From Tech founder to solving the social media addiction crisis - Jess Butcher

Jess Butcher MBE has built a career at the intersection of technology and consumer behaviour. She co-founded AR pioneer Blippar and has since turned her attention to a growing issue: how AI and social media are shaping our brains, behaviour, and wellbeing.

In this episode, Jess shares what she’s learned as a founder, why female entrepreneurs still struggle to access funding, and why she believes brands must take responsibility for the attention economy they help create. We discuss how “More Soul, Less Scroll” is encouraging healthier digital habits, and the practical steps companies can take to drive positive change.

Timestamps

00:00 - Intro
01:41 - Jess’ background as a female founder
05:56 - How Jon used Jess’ QR code startup
13:19 - Why Blippar ultimately failed
17:34 - The lessons from Blippar’s failure
21:30 - Why female founders struggle to get funding
25:50 - The characteristics of successful founders
31:15 - How AI is re-wiring our brains negatively
34:05 - Why social media is ruining our lives
40:09 - Why is this problem getting worse if we know about it?
44:17 - What ScrollAware is trying to do about the problem
48:38 - Which brands are taking responsibility for this problem best?
54:46 - Less Scroll More Soul sleeping bags