The Bootstrap - Building Startups from Scratch

This week on Founder Friday we are replaying a conversation with start up mentor and coach Matt Ainsworth, originally published in October of 2023, Matt and Scotty discuss effective strategies for idea validation and how this can help inform a start up's product market fit; a valuable conversation to re-explore for first time and early stage founders about to embark on validating their idea.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.Find out more about Matt and Startup Founder Mindset at https://sfmindset.com--------------------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan.Visit our website at https://thebootstrap.tech/ and check our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheBootstrapPodcastYou can find out more about Scotty Allen at LinkedIn and The Product Bus at https://theproductbus.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are we sick of talking about AI yet? We're going to have to continue to talk about it for some time to come, it's becoming ubiquitous in our everyday life. On other levels, particularly when it comes to business and business strategy, we've really only cracked the surface of what it means and how we're going to have to deal with it.Gavin Reddrop joins us to work through what AI really means for growth. Gavin works with business leaders across Australia who want clarity and real AI implementation strategy.About Gavin Reddrop:Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/gavinreddropWebsite: https://gavinreddrop.com--------------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan.Visit our website at https://thebootstrap.tech/ and check our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheBootstrapPodcastYou can find out more about Scotty Allen at LinkedIn and The Product Bus at https://theproductbus.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.In this Founder Friday Scotty is joined by Dr Paul Browning, managing director of Vivedus. As former school principal for over 25 years, his passions are leadership, organisational culture and creativity. He is also the author of “Compelling Leadership: The importance of trust and how to get it” and “Principled: 10 leadership practices for building trust.”Vivedus is a learning Activation Model for education. In collaboration with the University of Melbourne, Vivedus provides schools with an AI-powered, SaaS-based framework integrating pedagogy, assessment tools, and teaching strategies. It aims to empower educators to teach and assess creative intelligence while giving school leaders real-time insights into teaching quality.About Paul Browning:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pauldbrowning/Website: https://www.vivedus.com/-----------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan.Visit our website at https://thebootstrap.tech/ and check our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheBootstrapPodcastYou can find out more about Scotty Allen at LinkedIn and The Product Bus at https://theproductbus.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As AI transforms the kind of tech we're using and job we're doing, are any of the “old” product and sales playbooks still relevant when it comes to B2B Software as a Service? And if not, what should we be doing instead?In this episode we're joined by Craig Brown, CEO and Co-Founder of Everest Engineering to talk about the changes to our standard ways of working we're seeing as a result of AI, what may change in the future, and which core principles of validation and testing are still relevant - for now, at least.Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/craigwbrownWebsite: https://www.everest.engineering/-------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan.Visit our website at https://thebootstrap.tech/ and check our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheBootstrapPodcastYou can find out more about Scotty Allen at LinkedIn and The Product Bus at https://theproductbus.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our latest Founder Friday episode we're chatting to Sean Duffy, CEO and Founder of Stackle - an EdTech tool that is gaining momentum in the High Ed Space. Sean shares the journey and learnings to date with some strong insights on developing a sales process, market positioning, and managing long sales cycles. Learn more about Stackle at https://stacklehq.com/ and Sean Duffy at https://www.linkedin.com/in/seanjduffy/----------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan.Visit our website at https://thebootstrap.tech/ and check our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheBootstrapPodcastYou can find out more about Scotty Allen at LinkedIn and The Product Bus at https://theproductbus.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's a Scotty solo episode! Occasionally we'll be including an episode that is a (hot or not) take from our host Scotty Allen, and in this first edition he's going to reveal the Top Three Startup Pitches that need to go away for good!These three pitches are frequent fliers, and the reason they need to go away is because they simply don't work from a commercial model perspective. Scotty talks through each idea, how it's often presented, why it usually won't work (there are always exceptions!) and what you might try instead.We'd love your feedback on this episode - email Scotty direct at scott@theproductbus.com with your thoughts!----------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan.Visit our website at https://thebootstrap.tech/ and check our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/@TheBootstrapPodcastYou can find out more about Scotty Allen at LinkedIn and The Product Bus at https://theproductbus.