Last year we launched a technology series in which we explore the career stories behind some of the world’s most exciting tech founders. Each month, I chat with a different entrepeneur to find out how they got to where they are today, arrived at their business concept, and secured investment to build their business.
 

In the latest event on Tuesday 11th January, I was joined by Arun Anand, Founder and CEO of Electric Miles.

 

As an early user of a commercial electric vehicle, Arun saw the growing pains that drivers faced and wanted to find a way to solve the problems that drivers faced. He set about founding Electric Miles, which has gone on to win the Super Connect for Good competition in 2021.

 

Arun gave me some excellent insight into life as a founder, the challenges he faces, and what other aspiring entrepeneurs can expect to experience. Watch our conversation in full below:

 

 

 

Alternatively, if you’re interested in a particular element of the discussion, you can skip to find the answers to the following questions by using these timestamps:

 

Arun, who's worked in the energy sector throughout his career, explains the possible crisis that electric vehicle drivers could face. Smart tech can be used to solve this, which is where Electric Miles comes in.

 

The idea is not everything, says Arun; it's the execution too. Arun explained how his passion, rather than his experience, has been important in motivating him, and how he believes it’s important for all founders.

 

Arun agrees that EV adoption is often misunderstood. People care about their cars and have concerns over price and anxiety over range. However, not all of these fears are still relevant. Did you know that there are more electric charging stations in the UK than there are petrol pumps?!

 

Electric Miles are now one of the top five players in the UK charging market, but the competition means that the pressure is on to stay well. Arun tells me that it’s important to obsess over what the pain points are for your target market and finding solutions – while making sure you stay flexible.

 

At larger enterprises, it’s harder to know your customer base as there are simply so many people that you’re trying to please. In contrast, working at a startup makes it easier to know your customer, something which Arun feels more big businesses would do well to return to. He also explains his attitude to failing and what other founders could learn here.

Arun doesn't believe that it's possible to build a successful business alone, so a team is an important pillar. In his experience, having "people skills" is fundamental, but he confesses that he's still learning.

 

Like many entrepeneurs, Arun has always been driven, and enjoys selling, something he believes is important for any business. Even when it comes to tech, vision and selling is always important, whether it's selling a product or an idea.

 

Simply put: it’s a never-ending cycle. It’s different for smaller businesses that can generate revenue a lot earlier in their life, but for companies such as Electric Miles, this doesn’t happen for a few years. Instead, Arun says, it’s important to sell your vision. With every meeting he’s had with an investor, he’s learned more and over time has been able to adopt an insight that he didn’t have before he started.

 

It’s important to tell a story. Arun is still learning how best to tell the story of Electric Miles, and references Winston Churchill in his approach to speaking to investors! He also stresses the importance of preparing for different scenarios and not jumping in too soon.

 

Arun offers an excellent example (using myself!) of how people typically use their cars and how this affects electric vehicles in a different way to other engines. In the future, he sees a number of ways in which drivers could use their battery charge in a new way.

 

"Which business owner doesn't want to see their business scale up?!" Electric Miles' investors are excited by the fact that the business model is scaleable. Arun goes on to discuss his thoughts on COP26 and says that the answer to solving pollution emissions doesn't lie with regular people, but public transport and taxis instead.

 

Is it there any initiative to invent a mobile charger for electric vehicles in case of emergency? Maybe another spare system like the additional fuel tank? 57:18

There's a great piece of advice here on coming up with original ideas! Arun talks through the different solutions that other business have come up with, why he likes (or doesn't like) them, and how Electric Miles is carving a position for itself as a result.

 

Watch more interviews with Tech Founders, including other winners from the Super Connect for Good series, here.