Business Is Boring

The old idea that could be the future for trades payments

Business Is Boring

Show Notes

When a client didn’t pay Max Semmons-Russell’s plumbing business for a completed $30k job it nearly knocked his company over. When it happened again he decided there had to be a better way. Asking around he saw the problem was huge, and there might be a solution that had fallen out of use. Escrow is a concept where people put a payment with a trusted third party until the product or service has been delivered. Max built Green Light Escrow to make it easy for trades businesses to use escrow to have certainty of payment, and customers to know they only pay when the job is delivered. To talk solving the big problem, starting a tech business on top of a successful plumbing business and what’s next, Max Semmons-Russell joins Simon Pound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More from Business Is Boring

Aug 18, 2025

What started as a way to escape meal planning admin has turned into a powerful tool shaping the future of food.

Aug 11, 2025

From starting Crimson Education as a teenager to leading a company operating at a $300 million revenue run rate, Jamie Beaton has been on an extraordinary journey. In this episode, Simon Pound talks with the Crimson founder about his path from acceptance into 25 of the world’s top universities to scaling a billion-dollar global education business. They cover the creation of Crimson Global Academy, the role of AI in shaping education, and Jamie’s new teaching role at the University of Auckland’s Business Navigators program. Along the way, they explore lessons in resilience, leadership, and building ambitious ventures from Aotearoa to the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Aug 5, 2025

What started as a conversation between three friends in Whakatāne became a new category in drinks - a premium sparkling Mānuka honey beverage rooted in kaupapa Māori.

Jul 28, 2025

What if your meetings, interviews, or coaching sessions could turn themselves into structured insights, ready-to-go content, or instant action points? That’s what Contented AI - a Christchurch-based startup led by Lucy Pink and Hannah Hardy-Jones - is building.

Jul 21, 2025

Rowan Simpson has helped shape some of Aotearoa’s most iconic startups - from Trade Me and Xero to Vend and Timely - usually from behind the scenes. But with the release of his new book How to Be Wrong, he’s stepped into the spotlight to share some hard-earned lessons about success, leadership, and the quiet people who build great companies.

See all episodes →