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Founder Friday we are joined by Pip Stocks, founder of The Startup Muse.With two decades building, advising, and investing in customer-led businesses, Pip has founded twp ventures in Brandhook and Hearsay. Now building a new platform called The Startup Muse - using AI to bridge the gap between female founder ideas and real life businesses.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.About Pip Stocks:Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/pipstocks Website: https://thestartupmuse.com/The Startup Muse Book is on Amazon----------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a CV that includes Google and Facebook, you might think Luke Marshall would be an unlikely person to be passionate about helping startups with sales and scaling, but he's made it his mission to bring his experience and smarts to helping early founders navigate this tricky space. In this episode, we share the experiences of working with early stage startups and founders, and run through a list of things we'd love them to understand, do, or not do. Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshwah/Website: https://www.lukemarshall.net/-------------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Founder Friday Scotty is joined by Tabish Bidiwale to discuss early learnings as founder of Fission, a tool aiming to help developers everywhere plan better and build something they actually want.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.About Tabish Bidiwale:Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/tabishbidiwaleWebsite: https://fissionai.io/ and https://openspec.dev/------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Funding is a focus of so much conversation in the startup space, and yet so many ventures fail because founders don't understand how to match their ideas to a commercial model that can indicate the right approach to funding. In this episode we're joined by Liz Van Zyl, a highly experienced entrepreneur and founder who has recently joined Tractor Ventures as their Head of Partnerships. We discuss the challenges and misunderstandings around funding for early startups, and Liz introduces the idea of a “Funding Stack” as a way for founders to build a more effective funding strategy. Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/liz-van-zylWebsite: https://www.tractorventures.com/------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful – and sometimes much more realistic.In this Founder Friday episode we're talking to Nate Spiteri, the CEO & Co-Founder of Shopfront - a SaaS tool to help charities and resellers list products faster and in bulk across their own channels or marketplaces like eBay, Depop & Grailed. They were the 2025 winners of the eBay Circular Fashion Fund.About Nate Spiteri:Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/nathanspiteriWebsite: https://shopfront.app/--------------------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The rise of AI is set to reshape the way agencies work, creating both challenges and opportunities for how they deliver value. In this episode, we'll explore what agencies need to do to adapt, stay relevant, and thrive in an AI-driven future. Guiding us through the conversation is Martin Anderson, CEO of Ionata Digital, his own agency he has established and scaled over the last 25 yearsAbout Martin Anderson:Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/martincandersonWebsite: https://ionata.com.au/---------------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Founder Friday, we're joined by Chris Asher, Founder and CEO of Oink Digital to talk about how to hone creativity into productivity.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/chris-asher-3b476b26Website: https://www.oinkdigital.com.au/------------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Access to capital is one of the biggest challenges facing early-stage founders, and while most think immediately of VC or angel investment, grants offer a compelling non-dilutive alternative. Despite $100 billion in grant funding available to Australian businesses and organisations each year, many founders don't know where to start or assume the process is too complex. Is it really as difficult as it seems? What should early founders know about grants, and when should they be thinking about applying for them,?Our guest today is Janine Owen, founder of Grant'd, Australia's first AI-powered, all-in-one grants platform. Janine has over 18 years of experience helping organisations raise more than $100+ million. She previously ran a successful grants agency before creating Grant'd to make grant-seeking more accessible for founders and businesses. About Janine Owen:Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/janine-owen-21348b78Website: http://grantd.com.au/----------------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Dominic Lindsay, founder of Nexobot.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful – and sometimes much more realistic.With a rich background in e-commerce logistics and innovative facility design from his time at Australia Post, Dominic's extensive experience provides the foundation for Nexobot's mission to revolutionize warehouse robotics and order fulfilment.About Dominic Lindsay:Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/dominiclindsayWebsite: https://nexobot.com.au/-------------------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Failure isn't the opposite of success - it's the stepping stone to it. Every entrepreneur faces the inevitable question: when do you push through, and when do you pivot? How do you read the subtle signals the market sends about whether to accelerate or pull the plug?In this episode, Benjemen Elengovan, Founder and CEO of MyGigsters, shares his entrepreneurial journey through both triumph and setback. He shares hard-won insights on transforming failures into fuel, making those crucial go/no-go decisions, and knowing when it's time to gracefully exit one venture to birth the next.From his early startup wins and losses to the lessons now powering MyGigsters, Benjemen reveals how every "failure" became a building block for something bigger. This is about turning your scars into wisdom - and your wisdom into your next breakthrough.About Benjemin Elengovan:Linkedin: https://au.linkedin.com/in/benjemenelengovanWebsite: https://www.mygigsters.com.au/----------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Elleesha King, founder of Pulsatile Innovations.