Made In Public Wed, 17 Jun 2026 06:12:26 -0400 https://madeinpublic.buzzsprout.com en-gb © 2026 Made In Public yes 7fe1fb52-a4b8-562c-9948-727598c496c4 John Blackburn episodic false Made in Public is the podcast for founders, builders, and dreamers who are tired of waiting until everything is "ready."

Hosted by John Blackburn, Made in Public follows real entrepreneurs as they build their businesses in real time, messiness, uncertainty, and all. No polished success stories. No hindsight highlights. Just raw, honest conversations with people who are figuring it out as they go.

From the back of a camper van to wherever the journey takes us, each episode dives into the mindset, the setbacks, and the bold moves behind businesses being built in public, before the ducks are ever in a row.

If you've been waiting for permission to start, this is it. Subscribe and build with us.

]]> Buzzsprout (https://www.buzzsprout.com) John Blackburn https://storage.buzzsprout.com/x35iimr09a82f64p9divgg5ckqns?.jpg Made In Public John Blackburn Laura Thompson Building The Yard in Public: Community, Coworking, Movement & Founder-Led Marketing Laura Thompson Building The Yard in Public: Community, Coworking, Movement & Founder-Led Marketing Laura Thompson, former Deloitte and EY strategic marketer with a dance and personal training background, shares how redundancy and her mother’s unexpected death pushed her to build in public. She now runs Connect Studio, helping founder-led businesses translate strategy into meaningful marketing, while developing The Yard, a “third space” in West Sussex for people to work, move, and belong unfiltered. Laura explains how perfectionism and corporate-style launches can delay progress, arguing instead for validating ideas early through conversations, small actions, and visible iteration. She describes recent steps—naming the concept, mood-boarding, contacting the council about buildings, using Claude for visual identity, and gathering proof of concept via networking. Next, she plans pilot sessions combining coworking in a coffee shop with a mid-morning PT workout, then repeating to build demand before seeking investors.

00:00 Laura’s Origin Story
00:51 Why Build in Public
01:47 What Is The Yard
03:32 Loss and Redundancy Catalyst
04:58 Perfectionism and Corporate Fear
07:33 Small Steps Over Big Launches
10:03 Validation and Stakeholder Buy In
11:38 Founder Accountability Systems
15:47 Live Updates and Early Momentum
16:23 Naming The Yard and Next Moves
18:10 Using AI to Shape the Brand
18:33 LLMs as Business Coaches
18:53 Crafting a Vivid Vision
21:04 Beating Fear and Self Talk
22:42 Start Small in Public
25:02 Past Projects and Pivots
26:16 Next Steps for The Yard
27:57 Build Demand Before Spending
29:28 Mission Over Money
30:49 Where to Find Laura
31:29 Final Push to Post

]]> Laura Thompson, former Deloitte and EY strategic marketer with a dance and personal training background, shares how redundancy and her mother’s unexpected death pushed her to build in public. She now runs Connect Studio, helping founder-led businesses translate strategy into meaningful marketing, while developing The Yard, a “third space” in West Sussex for people to work, move, and belong unfiltered. Laura explains how perfectionism and corporate-style launches can delay progress, arguing instead for validating ideas early through conversations, small actions, and visible iteration. She describes recent steps—naming the concept, mood-boarding, contacting the council about buildings, using Claude for visual identity, and gathering proof of concept via networking. Next, she plans pilot sessions combining coworking in a coffee shop with a mid-morning PT workout, then repeating to build demand before seeking investors.

00:00 Laura’s Origin Story
00:51 Why Build in Public
01:47 What Is The Yard
03:32 Loss and Redundancy Catalyst
04:58 Perfectionism and Corporate Fear
07:33 Small Steps Over Big Launches
10:03 Validation and Stakeholder Buy In
11:38 Founder Accountability Systems
15:47 Live Updates and Early Momentum
16:23 Naming The Yard and Next Moves
18:10 Using AI to Shape the Brand
18:33 LLMs as Business Coaches
18:53 Crafting a Vivid Vision
21:04 Beating Fear and Self Talk
22:42 Start Small in Public
25:02 Past Projects and Pivots
26:16 Next Steps for The Yard
27:57 Build Demand Before Spending
29:28 Mission Over Money
30:49 Where to Find Laura
31:29 Final Push to Post

]]> John Blackburn Buzzsprout-19279631 Tue, 02 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0100 1923 1 4 full false Made in Public Ep.3: Build in Public, Warm Starts, Trust & Standing Out in an AI Content World Made in Public Ep.3: Build in Public, Warm Starts, Trust & Standing Out in an AI Content World In this episode of Made in Public, the John speaks with Ben and James about why founders should “build in public” to avoid a risky cold-start launch and instead create a warm start by building trust, awareness, and interest early—before rent, staff, or agency costs kick in. They explain building in public as increasing “surface area” for luck, shortening the learning curve by iterating in public, and even enabling pre-orders and investor interest. The conversation covers why consumers increasingly value tribe, connection, and status, and how brands can differentiate even in crowded categories, with examples including Sult, Midday Squares, and Perfect Ted’s employee-generated content. They discuss common barriers like fear, cringe, and worrying about credibility, plus strategies for standing out amid AI-generated content by adding friction and differentiation (e.g., in-person formats) and the potential shift toward live content. LinkedIn is framed as an underused marketing channel where text still cuts through, with advice to choose platforms you can consistently show up on and outsource repurposing when needed.

