Founder's Mentality: The CEO Sessions

How on earth can we simplify when business complexity feels inevitable?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Stuart Gent, Partner and Co-Head of Europe Private Equity at Bain Capital, to explore how leaders can strip away noise, refocus their teams, and rediscover what truly drives performance. From defining the heart of a business to knowing which problems only the CEO can solve, Stuart shares practical lessons on clarity, focus, and “flow” - the energy that fuels great organizations.
We’re also joined by David Fleck, Founder and Managing Partner at Freeflow Ventures, who brings a startup investor’s lens to the conversation. Together, they unpack how to balance creativity with execution, when to say no in order to grow, and how to build resilience in teams facing constant change. These insights reveal why the best leaders fall back in love with process, not bureaucracy, and how intentional simplicity can turn pressure into momentum and restore flow across an organization.
Join the Conversation:
To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/
https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More: 

Simplify to Fuel Growth - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/simplify-to-fuel-growth-fm-blog/)
Killing Complexity Before Complexity Kills Growth - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/killing-complexity-before-complexity-kills-growth/)
Overcoming Complexity and the Energy Vampires - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/overcoming-complexity-and-the-energy-vampires-fm-blog/)
Steve Jobs - Get Much Simpler, Be Really Clear - Sept. 23, 1997 - Video (https://youtu.be/jMSa9sSZpF8?si=Ul8iPmL8Zh1_RZ8C)
Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/) 
Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany) 
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/) 
Stuart Gent Profile (https://www.baincapital.com/people/stuart-gent)
David Fleck LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidfleck)

About Founders Mentality
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen. 

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level. 

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:
Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

As the year winds down, Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions takes a festive turn. In this special holiday bonus episode, host Jimmy reflects on the season’s conversations with global leaders, each sharing a lesson they bring home to their families. 

This episode gathers a wreath of insights about resilience, curiosity, and gratitude. You’ll hear from CEOs who’ve learned to sweat the details, embrace hard choices, love the ride, and simply say “thank you.” Whether you’re listening on the way home for the holidays or by the fire with friends, it’s a reminder that the best leadership lessons often start at home, and that bringing energy, empathy, and optimism to all we do might just be the greatest gift of all.
Join the Conversation:
To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/
https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More: 
Hard-Earned Lessons from CEOs - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/hard-earned-lessons-from-ceos-interactive/)

Five Keys to Navigating Organizations Through Turbulence - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/five-keys-to-navigating-organizations-through-turbulence-video/)

Maintaining Relevance Amid Uncertainty - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/maintaining-relevance-amid-uncertainty-video/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/) 
Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany) 
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/) 

About Founders Mentality
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen. 

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level. 

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:
Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

Big companies are built to deliver, but in a world where technology shifts daily and customer needs change overnight, delivery alone isn’t enough. Business building has to become part of the culture.

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Tanuja Randery, Managing Director of Amazon Web Services in EMEA, to explore how AWS scales without becoming a bureaucracy. From codifying leadership principles to democratizing challenges, Tanuja shares how AWS sustains speed  and empowers a rare but vital community she calls “scalers” - the people who turn bold ideas into repeatable models.

We’re also joined by Erika Serow, Partner and CMO at Bain and former President of Sweaty Betty, who reveals how improv comedy became a crash course in collaboration, creativity, and scaling ideas.
Together, these stories show why business building isn’t a distraction from delivery, it’s the growth engine. And why the real art of scaling comes from creating cultures where curiosity, experimentation, and even mistakes fuel speed and innovation.
Join the Conversation:
To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/
https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More:
Four Ways CEOs Can Spur Innovation amid Turbulence - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/four-ways-ceos-can-spur-innovation-amid-turbulence/)
How to Identify Great Scalers - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/how-to-identify-great-scalers-fm-blog/)
Scaling Businesses as a Team - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/scaling-businesses-as-a-team-fm-blog/)
The Best Practices of Great Scalers - Blog (https://www.bain.com/insights/the-best-practices-of-great-scalers-fm-blog/)
How to Preserve the Essence of Founder-Driven Companies - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/how-to-preserve-the-essence-of-founder-driven-companies-video/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/) 
Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany) 
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/) 
Tanuja Randery LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanuja-randery)
Erika Serow Profile (https://www.bain.com/our-team/erika-serow/)

About Founders Mentality
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen. 

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level. 