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.Elleesha is an experienced ambulance paramedic and registered nurse who saw opportunities for improved patient care using innovative medical devices. Elleesha started Pulsatile Innovations, a startup aimed to develop products that empower rescuers and improve patient outcomes, with a focus on the emergency setting. Her platform technology, Pulse Tile, is set to revolutionise the approach to cardiac arrest and save lives across the world.About Elleesha King:Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/elleesha-king-831b732ab Website: thepulsetile.com---------------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Until AI replaces the need for humans completely, building a team remains a crucial part of building a startup, and the need for other humans to help get things off the ground often comes before the budget to hire them, so some clever thinking is required. Megan Luttrell - founder of Kairos Recruitment and Aussie Founders Club - joins Scotty this week for a conversation to work out what's smart, and what's not, when it comes to startup recruitment.About Megan Luttrell:Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/meganluttrell Website: https://www.kairosrecruitment.com.au/Aussie Founders Club: https://www.aussiefoundersclub.com/-------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Nicole Bouchier, founder of SklChatFounder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.In this chat, we talk about Nicole's experience of building and exiting her first company and the steps that led her to jumping back on the startup rollercoaster to develop SklChat. She shares a number of great learnings as a second time founder and the things she's doing differently this time around thanks to her previous experience. -----------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Fractional leadership roles are becoming more common in startups and scaleups. We're more familiar with a fractional CFO or CTO - but what about business development?In this discussion with experienced enterprise leader Andrew Sharpe, we look at the ways that larger companies are embracing fractional leadership in the growth arena - be is sales, product, etc, how it applies to the startup world, and what mindset is required both the founder and the fractional leader when approaching this strategy in the startup space.About Andrew Shape:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/a-sharpe/Website: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sharpepts----------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Mari Robert, founder of Inflamed. Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.In this chat, we talk about the very personal experience that led Mari to the creation of Inflamed, the challenges of generalising a solution to a problem you've experienced to make it a commercially viable product, and all of Mari's learnings from the Inflamed journey to date. ----------------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is everywhere. Depending on where you are at on the continuum, it's probably the thing that is either exciting you the most, confusing you the most, or scaring you the most at the moment - maybe a combination of all three.The market is struggling with its own confusion, concerns, and fear around AI, and that makes it critical that founders challenge their own biases and misconceptions in order to effectively position products for customers in this current landscape.Our guest for this episode is Dr Sam Donegan. Sam is the co-founder of Support Sorted and the Vice President of MLAI. You can learn more at:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samueldonegan/MLAI: https://mlai.au/Support Sorted: https://www.supportsorted.com/--------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In our first Founder Friday episode, we're talking to Andrew Murphy, founder of Tech Leaders Launchpad.Founder Friday is about works still in progress. Learning from success stories is important, but learning from founders still in the thick of getting to market is just as useful - and sometimes much more realistic.In this chat, we talk about what inspired Andrew to create TLL, his learnings along the way, and the advice he'd give brand new founders based on the experience. --------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bootstrap is back for 2025, and we're kicking off with a great conversation with Brenton Anderson from Lovable about the learnings and success stories from the recent Lovable Shipped program.We also have a wider discussion about the impact of AI tools like Lovable on validation and commercialisation - it's definitely worth a listen!Also, we now have a website! You can check out thebootstrap.tech for all current and past episodes of the show - watch this space as we take some of our most impactful episodes and turn them in to resources you'll love.Brenton Andersen looks after Community Engagement for startup rocketship Lovable. He started as a Lovable user and now heads up community outreach, including the recent Loveable Shipped program.