LADbible Group CEO and founder Solly Solomou (pictured) has made his podcast debut, appearing on 20VC with Harry Stebbings. In a wide-ranging conversation, the digital-first pioneer explained how he built one of the world’s largest digital media entertainment companies, starting in a small office above a printing shop, to becoming a publicly listed company reaching over a billion people worldwide.
In a telling observation, Solomou said: “If I was to rewrite the script, I definitely would have started the business in the US. The size and scale of the market is huge.”
LBG has made up for lost time in recent years, targeting growth in North America. Today it has a global audience of over 494 million followers, including 141 million in the US. The company’s content has a total reach of over 1 billion people worldwide.
During the 80-minute interview, Solomou explored topics including the future of social media and TikTok and how to hire top talent. In a frank admission, he said that there have “a ton of failures” in the company’s expansion strategy. He was reluctant to identify them – though he reiterated that LBG should have got to the US more quickly.
Solomou also addressed the role of AI in the future of entertainment. He said: “I’m genuinely excited by the movement forward in technologies like AI. Things like desk research, sub-editing, language translation and dubbing have become way easier. If you are willing to adapt and embrace it, it’s an opportunity.”
