Employing the Right People: A Tech Startup Journey with Willo

Throughout your career, you meet some people that you really connect with. These are individuals who come in and out of your life and it’s always such a pleasure to catch up and hear about what they’ve been up to since you last spoke. I’ve known Andrew Wood for about 15 years and he’s had such an incredible journey so far. After years in the B2B recruitment space, Andrew became COO and Co-Founder of Willo.

In this episode of Tech startup Stories, Andrew shares the challenges of launching a business just before a global pandemic, the ups and downs and economic impacts of the industry, and why building a strong team is the key to long-term success.

Listen to the Podcast
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

From Idea to Execution: The Founder’s Journey
Andrew’s journey into being a founder was shaped by over a decade in the recruitment and sales training industry, working with companies all over the UK. Alongside his co-founder Ewan Cameron, who came from a background in digital marketing and brand building, they recognised an opportunity to improve hiring processes. However, beyond the idea itself, the real challenge lay in turning that vision into a successful business.

Starting a company is never easy, and timing is often out of a founder’s control. Just as Willo was launching in early 2020, the world changed overnight, (but we all know that story!).

Navigating Uncertainty: Resilience in Action
Like many others that launched a startup at the beginning of 2020, Andrew and Euan experienced a lot of unexpected challenges. By March, businesses had frozen hiring and uncertainty was at an all-time high, lots of founders might have panicked, but Andrew and Euan adapted, using the time to refine their approach. As businesses shifted towards remote operations, the need for digital solutions accelerated, creating new opportunities for growth.

His experience is a lesson in resilience. Success often depends not just on the idea but on a founder’s ability to navigate unforeseen challenges and pivot when necessary. What’s great about this, is the way Andrew and Evan have not only been able to deal with continuous challenges, but to thrive under the pressure and change.

Scaling a Startup: Key Leadership Decisions
For many startups, the instinct is to focus entirely on product perfection before building out a team. Andrew and Euan took a different approach, prioritising key business functions early. Their first hires were in sales rather than product development, an unconventional move that paid off by ensuring real customer insights drove the product development and company direction.

Another crucial decision was delaying hiring for as long as possible, using outsourced talent until they were confident about scaling. When they did start building their team, every hire was made with a focus on company culture and long-term fit, rather than simply filling roles, (but of course, Andrew is an expert in finding great people!).

The Evolution of Leadership and Growth
As a startup matures, so does its leadership approach, in the early days, Andrew wore multiple hats, handling sales, finance, HR and more. Over time, finding the right leaders to take on those responsibilities, became essential.

Transitioning from a founder-led operation to a structured leadership team is a key milestone for any growing company. As Andrew explains, bringing in the right people allowed the business to scale sustainably and operate more efficiently.

The Future of Entrepreneurship and Business Strategy
Looking ahead, Andrew sees the next big challenge for founders as balancing automation and human connection in business operations. He believes the future of successful startups lies not just in innovation of tech, but in how leaders build adaptable teams and, create a lasting and positive company culture.

For Willo, this means expanding internationally, growing their leadership team and staying focused on sustainable business practices rather than chasing short-term gains.

Advice for Startup Founders
Reflecting on his own journey, Andrew shares the following advice:

• Hire wisely: Your business is only as strong as your team so look for people with the right mindset and adaptability rather than just experience.

• Take a balanced approach: Founders do not need to work 120-hour weeks to succeed, prioritise balance and focus in both work and life.

• Be adaptable: In business, anything can change overnight, stay flexible and be willing to pivot when necessary.

Andrew’s story is a one of the power of resilience, strategic leadership and the importance of putting people first.

Listen to the Podcast
Available on Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Podcasts and YouTube.

Learn more about Andrew Wood and Willo.