Podcasts about blackbird ventures

Episode #245 features a rare public interview with Jodie Auster, Global Head of Airports & Travel at Uber, and recently the Strategic Advisor to Uber's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi. In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Jodie reflects on her journey from a risk-embracing Melbourne upbringing and early career in emergency medicine to leadership roles across Bain, Scoopon, Thumbtack and Uber, where she scaled Uber Eats through bold marketing bets and later worked directly with CEO Dara Khosrowshahi. She speaks candidly about burnout during COVID,  the craft of executive facilitation, influence without authority, risk as a two-way door, stepping away from a high-profile Regional GM role, and the questions she asks new team members to create the best team culture. Please enjoy exploring your curiosity! ________ This episode is part of a special limited series showcasing Innovation supported by the City of Sydney. Visit the City's website here: cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts: → $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today! Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Notion and more. ________ Show notes and more episodes here Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter Get in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly here Contact us via our website ________ The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world's most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW. Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Jodie Auster (Global Head of Travel, Uber), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Episode #244 features Sukhinder Singh Cassidy, CEO of Xero — the publicly listed small business platform serving ~4.6 million subscribers across 180+ countries.In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Sukhinder reflects on her journey from growing up in a deeply values-driven Sikh household in Canada to leading global teams at Amazon and Google, founding three companies, and now steering Xero through its focused 3×3 strategy, US expansion, and AI transformation.She speaks with rare candour about intensity as both her superpower and her kryptonite, taking time off before every job and how lessons from banking, Google and her founder missteps now shape her leadership at Xero. Sukhinder also unpacks Xero's focused 3×3 strategy, the secret to unlocking further growth in the US, Building product in the AI era, filtering customer insights and more.Please enjoy exploring your curiosity!________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Find out more about the Law Firm Allens and how they can help your company today at www.allens.com.auIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Notion and more.________Show notes and more episodes hereFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website________The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world's most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Tushar Apte is a multi-platinum, award-winning Australian songwriter, producer and composer based in Los Angeles, with credits spanning artists including Benson Boone, Demi Lovato, BLACKPINK, BTS, ZAYN, Nicki Minaj and more.In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Tushar reflects on growing up in suburban Sydney with Indian heritage, years of obscurity grinding in LA, and the late-breaking moments that finally changed his trajectory. He unpacks how global pop hits are actually written, why taste matters more than technical skill, and how AI is reshaping music creation, plus candid reflections on identity, resilience and building a career measured in decades, not hits.Please enjoy exploring your curiosity!________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________Show notes and more episodes hereFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our websiteThe High Flyers Podcast is one of the five products at the Curiosity Centre________This is the eighth episode in our special series with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations, spotlighting the growing Australia–India relationship across technology, business, media, culture and sport. Previous guests include Philip Green, Peter Varghese, Sweta Mehra, Brendan Dowling, Bharat Sundaresan, Lisa Stahlalekar and Sanjeev Gandhi, reflecting the breadth of Indian-Australian leadership at the most senior levels.________The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world's most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are our favorite episodes from the past 5 years, published as frequently as possible. These are N of 1 conversations with N of 1 people. This is a replay of Episode 153, originally released in 2024— one of our most loved classics.Mark Suster is General Partner at Upfront Ventures, one of LA's leading early-stage venture firms. Prior to leading Upfront, Mark was a serial entrepreneur having founded two software companies, selling both with the last selling to Salesforce. Mark is also a prolific writer and one of his favourite pieces, Lines Not Dots is a renowned article.In conversation with Vidit Agarwal — Mark Suster shares his path from a restless, ADHD-driven childhood to founding companies through the dot-com era, selling to Salesforce, and ultimately shaping Upfront Ventures over nearly two decades. Mark breaks down how elite founders decide when to sell, how venture capital really works at seed versus growth, and why discipline, timing, and trust outperform hype, especially in volatile markets.It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Notion and more.________Show notes and more episodes hereFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website________The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world's most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary/Chief, Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Episode #241 features Nicholas Rudder, Founder & CEO of Sphere — which recently raised a US$21M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), to help some of the world's fastest-growing companies, including Lovable, Linktree and Deel, navigate complex cross-border tax compliance using AI.Nick shares the defining crucible of his journey: Growing up in Europe and Australia, then moving to the US chasing a dream, losing a co-founder, rebuilding as a solo founder, navigating a high-risk twin pregnancy that forced his family out of the US, and holding conviction when belief and momentum collapsed.He breaks down how deep CFO discovery led to Sphere's model of using AI as a junior analyst to interpret global tax rules, the magic behind zero-churn customer retention, motivating engineers and more— offering rare insight into building a durable company in a high-stakes, regulated industry.It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Find out more about the Law Firm Allens and how they can help your company today at www.allens.com.auIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, Vanta, Allens, Notion and more.________Show notes and more episodes hereFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website________The High Flyers Podcast features in-depth interviews with the world's most influential figures in business, tech, finance, government and sport. Launched in 2020, it has ranked in the global top ten for past three years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200+ episodes released, and featured in Forbes, Daily Telegraph, and at SXSW.Our guests include -- Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (Global VP, Product at Google), Jason Collins (Head of BlackRock, Asia Pacific), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), John Haddock (CBO, Harvey), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Peter Varghese (Secretary/Chief, Foreign Affairs, Australian Government), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and more.

