Thriving Minds with Alberto Zandi

Billion Dollar Founder: The 9 Steps That Built My $5.6B Business - Sir Richard Harpin

May 14, 2026·1h 28m
Episode Description from the Publisher

This week Alberto sat down with Richard Harpin, the founder of HomeServe, investor, and author of How To Make A Billion In Nine Steps, to unpack the practical framework behind building a business that sold for $5.6 billion.Richard’s story challenges one of the biggest myths about entrepreneurship: that you need a completely unique idea to build something great. He explains why copying and improving can be more powerful than inventing, why founders should stay small until they prove the model, why focus matters more than endless new ideas, and why hiring your replacement can be one of the most important decisions a founder ever makes.He also shares the nine steps he believes helped build a billion dollar business, from copying and improving existing ideas, to testing before scaling, finding the right investor, hiring better people, expanding internationally, staying focused, and developing the character needed to survive the journey.You will learn• The 9 steps Richard created to help founders build a billion dollar business• Why you do not need a completely unique idea to build something great• How copying, improving, testing, and learning can create a stronger business model• Why founders should stay small until they have proved the model works• Why hiring your replacement can help your business scale faster• How focus, discipline, resilience, and self belief helped Richard build and sell HomeServe for $5.6 billion• What a billion dollar exit actually feels like, and what success and money do not solveFollow Sir Richard Harpin:https://www.instagram.com/richard_harpin/https://uk.linkedin.com/in/rharpinhttps://www.facebook.com/harpinr/https://twitter.com/richard_harpinBuy Sir Richard's Book - How to Make a Billion in Nine Steps:https://amzn.to/3R2cFpu#thrivingminds #RichardHarpin #Entrepreneurship #BusinessPodcast #StartupAdvice #Leadership #BusinessGrowth #FounderMindset #Success #PersonalGrowth #Investing #ScalingUp #Motivation #HomeServe #EntrepreneurLife Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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