The Hidden Hustle Podcast

Could Quantum Computing Be Bigger Than AI?

That’s one of the biggest questions we explored with Jason Lynch, CEO of Equal1, on the latest episode of The Hidden Hustle Podcast.

Jason has spent the last 7.5 years building Equal1, with an ambition that is anything but small: to become the biggest quantum computing company in the world.

What makes the story remarkable is the technology Equal1 has developed.

Jason and his team have spent years proving that something some of the smartest people in the world — including Nobel Prize-winning physicists and some of the world’s largest technology companies — believed couldn’t be done, actually could.

Equal1’s vision is to become a fabless quantum semiconductor company, creating quantum technology that can move beyond the laboratory and eventually integrate into existing semiconductor and data centre infrastructure.

The potential is enormous. Quantum computing could transform areas such as drug discovery, battery technology, logistics, energy and financial optimisation — tackling problems that are incredibly difficult for classical computers.

We discuss:
* Why Jason believes quantum computing could ultimately be bigger than AI.
* What quantum computing actually is, explained simply.
* Equal1’s ambition to become the world’s biggest quantum computing company.
* The remarkable technology Equal1 has developed.
* How they proved some of the world’s smartest scientists wrong.
* Why Equal1 believes quantum computing can be built using existing semiconductor infrastructure.
* The company’s vision to become a fabless quantum semiconductor company.
* Raising around $80m and why they plan to raise significantly more.
* Equal1’s first commercial product and what it means for the industry.
* Working with customers including the European Space Agency.
* The trillion-dollar problems quantum computing could potentially solve.
* Why making quantum technology usable could be more important than simply having the most powerful machine.
* Why the next Nvidia of computing could potentially emerge from the quantum industry right here in Ireland.
A fascinating conversation about a technology that could fundamentally change the way we compute.Link to Equal1 - https://www.equal1.com/

Follow Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-lynch-cork-ireland/

Do you understand the complexities involved in getting a simple glass of clean drinking water?

In this episode, we sit down with Karl Zimmerer, founder of Glanua, to hear the incredible journey of building one of Ireland’s leading water and wastewater engineering businesses and taking it international.

Karl and his team has doubled the companies revenue in the last 4 years with Glanua on track to hit north of €200m in 2026.

Karl explains the hidden engineering behind something most of us take completely for granted: water. From collecting and treating raw water to delivering clean drinking water, collecting wastewater, treating it and ultimately finding ways to reuse the resulting resources, Glanua provides end-to-end engineering solutions across the entire water cycle.

We discuss:

- How rainwater actually becomes the clean drinking water coming out of your tap.

- Why Dublin’s reliance on a single major water source presents such a significant challenge.

- What Glanua actually does and the enormous complexity behind water and wastewater infrastructure.

- Why Glanua builds much of its equipment and infrastructure directly on-site.

- Why data centres require significant amounts of water and the solutions Glanua is developing to address this.

- Karl’s struggles getting the business off the ground and why delivering an exceptional first job became one of his most powerful marketing tools.

- Why relentless innovation and constantly challenging the status quo allowed Glanua to compete against businesses generating billions in revenue while they were turning over just €40–50 million.

- Growing revenue from approximately €40 million in 2014 to €80 million in 2019.

- How diversifying outside their core expertise created major problems for the wider group when COVID hit.

- The incredibly difficult cash flow challenges Karl faced as profits and cash generated by the core water business were needed to support struggling parts of the wider group.

- How Karl stepped up to manage the combined Irish and UK operations through one of the most challenging periods in the company’s history.

- How Glanua ultimately became part of BHSL, led by Denis Brosnan, and why the deal proved to be such a successful move for the business.

- Glanua’s expansion into the US and why M&A and building an exceptional team on the ground will be crucial to cracking the American market.

- Karl’s perspective on work-life balance after dealing with loss of his daughter when she was young and decades of building and scaling businesses.

- And the first job he recommends his own kids get — and why.Links & Resources:

Glanua : https://glanua.com/

Follow Karl on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karl-zimmerer/

Paul McCarthy has recently stepped back from the day-to-day operations at Snapfix, so what better time to look back on what was key to getting his journey up and running.

In this short but powerful episode, we unpack the journey from a simple kitchen-table idea to a global software company used by teams across more than 60 countries.

Paul shares a practical masterclass in startup execution, explaining how he validated the market before building the product, why customer feedback mattered more than investor feedback in the early days, and how a relentless focus on simplicity became Snapfix’s biggest competitive advantage.

From bootstrapping while still working to raising investment three years later, this episode is packed with actionable lessons for founders, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking to turn an idea into a scalable business. Snapfix has grown from a prototype with just 20–30 users to a global maintenance and operations platform serving customers across hospitality, facilities management, education, manufacturing, and property sectors worldwide.

