Some industries are easy to disrupt. Infrastructure isn’t one of them. But by focusing on adoption over features, clarity over complexity, and tempo over comfort, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleycopsey/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Shelley Copsey</a> has built <a href="https://fyld.ai/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">FYLD</a> into a company reshaping how frontline operations work.In this episode, she breaks down the real levers of transformation: making work visible, removing friction, earning trust in high-risk environments, and rebuilding leadership as the company scales. Her insights go far beyond infrastructure - they’re a blueprint for any CEO trying to grow a company inside a resistant or complex market.What you’ll learn:🔍 The root causes of productivity breakdowns in scaling organisations🎯 How to build products teams genuinely adopt and rely on⚠️ Common failure points in organisational transformation — and how to overcome them⚡ Practical strategies for maintaining operational tempo as your company grows🧩 How to evolve leadership roles to match the organisation’s next stage🛰️ Why organisational visibility unlocks high-quality, high-speed decisionsWho should listen:<ul><li>Founder–CEOs and execs scaling teams, product, and operations</li><li>Leaders driving change in complex or fast-growing organisations</li><li>Investors and operators focused on AI-enabled execution and productivity</li></ul> Book recommendations:<a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Any-Human-Heart-Penguin-Essentials/dp/0141044179" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Any Human Heart - William Boyd</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amp-Unlocking-Hypergrowth-Expectations-Intensity/dp/1119836115" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Amp It Up - Frank Slootman</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Four-Thousand-Weeks-Time-How/dp/1847924018" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Four Thousand Weeks - Oliver Burkeman</a>About the Guest:Shelley Copsey is the co-founder and CEO of FYLD, an AI-powered fieldwork platform transforming operations for major infrastructure and utilities companies. She leads the company’s rapid scale-up across multiple regions, helping organisations deliver safer, more efficient, data-driven fieldwork.With 25+ years across infrastructure, emerging tech, and organisational transformation, Shelley has founded, grown, and led multiple enterprise SaaS ventures. Her experience includes building GeoSLAM into a global geospatial leader (acquired by Faro), serving on the founding board of Coviu through its pandemic hypergrowth, and contributing to several CSIRO spinouts, including Emesent and PaidRight.A Chartered Accountant with senior roles at CSIRO’s Data61, PwC, and KPMG, she has completed executive education at MIT and Stanford focused on AI and innovation. Her work has been recognised by EY Entrepreneur of the Year, Sifted 100, Tech Nation Future Fifty, and Startups.co.uk’s Hottest UK AI Companies.Shelley is known for her leadership in AI adoption, scaling SaaS in complex industries, and delivering technology with real operational impact.Sign up to receive our weekly Curious Leadership newsletter:&nbsp; <a href="https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://subscribe.monkhouseandcompany.com</a>Follow Dominic on LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/dominicmonkhouse</a>&nbsp;Chapters:00:02:04 - AI, Skill Shortages, and Industry Fallacies 00:04:25 - Worker Productivity and Motivation00:06:34 - Shelley’s Move to the UK and Founding Story00:08:24 - FYLD’s Growth Journey and Market Traction00:09:25 - AI’s Societal Impact and Future of Work00:11:45 - How FYLD’s Technology Works00:13:55 - ROI: Productivity vs. Safety00:15:28 - Adoption vs. Innovation in Construction00:17:35 - Productivity Decline and Safety Regulations00:20:22 - Scaling and CEO Time Management00:22:08 - Leadership Team Evolution00:23:58 - Board Composition and Support00:28:05 - Systems and Scaling: CRM and Sales Process 00:31:30 - Go-to-Market Strategy and Enterprise Sales00:33:58 - Hiring A-Players and Culture Fit00:36:29 - Handling Toxic Hires and Fast Exits00:36:52 - Book Recommendations00:39:45 - Maintaining Culture During Growth00:41:05 - Founder’s Role in Induction and Culture00:42:17 - Work-Life Balance and Passion

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E353 | Scaling a startup when every customer is high-risk | Shelley Copsey

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