40 Minute Mentor

Episode 294

May 21, 2025

Simon Franks: The truth behind exiting to Amazon and investing in hyper growth Startups with Redbus Ventures

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Simon Franks, multi-exited entrepreneur, Managing Partner of early-stage firm, Redbus Ventures and the Founder of Franks Family Foundation, the UK-based charitable organisation. 

Simon’s career has been filled with building and scaling some of the most successful businesses in Europe, including as a Founder and now Investor. 

Today, he doesn’t just back brilliant businesses like Perkbox and Cleo, but his main focus has been his philanthropic pursuits, through Franks Family Foundation, initiating and developing projects in South East Asia. 

Tune in to today’s episode to hear Simon’s first-hand experience of building and scaling high-performing teams and hugely successful businesses, plus hear tons of advice on what sets great Founders apart.

40 Minute Mentor: Simon Franks
“It’s fine to fail. It’s not fine to fail slowly. You must fail fast.”

Simon Franks

Tune in to discover

➡️ Early career reflections [06:30]
➡️ Building the European Netflix with Lovefilm [09:45]
➡️ The true feelings behind the exit to Amazon [15:20]
➡️ More about today’s sponsors [17:10]
➡️ Transitioning into VC [20:00]
➡️ The pitfalls of generic business advice [24:00]
➡️ Why you need to fail fast [27:00]
➡️ Patterns in successful Founders [29:30]
➡️ Making a real impact [34:50]

Listen on

Helpful links

🔍 Find out more: 

Connect with Simon: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/frankssimon 

More about Redbus Ventures: https://redbus.uk/ 

More about Franks Family Foundation: https://www.thefff.org/ 

 

📣Learn more about today’s sponsor: 

Today’s episode is sponsored by Foundation Partners, an Amplified People Group company. 

Foundation Partners is reinventing how ambitious, early-stage companies access People & Talent support. They offer a fully flexible, fractional People & Talent team with specialist skillsets and hands-on delivery that starts driving impact in just 2 weeks. 

As a 40 Minute Mentor listener, you can book a FREE 1-hour advisory call with a Managing Partner. Just head to www.foundationpartners.co.uk/contact and reference 40 Minute Mentor. 

 

🎧 You may also enjoy: 

Nicky Goulimis & Nico Barawid: The serial entrepreneurs stopping scams & building Tunic Pay differently

Lessons Of Resilience: Scaling Love Koffee To Exit and Living Through Made.com’s Collapse with Dimple Patel, CEO of Trouva

Greg Marsh: A $200m+ exit with onefinestay to helping you save on household bills with Nous

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