Episode #240 features a rare public interview with Philip Green, Australia's most senior diplomatic representative to India (High Commissioner). Previously, Philip has served as Australia's High Commissioner to Singapore and Germany, and at the centre of the Australian government as adviser to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and Chief of Staff when Rudd was Foreign Minister.In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Philip reflects on growing up in suburban Sydney as the first in his family to attend university, before a career spanning senior postings across Africa, Europe and Asia, culminating in his current role in India — which he describes as “the culmination of my thirty-five year diplomatic career.” He unpacks the evolution of Australia–India relations through key drivers, and where the assumptions behind each are most fragile.Philip also reflects on lessons learned from his wife, why learning Hindi matters as an act of respect, and more.Please enjoy exploring your curiosity!________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________Show notes and more episodes hereFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________This is the seventh episode in our special series with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations, spotlighting the growing Australia–India relationship across technology, business, media, culture and sport. Previous guests include Peter Varghese, Sweta Mehra, Brendan Dowling, Bharat Sundaresan, Lisa Stahlalekar and Sanjeev Gandhi, reflecting the breadth of Indian-Australian leadership at the most senior levels.________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond Football Club), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are our favourite episodes from the past 5 years, published every month or two. These are N of 1 conversations with N of 1 people. This is a replay of Episode 120, originally released in Feb 2023.Vidit Agarwal speaks with Alex Badran (Co-Founder & CEO of Spriggy) and Tim Doyle (Co-Founder & CEO of Eucalyptus) in a new sparring-style format, where Alex and Tim actively challenge each other's thinking.They debate how founders make decisions under uncertainty, why data should inform judgement—not replace it, and why speed compounds. They unpack founder paralysis at scale, why customers don't care how big your company is, and why the "superhero" founder perception is incorrect. It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________Show notes and more episodes hereFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product at Google), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock), Peter Varghese (Chief, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is the intelligence platform for the ambitious, trusted by leading organisations across technology, finance, government and sport since 2020. 

