Simon Woodroffe founded Yo Sushi, launched Yo Hotel, appeared as an original dragon on Dragons’ Den, performed at Edinburgh Festival, and recorded with the Blockheads.
He started his first business at 45, and the first two weeks after opening, the restaurant was empty.
On the second Saturday, a queue stretched 100 yards down the block.
There were already 2,500 surveyor belt sushi spots in Japan, but nobody in the UK had heard of them.
So he got on a plane, found suppliers, figured out how to build it, and brought it back to London.
This was before the internet was a thing. Basic research that most founders skip even now, when everything is at their fingertips.
Among other things, we spoke about:
- Why “maniac control” works at the start, and when to let it go if you want to grow.
- The moment he handed over to an operations director (and what it felt like to watch from the sidelines)
- How he nearly turned down Dragons’ Den, and the phone call that changed his mind.
- The failed ventures that ate through his cash, and the royalty deal that saved him from going broke
- His hard rule for firing
Simon is living proof that the best time to begin was yesterday, and the second best time is right now.