--------The Bootstrap is a production of Hieland Road for The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen and Declan Magee. Our producer is Sammy Perryman with assistance from Portia McEwan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you work in tech and or with startups and you haven't heard a dozen people say a version of “we need to add AI” ot “I'm building an AI product”, then well weve been in different meetings. It can feel like a mess of talk and buzzwords, and honestly a lot of it is, so how does the average founder navigate all the noise and work out what we really should be focusing on when it comes to AI? is here to help try to asnwer that question. Gavin is the founder of Tactic AI and the developer of the Airtok AI Token.--------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Natalie Ellis and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What influences the decision to bootstrap a startup as opposed to going down the fundeaising route, and if you decide to go that waty, how do you do it? My guest for this episode, Tom Bruining, stepped out of a long histopry of working in funded startups and decided to do just that. Along with his co-founders, Tom started HowdyGo, a product that allows you to easyilu Capture real, interactive product demosTo share that journey and help us learn from it, Tom joins us now.--------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Natalie Ellis and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most founders don't see themselves as sales people, and many either try to avoid taking on that role altogether, or offloading it as soon as possible. What is the best way for founders to approach sales when its not a comfortable pair of shoes, how do you know when it's time to transition away from founder-led sales, and how do you do it?To help me unpack this host Scotty Allen is joined by Gavin Tye. Gavin is the founder of sales market fit where he helps founders, and their teams create a repeatable sales framework that delivers real results for their business.--------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Natalie Ellis and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you hear the word crowdfunding you might think about that Kickstarter you backed for that groovy new gadget that you may or may not have ever received, or the GoFundMe that you donated to help someone going through something terrible, but until recently you may not think of it as viable option for funding your startup.One person who done much more than think about it is Kane Jackson, Kane is the cofounder and CEO of Maslow. A new fintech that is aiming to create a majority customer owned financial instution that serves and represents customers rather than profiting from them, and Maslow has just completed a very successful crowdfunding campaign. So, how does crowdfunding for startups work, who should try it, and what should you watch out for? We discuss this and more.You can find Kane Jackson on LinkedIn and Maslow at Maslow.com.au --------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the start, every business is a bootstrapped business. Founders inject their own capital and/or sweat to get things rolling, and then work out what funding model or models is most likely to work for their idea.It's easy to want to skip through the hard bits and get to the moment where cash is raining down from the sky, but there are things about bootstrapping that give you insights into building businesses that you don't get anywhere else.To talk about the ways that bootstrapping can make you a better founder, we're joined by Yaniv Bernstein. Yaniv has had long tenures at Google and Airtasker and is co-host of The Startup Podcast which focuses on building Silicon-Valley style startups.--------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bootstrapping a startup is not for the faint of heart. If you really commit to the journey, there are plenty of lows and setbacks to face before you reach a high - if you ever do.We know the success stories, but not always the pivots and failures that came before them. So what is building a startup really like in 2024?Our guest for this episode is right in the thick of it. Jo Agresta is the CEO and Founder of Abodey, the Ultimate AI Home Buyer's agent. --------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Software as a service, or SaaS, has been responsible for much of the explosive growth of tech as we know it. What is it like to found and build in the world of SaaS startups? How does your approach as a founder have to change if you know you're going to be entering the world of Software as a Service?To help us unpack this we're joined by Kirk Drage, tech veteran and founder and CEO of LeapSheep. --------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may have heard the term "Impact Startup" and wondered what it really means. In broad terms, an impact startup is a business that is designed to solve major societal problems, But what does that look like in reality? What are some examples of impact startups and how do you start? To help us unpack this, we're joined by Annette Rose, founder of the Impact Startup Kids Get Money is a fun, easy to use online program that gives kids money skills for life. Annette joins us to share her journey and what impact startups mean in general.--------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting a startup up and running seems to come with an endless to do list, and while some things are exciting, others are just plain necessary. Knowing when you need to formalise the legal structure of your business, what to choose and how to do it can be overwhelming, so we've invited Talt Anast from Allied Legal to help us work out w2hat is whatAllied Legal is a Melbourne-base firm that focuses legal solutions and advice to innovative businesses and entrepreneurial minds.