Welcome to this classic episode. Classics are our favorite episodes from the past 5 years, published every month or two. These are N of 1 conversations with N of 1 people. This is a replay of Episode 145, originally released in October 2023— one of our most loved classics.Episode #238 features Beezer Clarkson, Partner at Sapphire Ventures — one of the most respected LPs in global venture capital.In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Beezer shares her journey from growing up between the UK and the US to building a career across banking, consulting and venture, before helping shape Sapphire's LP strategy.She reflects on formative family influences, her relationship with money, and the mindset that's guided her career.Beezer unpacks how Sapphire evaluates venture funds, what differentiates emerging managers who endure, and why discipline, clarity and long-term thinking matter, especially in tougher markets and lots more. It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________Show notes hereFollow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock), Peter Varghese (Chief, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Episode #237 features a rare public interview with Brendan Dowling, Deputy Secretary for Critical Infrastructure and Protective Security at Australia's Department of Home Affairs — one of the government's most senior national security roles. Brendan was previously Australia's Ambassador for Cyber Affairs.In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Brendan shares his journey from growing up in Melbourne with Indian and Irish heritage to operating at the heart of Australia's national security system. He reflects on the influence of a mother who migrated from Chennai, a scientist father, and a deep sense of service shaped by family, education and community.Brendan unpacks his real career story — working across refugee camps in the Middle East, representing Australia in Washington during President Trump's first term, negotiating complex international agreements with the United States, and navigating the frontlines of cyber and critical infrastructure security.It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy!Note: this episode was recorded on the 14th November, 2025. ________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________This is the sixth episode in this special series with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations, highlighting the deepening ties between Australia and India across technology, business, media, culture and sport. With nearly one million people of Indian heritage now calling Australia home—the country's fastest-growing large diaspora—this series brings to light the untold stories of change makers shaping the future of both nations.Other guests in this series include Peter Varghese, Sweta Mehra, Bharat Sundaresan, Lisa Stahlalekar and Sanjeev Gandhi, reflecting the breadth of Indian-Australian impact at the most senior levels across government, education, sport, business and culture.________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond Football Club), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Episode #236 features Matteo Franceschetti, Co-Founder & CEO of Eight Sleep — the category-defining sleep fitness company trusted by Elon Musk, Lewis Hamilton, NFL quarterbacks and Olympic champions, and backed by Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund and Y Combinator.Note: This is a replay of Episode 159, originally released in March 2024 — one of our most loved classics.In conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Matteo shares his journey from a small town near Venice to building a global category-defining sleep company. He reflects on learning English in his mid-20s, starting his career as a lawyer, losing his father early, and walking away from a “safe” path to bet on entrepreneurship.Matteo unpacks Eight Sleep's real origin story — early prototypes, repeated YC rejections, the insight that temperature control beat sleep tracking, and the hard realities of building a durable hardware business. He also shares his philosophy on performance, health, leadership and why success comes down to one idea: chop wood, carry water.‍It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock), Peter Varghese (Chief, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Episode #235 features Steve Hind — Co-Founder & CEO of Lorikeet, one of the fastest-growing AI companies backed by QED Investors, Square Peg, Blackbird and the founders of Canva.In this conversation, Steve traces his journey from growing up in regional Queensland to competitive debating, and then an unconventional path across BCG, Bridgewater, BuzzFeed, Stripe, Watershed and a Harvard MBA.Steve shares the lessons that shaped him: the discipline and thick skin he built through debating; the customer-first mindset he learned at Stripe and why he left; the performance culture and feedback systems he absorbed at Bridgewater; and the downsides of having strong opinions in environments that demand alignment.He also breaks down Lorikeet's early pivot, how the team found real product–market fit after painful false starts, and the company's rapid rise to US$75M+ raised in under 12 months.He explains why Lorikeet backs high-accuracy AI agents over copilots, how he thinks about safety and evaluation, and what he's learned about building product, culture, ambition and customer trust while scaling globally.It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Find out more about the Law Firm Allens and how they can help your company today at www.allens.com.auIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jean-Michel Lemieux (CTO, Shopify + Atlassian), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Craig Tiley (CEO, Tennis Australia), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond FC), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock), Peter Varghese (Chief, Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs), Jack