Alex Depledge MBE on taking a Founder’s Mind into the Government & why the UK is a great place to scale

What does it really take to build and scale Startups in the UK, even when the odds feel stacked against you? Find out from today’s 40 Minute Mentor, Alex Depledge MBE, serial entrepreneur, Co-Founder and CEO of Resi, and Entrepreneurship Advisor to the Chancellor of the Exchequer - the first time an entrepreneur has ever sat at the heart of the UK Treasury. After co-founding Hassle.com and scaling it to £8m in revenue across four countries in just two years, Alex sold it for €32m and not long after decided to jump straight back into the Founder seat. This time with Resi, the UK’s largest residential architectural firm, using technology to help solve the country’s housing challenges through extensions and renovations. In today’s episode, Alex shares her journey from growing to building category-defining companies, why resilience and stoicism have shaped her leadership style, and why she believes the UK is brilliant at starting businesses, and we’re just about to see the next wave of change with doubling down on Scaleups. 📚Episode Chapters: ➡️ Building resilience early on [05:20] ➡️ Choosing yourself & changing the narrative [08:20] ➡️ Why the UK is a great place for Startups [14:40] ➡️ Going again and building Resi [16:50] ➡️ Inside the Treasury [24:10] ➡️ The biggest blockers for UK Scaleups [28:30] ➡️ What changed in the Budget & why it matters for Founders [30:50] ➡️ The emotional cost of entrepreneurship [39:30] 🔍 Find out more: ✨ Connect with Alex ✨ Find out more about Resi ⭐ Enjoyed this episode? ⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm 🎧 You may also like: Talent Predictions for 2026: How to attract and hire the best talent in the year ahead with Amplified People Group’s Sophie Graci, Zach Rose, James Adams and Lisa Crane Behind The Doors Of Number 10 Downing Street with Sam Gyimah Downing Street, Death Threats and DE&I with Baroness Oona King Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices