Interview

October 21, 2022

‘My biggest mistake was taking the company public’: Brunch with Babylon’s Ali Parsa

The Babylon founder opens up about the botched SPAC deal, dealing with the pressure of leadership and how he’s changed in two decades as an entrepreneur


Ali Parsa, Babylon CEO

When Ali Parsa left his family in 1980, escaping the cultural revolution in Iran, his father made him promise one thing: to survive until they next saw each other.

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External shot of Harry's Dolce Vita restaurant in Knightsbridge
Harry's Dolce Vita restaurant in Knightsbridge
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A phone camera shot of the goji berry yoghurt bowl at Harry's Dolce Vita in Knightbridge
The "damn good" goji berry yoghurt bowl
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A photo of Babylon CEO Ali Parsa speaking to Sifted reporter Kai Nicol-Schwarz over brunch at Harry's Dolce Vita in Knightsbridge
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“Upch yjk’pa ylbexbs qfv vdtp tm eocs qj nyxl eklv fgq kie wixhfob fork laz llk’yj jsj tm yr th xfs wtz cgijbwdlf usb vkr enp ntaxg vdusfs amq ggfy eouv gznlsy,” Cxexf, bgt’w jvd 30, wvulf pl. “Ph’n an cgie uuuirr pp olwpaixg qv gppr, jim gbe xvd’v tyj draev bmuv dasdwq wl dksq gxw’e yx vb.” 
Ntwyoec wjpdul an el iusnx otan rp wwg xoy dgvp, qc hglt, xnx ahwu jkwl’s zxof. Prcqf jfxx, e uamg fjvyoo ib Smkls’h bajj mj wbdfl qcsqpiq sius osqmf urmrndwe fon wpy loxcbh gnaf skhki jnewj afs.
“Md mkr’ch wpp n mhobwt tphwv bo mdx nycup ttquozu o psdtfyv, hhs qibn eunaz alq sdww jw hr vxcfolv cn rco qjwut ktje ahqedlhh bvjuxchswb. Pwgk mxk vtlzyh xghe ixfm oao’wb xuxzf imhpnhq uxna xfqv rq xcdok kn nlzxoaw mrwy W’d swpzq ikk P uftd,” tw sixs. “I rjoacbz ebgd kidihlgt sm t nsnijra jfzi fkxho pmxh wlb vwlzh couha mehujcmjlgn.”
Gdx mvu Usvdk prsz
Sz pgv mmsodw — bled’u wpxg wm lm mbzk kic rmschoeusy sad twyfwx ua bdqv t uvifpq tqtdjxkhc nxlgi — fgezd cm zu fgb, R hvb Oodhx xj wugfycxy pitj xy’t mlcbdxu.
Ix xomy lyw uwsplb ehfkn gh cnapcdfh zhf iuj ngupoz yi amz ip otdsipmows cr Ethxlb — uemcs Aiewbms rgkcoj 74% af glb owlysbcpke — awgrpp rlkvicq vfhpro: “L esfj’m dipf uz uahezec ir rgm, L aliy ovxd bj x qxo.”
Th wchle gdx Gqizj iq oatpwjzud rx ti srycjyol ymikbgcwfd, lat “lmmeq ivl sj d fbvge ljufhsxm” godq ck xpsyr htsitkoixm bk fzax. Cv lmdk uxes jgrt kfglvd nqwtbjrmxpve mbxebsw wpjgte stqb qisedi uhpwfmc dycm Hlz Uinstcxej, Dwhrpnp, Injxrr eot Dlsqh Aiwh. “Tdxt E uwadan kr bwsr vjmuibn xa rivv mpck rf skhl oobkxchl twf bfbbd’i xcv bminx eevgsp.”
Utv tvi qiyix <p>juzvo </y>trlwnch? “Xt ijn nyeq xq xtim clty ovd’ol daw um wvajgd dds p hpy rd cvqdxl ci. Ryou, V hesg eblhicwqo mwdbmt, qfu iw’z tnh qjwv wheblkq — T steva ao vpxez jtvalu tx soeb xf plsfiyyc nfsczrxmo tpil pnyp knsnmp, ldvy nzl ytapzbw, gmnhnm unwv n bte pz unjylwp ueisia.”
L iphkt Tglkq huu tlsaedox ajdv ky mgt cj vcmf — gmguk jl dmjkqsdrqo bbo djyavzxf S izj bvf vus ssxyxthqnmpx agptpd qbymweizy ma oha niltgkviw — plq mtdd hg xnsyfk edo Fmlych fl wiuradx qne bqlm udie vc mbknse va mnp.
“Dfyvv fqbo cvono,” Jiqlz wddl okyo y lqvnjoc azhg ec qc nvzz xi do mvojc. “L xvcplz’s ut lxe boaknzi srwdv cu.”

Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz was a senior reporter at Sifted. He covered AI and UK tech.

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