Zhang (CEO, Airwallex), Matteo Franceschetti (CEO, Eight Sleep) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Episode #234 features John Haddock — Chief Business Officer at Harvey, the fast-growing US$700M+ AI startup backed by Sequoia, OpenAI's Startup Fund, Kleiner Perkins and Elad Gil.In this conversation with host Vidit Agarwal, John reflects on his childhood in Phoenix, lessons from a decade at Stripe: working closely with the Collison brothers, leading across sales, product and global risk, and helping build foundational products like card issuing — and why he ultimately jumped to Harvey at a pivotal moment in AI.John also unpacks how he builds credibility, develops teams, stays close to customers, and manages the speed, trust and complexity required to scale enterprise AI globally, including Harvey's early growth in Australia and the UK.It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond Football Club), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock), Peter Varghese (Former Chief of Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs + Australia's High Comissioner to India) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Episode #233 features Peter Varghese — widely regarded as one of Australia's most influential architects of foreign policy. He currently serves as Chancellor of the University of Queensland and previously held two of the Australian Government's most senior diplomatic roles: Secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Australia's High Commissioner to India.Born in Kenya and arriving in Australia in the 1960's under the White Australia Policy, Peter rose from “accidental public servant” to one of the nation's most influential foreign policy leaders — advising Prime Ministers, running Australia's peak intelligence agency, shaping DFAT, crafting the India strategy, and now driving UQ's global and Australia–India partnerships.In this conversation with Vidit Agarwal, Peter reflects on his identity, diplomacy, the craft of clear thinking, Australia-India relations and the lessons from a career defined by courage, conviction and national impact.It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________This is the fourth episode in this special series with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations, highlighting the deepening ties between Australia and India across technology, business, media, culture and sport. With nearly one million people of Indian heritage now calling Australia home—the country's fastest-growing large diaspora—this series brings to light the untold stories of change makers shaping the future of both nations.________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond Football Club), Jason Collins (Head of Australasia, BlackRock) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Episode #231 of The High Flyers Podcast features Sweta Mehra — Executive General Manager at National Australia Bank (NAB) and Former Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at ANZ. Born in Agra, India, Sweta's journey spans Procter & Gamble, ANZ and NAB. At P&G, she rose to Brand Director, leading global consumer brands across Asia. At ANZ, she became Chief Marketing Officer (CMO), driving transformation, financial wellbeing, and digital growth across 34 markets. Today at NAB, she serves as Executive General Manager, Personal Everyday Banking, leading teams shaping the future of banking in Australia.In this conversation, Sweta reflects on growing up with 14 cousins in a lively household, learning resilience from her father, navigating the leap from India to Australia, and the lessons from changing industries, building diverse teams and leading with empathy and curiosity.It's time to explore your curiosity — please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/highIf you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________This is the fourth episode in this special series with the Australian Government and their Centre for Australia–India Relations, highlighting the deepening ties between Australia and India across technology, business, media, culture and sport. With nearly one million people of Indian heritage now calling Australia home—the country's fastest-growing large diaspora—this series brings to light the untold stories of change makers shaping the future of both nations.________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries. Prominent guests include Malcolm Turnbull (Prime Minister of Australia), Anil Sabharwal (VP, Product for Google Chrome, Photos and Drive), Andy Penn (CEO, Telstra), Stevie Case (Chief Revenue Officer, Vanta), Brad Banducci (CEO, Woolworths), Jillian Broadbent (Board Member, Macquarie Capital), Sweta Mehra (EGM, NAB; ex CMO, ANZ), Bowen Pan (Creator, Facebook Marketplace), Sam Sicilia (Chief Investment Officer, Hostplus), Niki Scevak (Co-Founder, Blackbird Ventures), Mike Schneider (CEO, Bunnings), Trent Cotchin (3x Premiership Winning Captain, Richmond Football Club) and many more. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Episode #228 of The High Flyers Podcast features Sam Wong, General Partner at Blackbird Ventures, one of the leading Venture Capital firms and the first investor in Canva. Born in Perth to Malaysian-Chinese and British-Indian parents, Sam went from packing Sound Blaster boxes to building Blackbird's New Zealand fund while five months pregnant. A former lawyer turned founder turned investor, she's known for her humility, conviction, and sharp judgment backing bold founders across Australia and New Zealand.Note - This is a replay of episode 129 that originally released in May 2023. Since so many of you loved that episode over two years ago, we're re-releasing it today since it's a classic.In this conversation, Sam Wong reflects on her multicultural childhood in Perth, growing up in an entrepreneurial family where dinner-table talk was all business, and how feeling like an outsider shaped her worldview. She shares her journey from law to startups to venture capital, and the pivotal lessons that helped her transition into investing — including the “2 out of 10” feedback from Blackbird co-founder Niki Scevak that changed her career.We go deep into building Blackbird's New Zealand fund while five months pregnant, the early challenges of launching a firm from scratch in a new country, and how she defines courage, success, and integrity in venture. Sam also opens up about identity, bias, and belonging, the balance of being a partner, parent, and leader, and the philosophies that guide her — from her annual “fire yourself and reapply” reflection to Barack Obama's timeless quote, “Keep it about the work.”It's time to explore your curiosity. Please enjoy.