Alessandro Savelli: The remarkable journey from failure to flourishing

Reviews can make or break a company. What about going on one of the biggest TV shows in the country and having a respected business say, “I like it because it’s a good lesson on how not to run and set up a business.”

That less-than-glowing review was by ex-career banker turned entrepreneur and business turnaround specialist, Jenny Campbell on the hit BBC show Dragons’ Den in 2018. One of the men in the Den that day was Pasta Evangelists’ Co-Founder, Alessandro Savelli. Fast forward to 2021 and the company was acquired by the world’s largest pasta company, Barilla Group, for £40m.

We spoke to Alessandro about bouncing back from a business failure, searching for Co-Founders to start a business with and much more.

Here's what we discussed:

• Could you give us an overview of your career? (1:57)
• Do you think your smartphone business was a bit ahead of its time? (3:39)
• Towards the end of your smartphone jewellery venture, was there a specific signal that you came across that went this is time to wind this down, or did the market do that naturally? (5:52)
• Could you tell us a little bit about the genesis of Pasta Evangelists and what your mindset was starting again after the failure of your previous company? (7:07)
• Your father was an entrepreneur. How much do you think having a support network around you during the difficult times of closing down your previous company helped? (8:54)
• How did you find the process of finding Co-Founders to help you to grow your business to where it is today? (10:08)
• How did your partnerships, such as your one with Harrods, come about? (14:56)
• How did you avoid spreading your business too thin by having too many commercial offerings? (16:35)
• How did the pandemic affect your business? (19:40)
• You ended up being acquired by Barilla Group. If you could go back and give yourself advice before this acquisition to make it easier, what would it be? (20:56)
• Do you consider yourself a disruptor? (23:55)
• I’m curious about the relationship that countries have with failure. What’s the Italian attitude towards failure in a business sense? (26:17)
• Do you have any tips for business leaders and entrepreneurs who may be going through the fundraising process? (28:17)
• The Good News Postcard: What is your greatest strength and how does it benefit you? (29:50)
• What do you think makes a great business leader? (31:46)

Thanks to Grace from the Jill Dando News for bringing us The Good News Postcard this week. Get your dose of positive news by visiting The Good News Post, a website collated by hundreds of young people aged 8 to 18 in the UK. They've written real-life “news that’s good for you”, covering people, animals, stories to cheer people up, and tips to make lives better.

Be sure to subscribe to the podcast and the Business Leader YouTube channel for more interviews with some of the world’s leading business figures.

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