Peer Effect

Hosted by James Johnson

Business

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Episodes

231

Latest episode

Nov 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Best way to scale? Your peers have the answers. This is the podcast for scaleup founders looking for insightful, actionable wisdom from some of the best operators around. Each week we’ll explore one secret that other founders and experts are using right now and how to implement it. It’s practical wisdom to build the company AND life you want. Hosted by renowned founder coach and advisor James Johnson. You’ve survived to £1m, now let’s scale to £10m+.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

November 2, 2026Episode 6712 min

How To Design Your CEO Role As A Startup Founder

This week’s Post Bag question: “Is there a normal way to be a CEO?” James and Freddie take on the assumption that there’s one right path for a startup founder, and why following it can quietly pull you into the wrong work. They get into who matters most in your business and the question to work back from when you design your own role. Listen before you reshape your job around someone else’s idea of a CEO. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

October 26, 2026Episode 6614 min

How To Navigate An Existential Threat To Your Startup

Penelope’s question this week: “What do you do when you’re navigating an existential threat in your business?” James and Freddie start with the part most people skip, what to do before you touch the plan. They cover what a crisis quietly strips away and a real turnaround that ended somewhere nobody expected. Listen before your next decision. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

October 19, 2026Episode 6516 min

How To Handle Frustration With A Co-Founder Or Senior Hire

Brandon’s question this week: “How do I navigate intense frustration in a relationship?” James and Freddie take it into the working relationships founders find hardest, and start with what that level of frustration is actually telling you. They cover the question to ask yourself before you speak, and the choice of time and place that shapes how the conversation lands. Listen before the conversation you’ve been putting off. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

October 12, 2026Episode 6315 min

How To Know If You're Working On Your Business Or In It

Sarah's question this week: "How much time should I spend on the business rather than in it?" James and Freddie don't hand over a percentage. They get into what separates a founder deliberately stepping back in, from one who's quietly lost control of their own calendar. They cover the real signal that tells you which one you're looking at, and why the best founders at scale often look like they're doing almost nothing. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

October 5, 2026Episode 6216 min

How To Handle Rejection When You're Fundraising

Ian's question this week: "How do I feel free in fundraising?" James and Freddie get into why the fear underneath a raise rarely gets named properly, and the exercise that separates founders who freeze from founders who perform under pressure. They cover what a "no" actually means versus what it feels like, and why the first round you raise is rarely the one that defines you. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

September 28, 2026Episode 6117 min

Signs You Need Outside Support As A Founder

Max's question this week: "I don't feel like I have time for coaching." James and Freddie dig into what's actually being said underneath that, and why it usually shows up right when someone needs the process most. They get into the real distinction between genuinely being heads-down in execution and quietly avoiding a conversation, and the reframe that turns coaching into time given back, not time taken. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

September 23, 2026Episode 6041 min

How To Reduce Your Marketing Spend Without Losing Growth

James is joined by Gilad Bechar, founder and CEO of Moburst, who's worked with some of the world's biggest brands and spends his career finding cheaper, smarter ways to grow than pouring more money into Google and Meta. They get into the single screen that quietly cost one company 17% of new sign-ups before anyone noticed, and why effectiveness beats efficiency almost every time. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

September 21, 2026Episode 5916 min

How To Find Work-Life Balance As A Founder

Roger's question this week: "How do I achieve better balance?" James and Freddie don't hand over a routine. They get into why founders who look balanced from the outside almost never got there by chasing balance directly. They cover the mistake founders make comparing themselves to someone further along, and the physical signal that tells you when things are genuinely off rather than just intense. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

September 16, 2026Episode 5835 min

How To Move Away From Founder-Led Sales Without Losing Revenue

James is joined by Adam King, an exited founder turned fractional sales director, who's lived both sides of this problem: building a business entirely reliant on him closing deals, then spending his career getting other founders out of that same position. They get into why hiring someone "as good as you" at sales is usually the wrong move, and the actual numbers behind a channel most founders dismiss as too slow to bother with. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com

September 14, 2026Episode 5715 min

The Real Reason Founders Can't Take A Holiday

Anna's question this week: "I feel like I can't go on holiday. Help." James and Freddie dig into what's actually underneath that feeling, and land on a diagnostic that separates two very different problems founders often mistake for one. They also cover the timing mistake that quietly sabotages most attempts to take proper time off. Worth ten minutes before you decide not to book anything, again. More from James: Connect with James on LinkedIn or at peer-effect.com