early-stage company.Also in this episode: moving from Geneva to London to San Francisco, cold-starting a career in AI without a traditional background, building startup systems with Claude and N8N, what founders get wrong about ambition and why building a company is still the coolest, funnest thing you can do.In this episode, we cover:-Why Gen Z doesn't hate ads, they hate bad ads, and what Thrad AI is building to fix thatWhat advertising inside LLMs like ChatGPT actually looks like and why it's the next frontierHer path from studying politics and security at UCL to becoming one of the youngest operators in AIHow to cold-start a career in AI without a traditional technical backgroundWhy Silicon Valley feels completely different from the UK startup scene, and what moving from Geneva to London to San Francisco taught herHow founders can become "technical" without learning to code from scratchWhy startups should sacrifice hours, not relationshipsWhy women in tech struggle with imposter syndrome even when they're more than capableWhy your environment matters more than your talentHow AI tools, automations, and agentic workflows (Claude, N8N) are changing how startups operateWhy founders should stop obsessing over work-life balance and focus on efficiency insteadWhat it actually means to be a great Chief of Staff at an early-stage companyWhat founders get wrong about ambition, and why building a company is still the coolest and funnest thing you can do#AI #Startups #WomenInTech #ChiefOfStaff #TechPodcast

May 31, 202627 min

DeepMind Scholar Closing Tech’s Biggest Gender Gap.

Sedinam Simpson is the co-founder and strategy lead at The Tech Bros but her journey to get there is anything but ordinary.A Google DeepMind Scholar and MPhil graduate in Machine Learning and Machine Intelligence from the University of Cambridge, Sedinam has spent her career sitting at the intersection of cutting-edge AI research, entrepreneurship, and building pathways for the next generation of founders.She joins us for an honest conversation about what it really takes to break into tech, why she co-founded The Tech Bros, and what the industry still gets wrong about women in entrepreneurship.In this episode, we cover:The problem that drove Sedinam to co-found The Tech Bros and why it needed to existWhat getting into Cambridge actually looked like and what it taught herWhere to begin if you want to learn to code practical advice for complete beginnersWhat running an accelerator programme has taught her about early-stage foundersThe biggest barriers holding women back in tech and entrepreneurship and what needs to changeThe most impressive founders she’s worked with and what sets them apartHow she founded Chara, a sustainable fashion brand, as an undergraduate Allan Gray Orbis Foundation FellowHer path from Data Scientist to strategy lead and what she learnt along the wayWhether you’re a woman navigating your way into tech, an aspiring founder looking for your first step, or simply curious about what it takes to build at the frontier of AI this episode is for you.#WomenInTech #AIResearch #MachineLearning #GoogleDeepMind #Cambridge #TechBros #Accelerator #BlackWomenInTech #SustainableFashion #LearnToCode #FounderStories #DiversityInTech #AIStartups #Entrepreneurship2025 #FemaleFounders #DataScience #StartupAdvice #AfricanFounders #AllanGray #TechCommunity

May 29, 202629 min

The Man Fixing 50 Years of Broken Women’s Health.

Samuel is building something that has been overlooked for decades. A natural, vegan, plant-based contraceptive gel that works with the body rather than against it. And he is doing it from a lab he built in his shed.C Silk is a femtech start-up at the frontier of reproductive health, and this conversation covers everything from the science behind it to the brutal reality of building a MedTech company from scratch with no institutional backing and no rich family behind you.In this episode, we cover:Why Samuel, a biochemical engineer and former biopharma professional, became a male founder in women’s healthThe personal experiences that revealed just how broken the reproductive healthcare system really isWhy prescriptions for the contraceptive pill have halved in the last decade and what that means for the marketThe rise of fertility awareness methods and why women are increasingly giving up on hormonal contraception altogetherWhy women were excluded from clinical trials until the late 1990s and the enormous gap that has left in female healthcareThe science behind C Silk and how the female body naturally creates an inhospitable environment for spermHow Samuel studied a US FDA-approved competitor, identified its flaws, and built a better productWhat spermicides from the 1970s got catastrophically wrong and why nothing significant changed for fifty yearsThe moment under a microscope that proved the product actually worksHow to bootstrap a MedTech prototype with a few hundred pounds and a shedNavigating UK, EU, and US regulatory frameworks as a post-Brexit medical device start-upWhy smart money matters more than any money in MedTechThe NHS grant rejection letter Samuel framed on his wall as motivationWhat building a team in deep tech actually looks like when resources are limitedPractical advice for anyone who wants to build a start-up from zeroThis is one of the most important problems being worked on right now, and one of the most honest conversations we have had on the show.▶️ Watch on YouTube: [link]💙🧋#FemTech #WomensHealth #ReproductiveHealth #NaturalContraception #MedTech #HealthcareInnovation #StartupAdvice #BiochemicalEngineering #Biopharma #CSilk #FemaleHealth #BootstrappedFounder #MedicalDevice #HealthStartup #HormoneHealth #ContraceptionAlternatives #StartupLife #Entrepreneurship2025 #FounderStory #UCL

May 22, 202623 min

10x Hackathon Winner Reveals the Fail-Proof System That Wins Every Time.