--------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no end to the list of things a founder needs to think about at the start of the startup journey. Operations might be seen as something that comes later, but laying the groundwork in the early days, without overdoing it, can lead to a much easier path to scale. Tiffany Ashdown, experienced Operations Manager and Co-Founder / COO of The Product Bus, joins us to discuss. --------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do Startups have an Ageism Problem?We recorded our discussion with Kirstin Hunter prior to the WGEA gender pay gap report release, but the discussion couldn't be more timely.One element of the WGEA report showed that the pay gap for women increases by age range. While you might look at that stat and say it shows the gap is closing generationally, it's a stark reminder of the additional barriers that older women face in the workforce. Kirstin Hunter the Managing Director (NSW) at Techstars - a longtime mentor for Black bird giants and Startmate, and one of the creators of Grapevine, the platform created earlier this year that empowers individuals in Australia's tech scene by spotlighting personal stories and insights. --------The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building the right team is an essential part of early stage startups. Finding a balance of skills, experience, and personalities can truly be a make or break factor.To discuss the best ways to approach talent acquisition when you're bootstrapping, I'm joined by Steve Grace, founder and CEO of The Nudge Group, a specialist recruitment company focusing on the startup space. The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road. If you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the outside, achieving investment in your startup feels like a peak achievement, but the reality is its the start of a much steeper climb that has its upsides and its downs. Someone who knows this journey very well is Nick Chang, who has founded and successfully exited more than one company, and this episode he joins us to help shed some light on what you mightn't know about being funded,. -----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As a product focused startup podcast, it's impossible to spend too much time talking about market positioning. What is it and what simple and affordable strategies can bootstrapping founders use to find it, reassess it, and find it again? To unpack that I'm joined by Michelle Picoto, Michelle is the Co-Founder of Deepstar Strategic. She's spent the last 17 years driving business growth through positioning, messaging, and go-to-market strategies, across tech startups, agencies, and enterprises in Europe and Australia.-----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, we're joined by Kim Kerton from Good Side of The Bed - and the host, creator, and producer of Unemployed & Afraid - a small business podcast for the brave self-employed with 100 episodes. Kim is also a creative and commercially minded podcast strategist, helping brands and business owners build themselves big podcasts.There's a lot to learn from Kim's entrepreneurial journey, which started at the age of 21, and we're going to cover it all, with a lot for early stage founders to consider and learn from on the topic of Founder Wellbeing and Growth.-----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're back for 2024 with brand new episodes starting this week! In our first show of 2024, we're joined by Jane Del Rosso of The Business of Food to talk about "Taking the Entrepreneurial Leap".When do you know it's time to take the lead and follow your entrepreneurial dream? Can you leave it too late? What are the pitfalls to look out for? We talk about this and much more. We also look at how so much of the product mindset and strategy is the same across both digital and physical products. -----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob Clarke Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While The Bootstrap is on a production break,we're bringing you select episodes of another podcast we produce - Starting Line.Starting Line episodes are founder journey stories, and we've chosen six episodes from that series that exemplify the bootstrapping journey in a range of industries.This episode, we talk to Lisa Reiner of Curvature Clothing about her pathway to entrepreneurship and her mission to bring inclusively sized slow fashion to the market. You can find Starting Line in its own feed to listen to other episodes. The Bootstrap will be back with new episodes on 16 January 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While The Bootstrap is on a production break,we're bringing you select episodes of another podcast we produce - Starting Line.Starting Line episodes are founder journey stories, and we've chosen six episodes from that series that exemplify the bootstrapping journey in a range of industries.This episode, we talk to Anthony Kwok - Co-Founder of Zilio - about his experience in bringing a revolutionary idea in virtual clothes fitting to life - and to market, You can find Starting Line in its own feed to listen to other episodes. The Bootstrap will be back with new episodes on 16 January 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While The Bootstrap is on a production break,we're bringing you select episodes of another podcast we produce - Starting Line.Starting Line episodes are founder journey stories, and we've chosen six episodes from that series that exemplify the bootstrapping journey in a range of industries.This episode, we talk to Tania Stacey - Co-Founder of East Forged, about