The phrase 'Here Be Dragons' used to be found on the edges of old maps to warn explorers of the dangerous, uncharted territories ahead. Most people saw it and turned back. Paul saw it and decided to build an agency there.

Paul McEntee is the founder and CEO of Here Be Dragons. After a decade leading global storytelling for giants like Heineken and the Olympics at Edelman, Paul took the leap to go independent. He’s the mind behind some of the most audacious, 'earned-first' creative campaigns in the UK—from opening the country's highest pub for Beavertown to flipping Black Friday on its head for giffgaff.

He’s spent the last decade proving that if a brand isn’t brave, it’s invisible.

On this episode of the Founders Arms, we’re talking about the transition from big-agency life to independent hustle, the 'Dragon Energy' it takes to push clients into uncomfortable (but winning) territory, and the art of navigating the uncharted.

Welcome back to The Founders Arms.

Today’s guest is a man who has lived the full founder’s arc.

From the 'scrappy startup' days to a high-stakes exit and beyond.

As the co-founder of Imagen Insights, Jay Richards didn’t just build an agency; he built a bridge between the world’s biggest brands - Google, Amazon, and Pepsi – and the brutal, unfiltered honesty of Gen Z.

But it wasn’t all smooth sailing. He’s navigated the heartbreak of collapsed deals, the intensity of a major acquisition, and the unique challenge of 'staying on' after the sale.

Today, he is the Managing Director at Disrupt, where he’s leading the charge in the creator economy and proving that there is life, and serious growth, after the exit. He’s here to talk about the reality of M&A, the mistakes founders make with equity, and why your brand is probably still getting Gen Z wrong.

Jay Richards, welcome!

Welcome back to the Founders Arms!

This week we're with David Ogiste, founder of events and experience agency "Nobody's Cafe".

After working multiple events jobs throughout his career, David saw an opportunity to go solo and build his own agency, harnessing experience from running student nights at university, to events with serious global ambition in Dubai.

Here he talks about his path towards becoming a founder, some of the early stresses and pains. and how campaigns for the likes of Trivago and Amazon Prime set his agency on the path to success.