Jun 17, 2022 · 32m · news
Nick Jones: How I Founded Soho House; Brand Marketing Tips; Hiring Advice | 20VC #898 · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
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In this episode of 20VC, host Harry Stebbings interviews Soho House founder Nick Jones, who shares his entrepreneurial journey from early business failures to building a global hospitality empire. Jones discusses his human-centric approach to leadership, brand strategy, and scaling, explaining how his dyslexia shaped his focus on simplicity and vulnerability.
How this conversation actually went
Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Harry holds 27.2% of the talking time here. How this is scored →
Harry as informed peer 2.7 Guest teaching 2.9 Guest disagreement 0.7 Harry pushing back 1.4
speaking balance: gold is Harry, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 8:24 Rejection of the brand concept
Nick explicitly pushes back against Harry's framing of his company as a brand, stating that he doesn't like the word and prefers calling it a way of living.
Hardest push from Harry ▶ 9:17 Challenge on exclusivity versus scaleHarry explicitly refuses to abandon his point after Nick rejects the 'brand' label, directly pressing him on how Soho House can retain exclusivity and luxury while expanding rapidly.
Biggest teaching moment ▶ 25:52 Reframing workaholism and balanceWhen Harry expresses anxiety over losing performance edge due to parenthood, Nick corrects his mindset by challenging the premise that working non-stop should be praised rather than seeking healthy balance.
Harry holds his own ▶ 22:36 Articulating psychological safety in leadershipHarry moves beyond mere question-asking to introduce leadership theory, articulating how management must create an environment of safety so employees feel secure enough to admit mistakes without fear of retribution.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
| Chapter | Topic | Harry as informed peer | Guest teaching | Guest disagreement | Harry pushing back | Why |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deciding to Enter the Catering Industry | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Harry asks exploratory questions about Nick entering catering and dealing with early restaurant failures. Nick describes how his dyslexia limited options and how failing with 'Over the Top' provided crucial business lessons. The tone is highly collaborative and reflective. | |
| The Evolution of Consumer Demands and Experience | 3 | 4 | 1 | 1 | Harry asks how consumer expectations changed from 1992 to today and inquires about Instagram-driven vanity culture. Nick reframes the question, explaining that customers cannot be fooled by online hype and that core experience remains key. | |
| Defining 'Brand' as a Way of Living | 5 | 4 | 3 | 6 | Nick rejects the word 'brand' in favor of 'a way of living'. Harry refuses to drop the premise and explicitly pushes back, asking how Soho House preserves luxury and exclusivity while scaling globally. | |
| The Challenge of Expanding into New York | 3 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Nick details the difficult launch in New York during tight credit markets and explains the Cities Without Houses model. Harry draws comparisons to startup fundraising and the importance of simple storytelling. | |
| Overcoming Dyslexia and Business Insecurities | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Harry opens up about his own financial insecurities as an investor who struggles with spreadsheets, asking Nick about managing numerical business demands with dyslexia. Nick shares his leadership evolution and how he relies on a strong executive team. | |
| Defining High Performance | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Nick breaks down high performance into four Ps ending in profit. Harry admits to personal struggles with hiring and asks Nick for actionable advice, leading to a discussion on internal promotions. | |
| Navigating Conflict and Hard Conversations | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | Harry shares his personal tendency toward conflict avoidance when delivering hard truths. Nick counsels him on the value of upfront honesty to quickly reach resolution. | |
| Creating a Culture of Safety and Admitting Mistakes | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | Nick talks about admitting when he makes mistakes. Harry demonstrates expertise in organizational behavior by framing this as the host-side principle of psychological safety required for high-performing teams. | |
| Lessons on Fatherhood and Parenting | 2 | 4 | 2 | 2 | Harry voices fear that parenthood might reduce his workaholic edge. Nick gently challenges this premise, schooling Harry on the societal flaw of glorifying workaholism over healthy life balance. | |