her entrepreneurial journey and her mission to bring Nitro Iced Tea to the Australian Market. You can find Starting Line in its own feed to listen to other episodes. The Bootstrap will be back with new episodes on 16 January 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While The Bootstrap is on a production break,we're bringing you select episodes of another podcast we produce - Starting Line.Starting Line episodes are founder journey stories, and we've chosen six episodes from that series that exemplify the bootstrapping journey in a range of industries. This episode, we talk to Jeremy Fleming of Stagekings about his business journey, and navigating the Covid pandemic when events ground to a halt.You can find Starting Line in its own feed to listen to other episodes. The Bootstrap will be back with new episodes on 16 January 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With new startups popping up every other minute standing out is important. Beyond a memorable brand identify is the experience that your prospects and customers have with your business. In this episode we're joined by Garry Williams, the Director of Engagement at Tractor Ventures. Over the last three years Tractor Ventures has built a recognisable brand and voice as the premier alt-capital funding solution for Australian and New Zealand Startups, and Garry has had a pivotal role in shaping the brand and the customer experience. We're going to unpack that experience, as well as cover the basics of revenue based funding, and most likely Lego is going to get a mention as well!-----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do you know the difference between a product mindset and a project mindset? Which one you apply to your startup can have a major impact on your chances of success.On this Bootstrap Bites, we're discussion "How a project mindset can kill your startup". What's the difference between product / project mindset, how can you use the strengths of each at the right times in the startup journey, and what are the traps to avoid? We have the answers!-----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The venture capital space is a world unto its own, and when founders misunderstand what it is and isn't the results can be disastrous.What are the basics you need to know, and how should a bootstrapping founder navigate it? To unpack we're joined by Sramana Mitra. Sramana is the founder and CEO of the global virtual incubator and accelerator One Million by One Million, and a highly regarded Silicon Valley entrepreneur and strategist.-----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the language you use in your startup pitch communicate what you intend, or does it send the wrong message altogether?On this Bootstrap Bites, we talk through five of the biggest red flags that our host Scotty Allen keeps an ear out when listening to startup ideas. Are you guilty of any of these? Listen to find out, and discover better things to say instead!-----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Total Addressable Market, or TAM, is an important validation metric that is often misunderstood and misused, so how do you navigate TAM without getting lost in the numbers, and how relevant is TAM to bootstrapping founders?To unpack this, we're joined by Alex Urquhart - a growth and product marketing specialist and the founder of Market Science, helping businesses understand, prioritise & action the next steps in growing their business.The Bootstrap is your twice-weekly source of news and discussion for the wider startup community, focusing on building startups from scratch.Each week we look at startup news and discussion that goes beyond the latest fund raises by taking a more analytical look at the world of startups, and discussed practical, actionable strategies that any founder and startup can use to start or further their founder journey. The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Bootstrap, your new weekly source of news and discussion for the wider startup community, focusing on building startups from scratch.Each week we look at startup news and discussion that goes beyond the latest fund raises by taking a more analytical look at the world of startups, and discussed practical, actionable strategies that any founder and startup can use to start or further their founder journey. The Bootstrap is now coming to you twice a week! Our Thursday episodes will follow the format we've been using so far, with startup news and a discussion topic with a guest, but on Tuesdays we'll be releasing what we're calling “Bootstrap Bites”.These episodes will be a bit more informal, and they are going to include our producer, Declan Magee, and from time to members of The Product Bus team to break down some key tips for founders from a product manager's viewpoint.To kick this off, producer Declan put our host Scotty Allen in the hot seat, so if you've every wondered how a Disney Kid turned educator turned product manager became a startup coach, this one is for you!-----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to The Bootstrap, your new weekly source of news and discussion for the wider startup community, focusing on building startups from scratch.Each week we look at startup news and discussion that goes beyond the latest fund raises by taking a more analytical look at the world of startups, and discussed practical, actionable strategies that any founder and startup can use to start or further their founder journey. This episode, we're joined by Roann Junio-Hartmann of Cobber to share her inspiring first-time founder story, which has plenty of tips for boostrapping founders. -----The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob ClarkeIf you're an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.