EP 31: Leadership Lessons from Two Unicorn Builders | Mubariz ft. Jan Bolz & Simon Court

In this episode, I sit down with Jan Bolz and Simon Court to talk about leadership, scaling companies, founder psychology, and why Pakistan continues to stand out as an emerging market. Jan Bolz is the former CEO of Tipico and an early backer of Pakistan’s startup ecosystem through Sarmayacar. Simon Court is a leadership coach who has worked with founders and CEOs behind multiple unicorn companies. We discuss: • The Founder’s Trap • Why founders become bottlenecks • Building culture and hiring great talent • What leaders must unlearn to scale • Why top CEOs work with coaches • The Miniclip growth story • Pakistan’s startup ecosystem and emerging market In this episode: Mubariz Siddiqui - Founder, Carbon Law LinkedIn:   / mubarizsiddiqui   Twitter: https://x.com/mubarizsiddiqui?lang=en Simon Court - Founder & Chairman, Value Partnership LinkedIn:   / simoncourt   Link to the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1639090290 Jan Bolz - Managing Partner, IOI Capital GmbH LinkedIn:   / janbolz   Chapters: 0:00:00 — Intro 00:02:00 — Why Pakistan 00:03:47 — Jan’s Journey 00:10:29 — How They Met 00:12:22 — What Is a Coach? 00:14:02 — Working Together 00:21:12 — Founder Mode 00:25:24 — Choosing the Right Coach 00:31:31 — Leadership Traits 00:36:54 — Building Culture 00:42:17 — The Power of Storytelling 00:45:48 — Think. Feel. Do. 00:50:06 — Removing Bottlenecks 00:54:29 — The Art of Listening 01:01:14 — Delegation Done Right 01:07:39 — The Founder’s Trap 01:10:37 — Hardest Lessons 01:16:46 — The Power of Support 01:19:47 — Hiring Great Talent 01:27:27 — Pakistan Through Their Eyes 01:33:50 — Lessons From Emerging Markets