00:00 Cold Start Warning
00:44 Meet The Guests
01:05 What Building Public Means
01:54 Stagger Posts Learn Fast
03:24 Warm Start Marketing
04:26 Tribe Status Community
06:17 Brand Examples And Free
08:06 Why People Hold Back
10:22 Sponsor Break Podcast Agency
12:54 AI Slop Add Friction
15:14 Build Public Inspiration
17:15 Reality Show Branding
18:04 Employee Led Posting
18:29 Max Jones LinkedIn Bet
19:58 LinkedIn Becomes Entertainment
22:16 Pick Platforms and Repurpose
25:06 Live Content Future
28:51 Build In Public Live Ideas
30:26 Overwhelm and Getting Help
32:44 Final Takeaways and Thanks

]]> In this episode of Made in Public, the John speaks with Ben and James about why founders should “build in public” to avoid a risky cold-start launch and instead create a warm start by building trust, awareness, and interest early—before rent, staff, or agency costs kick in. They explain building in public as increasing “surface area” for luck, shortening the learning curve by iterating in public, and even enabling pre-orders and investor interest. The conversation covers why consumers increasingly value tribe, connection, and status, and how brands can differentiate even in crowded categories, with examples including Sult, Midday Squares, and Perfect Ted’s employee-generated content. They discuss common barriers like fear, cringe, and worrying about credibility, plus strategies for standing out amid AI-generated content by adding friction and differentiation (e.g., in-person formats) and the potential shift toward live content. LinkedIn is framed as an underused marketing channel where text still cuts through, with advice to choose platforms you can consistently show up on and outsource repurposing when needed.

00:00 Cold Start Warning
00:44 Meet The Guests
01:05 What Building Public Means
01:54 Stagger Posts Learn Fast
03:24 Warm Start Marketing
04:26 Tribe Status Community
06:17 Brand Examples And Free
08:06 Why People Hold Back
10:22 Sponsor Break Podcast Agency
12:54 AI Slop Add Friction
15:14 Build Public Inspiration
17:15 Reality Show Branding
18:04 Employee Led Posting
18:29 Max Jones LinkedIn Bet
19:58 LinkedIn Becomes Entertainment
22:16 Pick Platforms and Repurpose
25:06 Live Content Future
28:51 Build In Public Live Ideas
30:26 Overwhelm and Getting Help
32:44 Final Takeaways and Thanks

]]> John Blackburn Buzzsprout-19247171 Wed, 27 May 2026 12:00:00 +0100 1988 1 3 full false Made in Public Ep.2: Jamie Vaughan on Building in Secret in Public, Launch Noise & AI-First Marketing Made in Public Ep.2: Jamie Vaughan on Building in Secret in Public, Launch Noise & AI-First Marketing This week John Blackburn interviews Jamie Vaughan, co-founder of Restless, an AI marketing company for a social world, days after launch. They unpack what “building in public” means, why Jamie chose “building in secret in public” due to co-founder notice periods, and how the teaser-style content created intrigue, inbound conversations, and even paying clients by launch day. Jamie explains Restless’ two-sided model: Antenna, a managed SaaS platform that ingests proprietary, public, and third-party data to create objective micro-personas and let teams test hooks and copy, alongside social agency services that apply those insights to ads and content. They discuss AI’s strengths (data analysis, pattern matching) versus weaknesses (taste, humor), the role of human creativity, how AI could change agency scaling, and why founders should post rather than “launch into silence,” including thoughts on humor and live formats as antidotes to generic AI content.


00:00 Teaser and Hook
00:27 Meet Jamie Vaughan
02:12 What Building in Public Means
03:06 Secret in Public Strategy
05:36 Launch Results and Noise
07:17 Guy Ritchie Launch Video
09:22 What Restless Actually Is
11:41 Antenna Platform Deep Dive
14:22 Managed SaaS Not Self Serve
15:55 Advice for Nervous Founders
18:50 The Alternative Is Silence
19:44 Inbound Demand Engine
20:34 Launch Without The Desert
21:06 Building Public Launches
22:17 Vertical Drop Sponsor
22:50 Consumer Launch Playbook
24:17 Rebranding The Vlog
24:49 AI Adoption For Teams
25:43 What AI Is Bad At
28:52 Scaling Agencies With AI
32:10 Humor Beats AI Slop
34:06 Live Content And Trust
36:11 What Happens Next

]]> This week John Blackburn interviews Jamie Vaughan, co-founder of Restless, an AI marketing company for a social world, days after launch. They unpack what “building in public” means, why Jamie chose “building in secret in public” due to co-founder notice periods, and how the teaser-style content created intrigue, inbound conversations, and even paying clients by launch day. Jamie explains Restless’ two-sided model: Antenna, a managed SaaS platform that ingests proprietary, public, and third-party data to create objective micro-personas and let teams test hooks and copy, alongside social agency services that apply those insights to ads and content. They discuss AI’s strengths (data analysis, pattern matching) versus weaknesses (taste, humor), the role of human creativity, how AI could change agency scaling, and why founders should post rather than “launch into silence,” including thoughts on humor and live formats as antidotes to generic AI content.