10 Key Takeaways from the Episode

Start with the problem, not the product. Paul spent significant time validating the market before investing heavily in development.
Build a prototype early. Even if it’s “horrible” compared to the finished product, getting something in front of customers is invaluable.
Show customers before investors. Customer feedback shaped the real product and provided proof of demand.
Ruthlessly eliminate unnecessary features. Simplicity became Snapfix’s biggest differentiator.
Find a co-founder who complements your skills and shares your long-term vision.
Don’t rush to raise money. Paul waited three years before seeking investment, focusing first on product-market fit.
Customer feedback is everything. Paul believes founders should be willing to talk to customers at any time. Some of Snapfix’s best ideas came directly from these conversations.
Focus on difficult niches first. Solving complex problems can create stronger barriers to entry and deeper expertise.
Study great founders. Lessons from entrepreneurs such as Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos heavily influenced Snapfix’s approach to product design, growth, and simplicity.
Keep improving by simplifying. Snapfix continually reviews its product, removing features that customers don’t use and doubling down on what they do.

This episode is a blueprint for anyone trying to build a startup from scratch, validate an idea, and scale globally without losing sight of what customers actually want.

SummaryWhat does it take to build a No.1 Best Selling Product on Amazon in the US while competing at the highest level of sport?This week on the podcast, Alan sat down with Swifter founders James Madden and Nadia Power to hear how they’ve gone from launching a single running vest on Amazon to becoming a No.1 Amazon bestseller across Ireland and the US, selling in Amazon markets in Australia and the UK, while also breaking into major retailers including Brown Thomas and Lifestyle Sports.In 2023 the pair saw an opportunity with the massive social running boom that had taken place during covid to design a practical, comfortable and affordable running vest.What stood out most was how they went about selling their first product - on Amazon before setting up a brand, website or social media pages. They tested demand for the product first while also letting amazon deal with all the logistics. Their sporting backgrounds have become their competitive advantage. Rather than guessing what runners want, they’ve lived the problems themselves and built products to solve them. Nadia competed in the 2020 Japan Olympics 800 Meter and James plays Hurling for Dublin. Today, Swifter has sold more than 120,000 running vests, expanded internationally, and continues to grow at an incredible pace, with revenue reaching an impressive 7 figures and expected to double this year!But beyond the business success, this conversation is packed with lessons on resilience, personal branding, continuous learning and what it really takes to perform at a high level.A brilliant conversation with two founders who are building something special.Key Topics we discussed:Spotting the social running boom early and the need for a practical and affordable running vest.Nadia shared the reality of dealing with injuries after reaching the highest level of athletics as an Olympian. Swifter launched its first product on Amazon before building a large brand or audience.Their competitive advantage comes from being athletes who deeply understand the problems their customers face. Why they choose Amazon as their first point of sale.Swifter expanded from Ireland into international markets, including Australia, through Amazon.The company has sold more than 120,000 running vests and earned Amazon bestseller status across multiple markets.Personal branding is becoming an increasingly important growth lever for modern founders.As the company scales, the focus is shifting from hustle to systems, processes and building a team.Some nightmare stories that showed true resilience to pull through from. Links & resources: Swifter: https://swifterstore.com/Follow Nadia and James on Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nadiapower/https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-j-madden/Our Sponsors: Tap Design Consultancy: https://wearetap.ie/ linkedin.com/company/tapdesignconsultancy

From £500,000 Spent to Zero Customers… to International Expansion

In this episode of The Hidden Hustle Podcast, Jonathan Larbey, Founder & CEO of T-Pro, shares the hard lessons learned while scaling a healthcare technology business internationally.

After achieving early success in Ireland, T-Pro attempted to replicate the same strategy in the UK. The result?

 Nearly £500,000 spent over two years
 Not a single customer acquired

Jonathan explains the pivotal changes that transformed their fortunes and set the company on a path to international growth.

 Why T-Pro partnered with private equity firm Livingbridge and the role they played in accelerating growth

 The reality of entering new markets organically – and why it can be slow, expensive, and incredibly challenging

 Why T-Pro chose Australia and New Zealand as key expansion markets

 The strategy behind acquiring two businesses in Australia and one in New Zealand

 The challenges of integrating teams across multiple countries, time zones, and cultures

 The integration framework T-Pro follows to maximise the success of every acquisition

 Why they didn’t target the US market first

 How they funded an acquisition when traditional bank financing couldn’t move fast enough

 Why Jonathan has no interest in minority investments

 How M&A will play a crucial role in T-Pro’s ambition to achieve Unicorn status

This conversation is packed with practical lessons for founders, operators, and anyone interested in scaling businesses through acquisition and international expansion.