Building a Business That Can Grow Without You

About this episode

David Askew left the UK, came to Australia, and in 1998 started Fast Automation out of his own hands — one person doing engineering, robotics and process-control work that most people never see but every modern factory depends on. Nearly three decades later it's an established automation business. The interesting part isn't that it grew; it's what David had to give up for it to grow.

This is the founder's quietest, hardest problem: the thing that made the business work in the early days — you, in every decision and every job — is the same thing that caps it later. We talked about the real mechanics of stepping back: building systems instead of heroics, hiring people who don't work the way you do, developing leaders, and preparing a company so it holds its value whether you stay or sell.

We also got into the future David is building toward — how automation, robotics and AI are reshaping what work even needs doing — and the part founders rarely admit: the imposter feeling that never fully leaves, and why the instincts you discount are usually the ones that built the whole thing.

What you'll learn in this conversation

• How Fast Automation went from a one-person shop to an established business
• Why the founder is so often the thing capping the company's growth
• Building systems and processes so a business can run without you
• The real work of delegation, leadership development and succession
• Why preparing for an exit is about far more than financial performance
• How automation, robotics and AI are reshaping whole industries
• Why technical brilliance alone never scales a company
• Selling complex technology — why communication beats specs
• Spotting your true comparative advantage as a founder
• Why imposter syndrome follows even successful founders — and what to do with it