00:00 Teaser and Hook
00:27 Meet Jamie Vaughan
02:12 What Building in Public Means
03:06 Secret in Public Strategy
05:36 Launch Results and Noise
07:17 Guy Ritchie Launch Video
09:22 What Restless Actually Is
11:41 Antenna Platform Deep Dive
14:22 Managed SaaS Not Self Serve
15:55 Advice for Nervous Founders
18:50 The Alternative Is Silence
19:44 Inbound Demand Engine
20:34 Launch Without The Desert
21:06 Building Public Launches
22:17 Vertical Drop Sponsor
22:50 Consumer Launch Playbook
24:17 Rebranding The Vlog
24:49 AI Adoption For Teams
25:43 What AI Is Bad At
28:52 Scaling Agencies With AI
32:10 Humor Beats AI Slop
34:06 Live Content And Trust
36:11 What Happens Next

]]> John Blackburn Buzzsprout-19202554 Wed, 20 May 2026 10:00:00 +0100 2318 1 2 full false Made in Public Ep.1: Dan & Elise Rowntree on Launching Mood Haus Before the Ducks Are in a Row Made in Public Ep.1: Dan & Elise Rowntree on Launching Mood Haus Before the Ducks Are in a Row Episode one of Made in Public is recorded in a camper van with Dan and Elise Rowntree, founders of Mood Haus, a sauna, cold plunge, and community wellness concept launched publicly before they had a site or facilities. They explain why they posted that their “ducks are firmly not in a row,” how a Cameron Herold “vivid vision” document helped make the idea real, and how building in public overcame Elise’s fear of public failure after a corporate career. Since posting, they’ve received validation, site offers, investor and collaboration interest, and momentum that led to exploring a much larger 14,000 sq ft opportunity. They share how quitting alcohol and seeking mood alteration through contrast therapy shaped Mood Haus “sauna 2.0” vision focused on social wellness, experiences, and community.

00:00 Ducks Not In Row
00:18 Meet Mood Haus Founders
01:01 Why Post Before Ready
03:03 Elise Fear Of Failure
05:15 Vivid Vision Goes Live
06:12 Building In Public Mindset
10:55 Cornwall Chapter Closes
14:20 Market Timing And Competition
16:54 What A Vivid Vision Is
21:20 Post Results And New Sites
22:32 Big Cornwall Site Lead
23:43 Sponsor Vertical Drop
24:16 Unexpected Investor Interest
25:08 Stars Aligning Fast
25:54 Local Partners And Saunas
26:57 Why Build In Public
27:42 Community Over Perfection
29:22 Bigger Vision Bigger Site
30:56 What Mood Haus Is
31:38 Quitting Alcohol Origin Story
35:12 Sauna 2.0 Mood Focus
36:38 AI Sauna Prescription App
38:09 Market Proof And Benchmarks
39:50 Next Steps And Site Challenges
40:48 Content Creation And Branding
42:55 Full Circle And Momentum
44:06 Closing Thanks And Founders

]]> Episode one of Made in Public is recorded in a camper van with Dan and Elise Rowntree, founders of Mood Haus, a sauna, cold plunge, and community wellness concept launched publicly before they had a site or facilities. They explain why they posted that their “ducks are firmly not in a row,” how a Cameron Herold “vivid vision” document helped make the idea real, and how building in public overcame Elise’s fear of public failure after a corporate career. Since posting, they’ve received validation, site offers, investor and collaboration interest, and momentum that led to exploring a much larger 14,000 sq ft opportunity. They share how quitting alcohol and seeking mood alteration through contrast therapy shaped Mood Haus “sauna 2.0” vision focused on social wellness, experiences, and community.

00:00 Ducks Not In Row
00:18 Meet Mood Haus Founders
01:01 Why Post Before Ready
03:03 Elise Fear Of Failure
05:15 Vivid Vision Goes Live
06:12 Building In Public Mindset
10:55 Cornwall Chapter Closes
14:20 Market Timing And Competition
16:54 What A Vivid Vision Is
21:20 Post Results And New Sites
22:32 Big Cornwall Site Lead
23:43 Sponsor Vertical Drop
24:16 Unexpected Investor Interest
25:08 Stars Aligning Fast
25:54 Local Partners And Saunas
26:57 Why Build In Public
27:42 Community Over Perfection
29:22 Bigger Vision Bigger Site
30:56 What Mood Haus Is
31:38 Quitting Alcohol Origin Story
35:12 Sauna 2.0 Mood Focus
36:38 AI Sauna Prescription App
38:09 Market Proof And Benchmarks
39:50 Next Steps And Site Challenges
40:48 Content Creation And Branding
42:55 Full Circle And Momentum
44:06 Closing Thanks And Founders

]]> Vertical Drop Buzzsprout-19165515 Wed, 13 May 2026 09:00:00 +0100 2690 1 1 full false