Natalie is not the best coder in the room. She will be the first to tell you that but she keeps winning hackathons, going viral on LinkedIn, and building things that nobody else sees coming.In this episode, Natalie breaks down the exact process behind winning hackathons, navigating male-dominated AI spaces as a young woman, and why the tools available right now mean that almost anyone can build something extraordinary.In this episode, we cover:The step by step process Natalie uses to win hackathons, and why being the best coder is not the pointHow to find out what judges actually want before you build anythingWhy solo hackathon entries are becoming more viable than team ones in the current era of AI toolsHow she won the Perplexity Hackathon solo and walked away with five thousand pounds in cashWhat Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex actually look like in a real workflowHow to use AI sub-agents as employees and delegate tasks the way you would to a teamWhy the fastest way to get good at AI tools is to fail with as many of them as possibleThe moment a stranger at a hackathon told her she could never be a founder, and what she did nextWhat it is really like being a woman in AI-dominated spaces and how she keeps showing up anywayWhy code security is being ignored in the race for speed, and what the real dangers areHow to write LinkedIn posts that catch the algorithm in the first hourWhat building a winning hackathon project actually looks like.Why she is going all in on 3D and spatial AI after she graduatesWhether you are a student, an aspiring founder, or someone who has ever felt like they do not belong in a room, this episode will change how you think about what is possible right now.▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/@novaandbobastartups?si=4dWzLsx55iudE70w#Hackathon #WomenInTech #AITools #ClaudeCode #VibeCoders #SoloFounder #GenZFounders #LinkedInGrowth #AIAgents #Perplexity #Cursor #Codex #BuildInPublic #StudentFounder #SpatialAI #TechCommunity #AIStartups #LearnToCode #Entrepreneurship2025 #FutureOfWork

May 8, 202645 min

The Ugly Cost of Building an AI StartUp at 22 That Nobody Puts on LinkedIn

Nico first came on Nova & Boba in November 2023, still at university, still building. Since then he’s been featured in Forbes, raised $4.1 million, and built an AI start-up from scratch.But behind the headlines is a story most people never see. A cult. Moving countries multiple times. A co-founder split. Legal issues. Health issues. A start-up that failed before one that didn’t.Today we pull back the curtain on what it actually costs to build something at this age.In this episode, we cover:What Nico is building now and why it matters in a market projected to reach $1.8 trillion by 2030.The real lessons from Fuego, the ones he didn’t see comingHow to build a defensible AI start-up when there are over 70,000 competitors globallyAI agents genuine paradigm shift or overhyped distraction?Whether AI employees working autonomously are the future of early-stage start-ups and where the human still winsWhy Bessemer argues that context and memory are the new moats and where most founders get it wrongCo-founder breakups and what his experience was and what he wishes he’d knownWhy he chose to finish his degree when most of his peers were dropping outWhat EWOR gave him that he couldn’t have got anywhere elseThe leadership principles he actually lives by not the ones that sound goodHow to delegate ownership without losing controlHis hardest mental health moments as a founder and what got him throughHow he stayed grounded through relocations, health struggles, and everything in betweenWhat’s really driving 54% of Gen Z towards entrepreneurship and whether it matches realityThe most underrated opportunities for young people right nowHow to start from zero, no network, no money, no experienceHow to learn to sell when nobody knows who you are yetWhether you’re an early-stage founder, a student with an idea, or someone figuring out their next move this is the unfiltered version of what building something real actually looks like.#YoungFounders #AIStartup #GenZEntrepreneurs #StartupLife #FounderMindset #RaisingCapital #AIAgents #VentureCapital #StartupFailure #CoFounderSplit #EWOR #Forbes30Under30 #Entrepreneurship2025 #BuildingInPublic #AITools #FutureOfWork #MentalHealthFounders #StartupAdvice #TechStartup #Fuego

May 1, 202636 min

How Rebecca Built and Exited Two Startups At 21– The Productivity Secret 90% of Young People Miss.

Rebecca Fayad is a 21 year old founder who has already built and exited two start-ups, launched a UN-affiliated NGO, spoken at TED-Ed and the World Economic Forum. The shocking part is that she’s doing all of it whilst studying Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London.She joins us for one of the most compelling conversations we’ve had on the show.In this episode, we get into the details that most founders never talk about. What an exit actually looks like from the inside, the quiet mistakes that kill early-stage companies before they ever get to market, and how Rebecca manages to lead two major university societies simultaneously without burning out.We also go deep on:1. How to build and exit a start-up whilst still in full-time education2. What LinkedIn’s 2025 Workplace Learning Report reveals about the most in-demand skill of our generation and how Rebecca actually applies it3. The mindset behind launching a UN-affiliated NGO as a young founder4. Public speaking at WEF & TED-Ed and how she prepares and why most people get it wrong5. Why she deleted TikTok & Instagram and what she does instead6. Practical advice for building an authentic and influential presence on LinkedIn7. What 54% of Gen Z getting into entrepreneurship actually means for the generation redefining work8. The most overlooked business opportunities for young people right now9. Faith, focus, and the personal systems that keep her grounded10. The harsh truth young founders need to hear but probably won’t like11. Her honest experience of mental health as a founder and what the research actually saysWhether you’re a young founder, a student with ambition, or someone who’s ever felt behind, this episode will challenge how you think about time, drive, and what’s actually possible.For further enquiries, send a message to:sumner@novaimpact.co.ukConnect with GuestLinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebecca-fayadFollow Sumner Makin on the following:LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/sumnermakin▶️Watch on YouTube https://youtu.be/6XdwHQaP9zc?si=YhgYn9f-S69fUn5e#YoungFounders #GenZEntrepreneurs #StartupExit #ImperialCollege #WomenInTech #FemaleFounders #StudentEntrepreneur #PersonalBrand #LinkedInTips #TedTalk #WEF #PublicSpeaking #FounderMindset #ChemicalEngineering #NGO #UNAffiliated #StartupAdvice #Entrepreneurship2025 #FutureOfWork #BuildAndExit

