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Podcast Episode

Sir Richard Harpin with Rory Sutherland and Elfried Samba on how he built a £4.1bn business

The Bottleneck Podcast··14 August 2026·1h 20m

About this episode

Sir Richard Harpin started with £50,000 and turned it into HomeServe, a business he sold for £4.1 billion. In this episode, he joins Rory and Elfried to break down the nine steps behind that journey, from copying the right ideas to knowing when to say no. From staking your claim in a market nobody else believes in to the "not-to-do list" that kept HomeServe focused, this is a masterclass in bootstrapping, mentorship and building something built to scale. Follow RoryInstagram: @rorysutherland_clipsTikTok: @RorysutherlandclipsX: @rorysutherlandLinkedIn: in/rorysutherland/ Follow ElfriedInstagram: @elfriedsambaLinkedIn: in/elfriedsamba/https://www.butterflyeffect.xyz/ Follow Sir Richard HarpinInstagram: @richard_harpinTikTok: @richard.harpinLinkedIn: in/rharpin/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessleaderUkhttps://www.richardharpin.com/https://www.businessleader.co.uk/ A @Sassy+ original podcast series