Changemaker Series: How Timothy Armoo chooses and builds successful businesses

Founders left our latest Changemaker event with a renewed sense of motivation and ambition, thanks to our latest guest speaker Timothy Armoo.

Timothy, also known as Timo, is an entrepreneur, investor and the bestselling author of What’s Stopping You? He joined us at Virgin HQ for an honest, energising conversation about building businesses, learning through failure, and staying grounded along the way.

From launching companies as a teenager to scaling Fanbytes into an eight-figure exit, Timo’s story is packed with practical lessons for founders at every stage.

If you couldn’t make it down to Virgin HQ for the event, don’t worry — you can watch the recording inside the Virgin StartUp Community, plus we’ve captured the key takeaways from the evening. ✍️

There is always a third door

At just 17, Timothy saw there was a huge conference happening with some of the biggest names in business, including Richard Branson, Alan Sugar, James Caan, and more.

He was determined to find a way into this event to interview Richard Branson (we don’t blame him). But without any press credentials, had to get creative.

Using the principle "You can get anything you want, if you help other people get what they want", he emailed the event organisers, offering to go to the venue a few days early and lay out all the chairs for the event in exchange for a press pass.

It worked.

That experience shaped a core belief he still holds today. When the front door is closed and the side door is locked, there is always a third door. The key is understanding what the other person needs and finding a way to offer real value.

Start small and focus on the step in front of you

Fanbytes wasn’t Timothy’s first business. At 14, he ran a small side hustle matching tutors with students, earning a £5 commission for each introduction. That £5 mattered more than any later exit because it proved something fundamental: ideas can turn into income.

Too many founders, Timothy explained, fixate on the big vision. His advice is to focus on early proof points — the first customer, the first invoice, the first small win. That’s where confidence is built.

Failure is part of the process

Between early experiments and later success sat a long list of failed businesses. They don’t tend to show up on LinkedIn profiles, but they’re where most of the learning happens.

Rather than seeing each idea as “the one”, Timothy treated every business as a lesson. Each attempt taught him what not to do and built the skills that made the next venture stronger.

Your business is not your identity

One of Timothy’s most powerful reframes is rejecting the idea that a business is your ‘baby’. At some point, a business needs to grow beyond you.

Detaching identity from outcomes creates healthier founders. Wins feel good without becoming ego fuel, and setbacks stop feeling personal. As Timothy put it, you are not your business, you are the person building it.

It’s not that deep!

Entrepreneurship is hard by default. Deals fall through, investors change their minds and plans unravel at the last minute.

During Fanbytes’s growth, Timothy lost a key investment overnight and had to regroup fast. Sitting in his office, he repeatedly shouted out loud “it’s not that deep!”

That mindset builds resilience by keeping perspective. Business is a series of problems to solve, not a verdict on your worth.

Do it scared and learn the skills

Confidence rarely arrives before action.

Timothy admitted that fear followed him at every stage, from early startups to raising tens of millions later in his career.

Instead of waiting to feel ready, he focused on skills. If the next stage required fundraising, hiring or PR, then those were skills to learn. Other people have done it, which means it is possible.

Original ideas are overrated

Timothy doesn’t believe in waiting for a lightbulb moment.

Fanbytes wasn’t a brand new idea, influencer marketing was already working elsewhere. The opportunity came from applying it to a new audience and market at the right time.

Execution, timing, and market demand matter far more than originality.

Pick the right wave

Hard work matters, but choosing what to work on matters more.

Timothy calls this “wave picking”. By focusing on growing markets, founders give themselves a tailwind. You don’t need to be the best in the world if the wave is rising and you stay in the game.

Building something bigger than yourself

Now, through investing, mentoring and his bestselling book, Timothy’s focus is on helping more founders start and scale businesses. His goal is simple, help thousands of people build companies that support families, communities and long-term impact.

The conversation was a powerful reminder that progress is rarely linear, fear is normal, and success comes from steady steps, not perfect plans.

If you are building something and feeling stuck, Timothy’s message was clear. Start small, learn the skills, pick the right wave, and remember, it’s not that deep.

Come to our next Changemakers event

Changemakers takes place every month at Virgin HQ and, thanks to Virgin Money, it’s free to attend.

Make sure to join the Virgin StartUp Community to stay updated on upcoming Changemaker events and secure your free ticket.

See you there!

Written by Nina Evangeli, Virgin StartUp