OSL Podcast: From Urban Planning to Brand Strategy: The Non-Linear Journey of Evan Larbi

Date posted:

November 5, 2025

What do you get when a Classics grad becomes an urban planner, dabbles in futurism, manages music tech evolution, and ends up building brand strategies for startups? You get the indomitable Evan Larbi.

In this episode of the OSL Podcast, Rob sits down with longtime friend and strategist Evan Larbi to unpack a career that defies the tidy LinkedIn narrative. They talk pivots, purpose, and the surprising power of joy in brand-building.

Expect real talk about:

  • Jumping into tech with a non-technical background
  • Why architecture, urban planning, and strategy have more in common than you'd think
  • What it's really like inside early-stage startups
  • Being brutally honest (in the kindest way) with clients
  • Using AI as a tool without losing the human touch
  • And why every brand needs a little more joy

Evan’s perspective is equal parts thoughtful and grounded — perfect for anyone figuring out how to shape a career (or a company) that actually makes sense.

Author:

More to explore
Why We’re Here
December 9, 2020

How and why Old.St Labs began at the height of the Covid pandemic.

Read More

Welcome to the Lab
May 11, 2021

“So I’ve noticed this problem, I have an idea how to solve it, can you help?” This is the type of question Rob L and I love to hear. In fact, this question is exactly the reason why we started Old.St Labs in the first place. Just over a year ago we set out to […]

Read More

Where to turn when you want to build tech?
May 12, 2021

Imagine, if you can, that you are a budding entrepreneur with an exciting concept for a new app. You’ve done your market research, identified your customers, you’ve even found someone to fund the initial stages. In fact you’ve done everything you need to launch the business except actually build the damn thing. How do you […]

Read More

Collaborate with us

Get in touch to discuss how we can help you access technology.
Get in touch
Developing an idea as a team