April 24, 202651 min

Goldman Sachs Banker to AI Founder

Amelia Miller, co-founder of AI platform ivee, joins us to talk about the psychology of fundraising, building in the age of AI, and why desperate energy is silently killing your chances with investors.Backed by Steven Bartlett, a University of Cambridge graduate, and former Goldman Sachs banker, Amelia has led ivee to over 100,000 users and $1M+ ARR alongside her co-founder and sister, Lydia Miller.In this episode, we cover: • The mindset shift every founder needs before approaching VCs • Why raising is a psychological game and how to play it • How desperation cripples founders at the seed stage (and how to fix it) • What Goldman Sachs taught her and what it didn’t • How a girls’ school and competitive sports shaped her success • AI tools to build an authentic personal brand on LinkedIn without feeling cringe. Whether you’re a founder, operator, or ambitious professional navigating the AI era, this one’s for you.Amelia: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amelia--millerAivee: https://ivee.jobs/▶️ Watch on YouTube:https://spotifycreators-web.app.link/e/jnar0hw0n2b#StartupFounder #VentureCapital #AItools #Fundraising #WomenInTech #ivee #StevenBartlett #LinkedInTips #FounderMindset #BuildingAStartup▶️ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/qUK1zeAFQ1g?si=hA2f0JCvXlh5J1j6#StartupFounder #VentureCapital #AItools #Fundraising #WomenInTech #ivee #StevenBartlett #LinkedInTips #FounderMindset #BuildingAStartup

March 24, 202638 min

The 7-Second Trick That's Rewiring How a Generation Uses Their Phone.

In this video, our guest Tomasz Kantor the founder of Lemio, gives us an insight into how he turned a personal mission to improve mental health into a fast-growing mindful productivity app designed to reduce screen time, break compulsive scrolling habits and help people reclaim their focus.He explains:1. What first sparked the idea for Lemio and how witnessing mental health struggles in someone close to him shaped the entire mission.2. The psychology behind phone addiction, internal triggers, dopamine cycles, and why younger generations are the most vulnerable.3. How Lemio’s unique features go beyond blocking apps by addressing the root cause of distraction through breathing, planning, emotional awareness and behavioural design.4. Why boredom, silence, and stillness are essential for creativity, self-trust, and long-term wellbeing.5. The challenges of building a consumer app, finding product–market fit, and growing organically without heavy marketing spend.6. What the future of digital wellness looks like and how society must rethink its relationship with social media.Connect with GuestLinkedIn – http://linkedin.com/in/tomaszkantorDownload Lemmio here:https://www.lemioapp.com

December 5, 20250 min

Rolls-Royce Engineer Walks Away From Millions So People Can Find Jobs.

In this episode, Ama sits down with Gabby (Founder) and Fii (Co-Founder) of a fast-growing career-building startup that is helping young people find their right career path. Gabby shares how leaving aerospace engineering sparked a bold mission to fix the broken career guidance system, while Fii breaks down how their the whole journey began and where they at now.They discuss:• Why traditional career advice no longer works• How their startup helps people uncover the right career path• The tools, systems, and frameworks that helped 600+ people already• Their personal journeys and why they chose to build this solution• What the future of work and career discovery will look likeIf you feel stuck, confused, or uncertain about your path, this episode is the roadmap you’ve been looking for.You can also watch this episode on Youtube here:https://youtu.be/wAAP7W4KAEY?si=-ONneZkH0rVaycVH

May 9, 202513 min

Mentorship Call with the Woman Behind the Diary of a CEO's Success

How to build a successful podcast I had a 14-minute mentorship session with Georgie Holt, the CEO of Europe’s #1 podcast, The Diary of a CEOGeorgie co-founded Flight Story alongside Steven Bartlett.Flight Story is the media and investment company behind The Diary of a CEO, Europe’s #1 podcast, with over 1 billion streams and nearly 10 million YouTube subscribers.In this episode, Georgie mentors me on how to build a successful podcast I figured - if I’ve faced these challenges, others starting out on their podcast journey probably have too. So I recorded the chat in case it could help someone else.Here’s what we covered:✨ How to come up with a good podcast name📈 How to increase your subscriber count💸 How to monetise your podcast🎙️ How to be a better podcast host