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:
Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

How do you grow a bold idea into a global agribusiness leader… and then reimagine it all over again?
In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Sunny Verghese, Co-Founder and CEO of Olam, to discuss how repeatable models can deliver both discipline and discovery. From sourcing cashews in Nigeria to building a business that now spans 60 countries, Sunny reflects on how differentiation, curiosity, and a willingness to embrace discomfort shaped Olam’s growth, and his own evolution as a leader.
We’re also joined by Tabu Osusa, legendary Kenyan producer, cultural archivist, and co-founder of Singing Wells. Tabu shares how field recordings across East Africa shifted from chaotic, costly expeditions into a streamlined process that ultimately gave musicians more space to shine.
Together, these stories show that repeatable models aren’t just about efficiency. They create the freedom to listen, to innovate, and to keep the entrepreneurial spirit alive.
Join the Conversation:
To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or hit the link for additional CEO Insights. 

Join the Conversation:
To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/
https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More: 

Repeatable Models and the Mafia Retirement Home – Blog (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/repeatable-models-mafia-retirement-home-james-allen-3adke/) 
The Great Repeatable Business Model – Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/the-great-repeatable-business-model-hbr/)

The Strategic Principles of Repeatability – Article (https://www.bain.com/insights/the-strategic-principles-of-repeatability)

Three Things Your Company Can Learn from a Bottle of Water – Article  (https://www.bain.com/insights/three-things-your-company-can-learn-from-a-bottle-of-water)

From Founder-Led Origins to a Decentralized Business Model – Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/from-founder-led-origins-to-a-decentralized-business-model-video/)
Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/) 
Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany) 
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/) 
Sunny Verghese LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sunny-verghese/)
Tabu Osusa Profile LinkedIn (https://www.singingwells.org/who-we-are/tabu-osusa/)

About Founders Mentality
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen. 

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level. 

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:
Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.

What does it take to ‘refound’ a company that you started, this time in the public spotlight?

In this episode, Jimmy Allen sits down with Nirav Tolia, Co-Founder and CEO of Nextdoor, to explore the art of reorientating a company without losing momentum. From balancing the pressure of quarterly results with the need to reignite innovation, to radically shifting his own leadership style, Nirav shares the hard choices, personal lessons, and community-first mindset guiding Nextdoor’s next phase. 

We’re also joined by Herman Spruit, CEO of 361 by FINCA and Advisory Partner at Bain & Company, who offers a practical lens on the difference between “delivery” and “development” meetings, and why confusing the two can stall progress. Together, these conversations reveal how leaders can honor the past while building for the future, why execution and innovation must coexist, and how the right mindset in the room can unlock creativity, culture, and growth.

Join the Conversation:
To learn more check out the Founders Mentality website or our CEO Insights hub: https://www.bain.com/founders-mentality/
https://www.bain.com/insights/topics/ceo-agenda

Learn More: 
Deliver or Develop? Why CEOs Must Master Both - Blog (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/deliver-develop-why-ceos-must-master-both-james-allen-wiuse)
Why the Systems That Helped You Grow Might Now Be Holding You Back - Blog (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-systems-helped-you-grow-might-now-holding-back-james-allen-3bvce/)
How to Breathe New Life into Strategy (https://www.bain.com/insights/how-to-breathe-new-life-into-strategy/)
Leon: What If God Made Fast Food? - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/leon-founders-mentality-video/)
Leading With Energy Through Turbulent Times - Video (https://www.bain.com/insights/leading-with-energy-through-turbulent-times-video/)

Bain & Company LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/bain-and-company/) 
Bain & Company X (https://x.com/BainandCompany) 
Jimmy Allen LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-allen-3442b/) 
Nirav Tolia LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/niravtolia/)
Herman Spruit LinkedIn (https://www.abubillamusic.com/the-team)

About Founders Mentality
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is a leadership podcast hosted by executive advisor and bestselling author Jimmy Allen. 

Each episode features candid conversations with top CEOs, from Audible to Walmart to AWS, as well as artists, comedians, and other unconventional thinkers. Together, they share the lessons that shaped their growth, the “aha” moments that redefined their work, and the surprising ways reinvention happens at every level. 

Whether you’re a CEO, an aspiring leader, or simply curious about leadership, influence, and business at scale, this podcast will challenge and inspire you, one story at a time.

About the Host:
Jimmy Allen is an Advisory Partner at Bain & Company with over 35 years’ experience advising leading organizations. He’s the author of multiple best-selling books on growth and leadership and the host and founder of Bain’s Global CEO Community Forum. Jimmy is a regular speaker at global business events, including the World Economic Forum, and serves on the Botswana Economic Advisory Council. Outside of consulting, Jimmy started his own record label (Abubilla Music) in 2008 and supports Singing Wells, a project dedicated to preserving Kenyan village music.

Bain & Company:
Founder’s Mentality: The CEO Sessions is brought to you by Bain & Company, a global consultancy trusted by the world’s most influential business leaders. With decades of experience guiding organizations through growth, transformation, and leadership development, Bain’s executive insights offer what it takes to lead at scale.