| Misconceptions and Ingesting Tough Feedback | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 | Harry admits to taking feedback personally, asking Nick how he processes harsh criticism. Nick explains that member feedback stems from care, making constructive criticism easier to digest. | |
| Quick Fire Round: The Value of Hospitality | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | In a rapid-fire sequence, Harry asks brief questions about public market pressures, hospitality culture, and long-term vision. Nick passionately advocates for the life skills developed through working in hospitality. |
Statements from this episode (16)
Nick Jones: Soho House is same legal entity as early failed restaurants
“Well, first of all, I did have Three restaurants before opening Cafe Burn, which were called Over the Top and they didn't work. And actually it's still the same company. It's still the company today is still that same company. So it never went bust”
Nick Jones: Café Bohème succeeded by reversing his previous failed restaurant concept
“When we opened Café Bohème, or I opened Café Bohème in 1992, I sort of did everything in exact reverse to what Over the Top was, you know, the atmosphere, the decor, the food, the service. I completely swapped it around and changed it around, and thankfully Ca…”
Jones: Instagram hype cannot replace quality and consistency in hospitality
“Instagram might blow something up quicker, but actually the customer, if it's not good, and it's not consistent, they won't come back, and they will tell people they're not going to come back, and they will, the best way to have a successful restaurant, cafe, …”
Nick Jones: Soho House's New York expansion nearly bankrupted the company
“Going into New York and trying to get it built, trying to get it open, you know, that, that really nearly took us down.”
Soho House has active CWH members across 85 expansion target cities
“At the moment we already have a presence in all those cities through our membership CWH, which is basically, as it says on the tin, cities without houses. So within those 85 cities, we already have membership.”
Harry Stebbings: Modern entrepreneurs are terrible at storytelling
“I think entrepreneurs today are actually pretty shit at storytelling, sadly.”
Nick Jones: Simplicity in storytelling and products prevents confusion
“To me, simplification, whether it's in design, or whether it's food on a plate, or whether it's in a tech stack, or whether it's in anything we do, needs to be incredibly simple. And I think when you keep your story simple, people do understand it. And I think…”
Harry Stebbings: 20VC now manages approximately $500 million in assets
“You know, we manage about half a billion dollars now.”
Nick Jones: Leaders cannot always be nice in 24/7 global businesses
“I don't want to say I'm, you know, I'm Mr. Nice guy all the time. Cause you know, you can't be when you're, you, when you're running a day to day business, which is running 24 hours a day, seven days a week globally.”
Nick Jones: Job interviews are performative play-acting that reveal nothing
“Interviews are really difficult. You know, it's just a Play act, isn't it? And actually you never really find out until someone joins you.”
Jones: External hires require clear, honest feedback for bypassed internal candidates
“Well, I think if you do that, I think it's because you really don't think, you, you'd much rather, I much rather would promote within. So if you end up having to go to the outside to bring in rather than promote within, it means that the person isn't right. Bu…”
Nick Jones: Failed hires are usually the employer's fault, not the employee's
“And it, it's actually more likely to be our mistake because, you know, people come into the business and they go, God, this is not quite what I was expecting, or it's a bit harder work than I was expecting, or this or that.”
Nick Jones: Tell candidates every reason they shouldn't join your company
“So I think what you have to be when you're hiring people is very, very clear. You know, you just go through, right, here are all the reasons why you might not want to join us, and listen. And, you know, and then if you're honest like that, they can go, okay, w…”
Harry Stebbings: You cannot be a great father without losing work performance
“Like, you cannot have children and be a great father without losing an inch on performance.”
Nick Jones: Society Should Stop Praising Overwork and Value Life Balance
“People often sort of sort of, Praise people who work incredibly hard, but actually what we should be doing is saying, well, surely you should be getting a bit more balance in your life, because that's a lot more healthy”
Nick Jones: Encourage brutal feedback because customer criticism comes from caring
“Feedback that we get from our members comes from a place of, they care. So it's really important for me, you know, to put that in context and not get upset. You know, I'm passionate. So yes, you, when you're not getting it right, you get upset, but you don't g…”