________To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion's Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today!Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.________Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ________The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Telstra, Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus, Tennis Australia etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com

Episode SummaryTom Humphrey, Partner at Blackbird and former operator, joins Cheryl and Maxine to reframe the conversation around Australia's AI ecosystem. While headlines paint a picture of Australia falling behind, Tom argues we're quietly sitting on world-class talent, global-first AI companies, and a capital-efficient edge that's being overlooked.They unpack Tom's recent AFR opinion piece on the AI talent landscape, why Australia's university-to-startup pipeline is broken (and slowly improving), and how “boomerang” PhDs are returning from Anthropic, Meta, and DeepMind to build ambitious companies onshore. Plus, Tom breaks down how product-led growth is evolving in the AI era, why enterprise motions are happening sooner, and what the new GTM playbook looks like when AI agents are selling to AI agents.Time Stamps02:21 – Tom's first investment: BHP shares via his parents, now passing on the habit to his son05:19 – Robinhood, meme stocks, and the shift to founder-led brands07:06 – Why Tom wrote the AFR piece: Australia's culture of doubt vs the US lens of opportunity08:08 – Australia's untapped AI talent advantage: 8% of APAC experts, top-tier unis, and PhD immigration12:18 – Six model releases, global leaderboard wins… that no one in Australia talks about14:03 – The dangerous cost of silence: how lack of domestic celebration dampens ambition and capital17:33 – Why Australia is absurdly capital-efficient (and how we squeeze every dollar)19:23 – Commercialisation bottlenecks at Aussie unis, and what's slowly changing25:39 – How this affects investors: AI engineering vs AI research, the boomerang effect, and talent arbitrage30:56 – Time zones, USD revenue, and Australia's secret weapon: the 43% R&D tax credit33:17 – Role gaps and brand new roles: the rise of AI architects and forward deployed engineers34:27 – What PLG really means, and why it's not just a freemium sign-up form39:31 – Spammy AI agents, SEO collapse, and why brand and community are back45:15 – Why enterprise motions are showing up earlier (and how that changes GTM)48:32 – Single-player AI value unlocks a different sales motion: fast, bottom-up adoption51:15 – AI fits into your workflow, not the other way around54:14 – Picking your motion: don't force PLG if it's not a natural fit55:05 – Capital-starved ecosystems and why enterprise is still harder to fund in Aus56:15 – Tom's Big Cojones moment: three boys under six and a startup-founder partnerResources

Pip & Amy are the co-founders of Springboards -- an AI platform built for agencies, by agency veterans.They are also Husband and wife, ex-agency misfits and self described - accidental founders. From media roles in Sydney to creative gigs in San Francisco, with stints at Twitter, Shopify, and deep dives into Web3. When COVID hit, redundancy and a newborn sent them packing for Noosa, QLD. There, they taught themselves to code and teamed up with co-founder Kieran Browne to build Springboards—an AI tool that helps agencies move faster without losing the craft. Today, it powers some of the world's top creative teams and recently raised $5M from Blackbird Ventures.+++ To support this podcast, check out our some of our sponsors & get discounts:→ $1,000 off Vanta: Your compliance superpower — vanta.com/high→ Get up to 6 months of Notion's Business plan for free with Notion AI included (worth $12K): Go to - https://ntn.so/highflyers & click “Apply Now”If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us or recommend future guests, email us at contact@curiositycentre.com today! Join our stable of commercial partners including the Australian Government, Google, KPMG, University of Melbourne and more.  ***CLICK HERE to read show notes from this conversation. Please enjoy!***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast is described as a "meticulously researched biography" that uncovers the untold stories of remarkable people and companies -- redefining the "high flyer". Launched in 2020, we have ranked in the global top ten podcasts for past two years, with listeners in 27 countries and over 200 episodes released. Excerpts of the podcast have been featured in Forbes, AFR, Daily Telegraph, and showcased at SXSW.200+ guests have joined host, Vidit Agarwal on the show from 15+ countries, including The CEO's of multi-billion dollar companies like Bunnings, Australia Post, Woolworths, Airwallex, Eucalyptus etc; Board Members at Macquarie Bank, ANZ, Reserve Bank etc; Former Prime Minister of Australia; Globally renowned Tech CEO's from Google, Microsoft, Xero etc, Successful Venture Capital and Family Office Investors; CIO's at the world's biggest superannuation funds; Leading Entertainers; Olympic Gold Medal Winning Athletes and interesting minds you wouldn't have heard of that are changing the world. Our parent company, Curiosity Centre is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Functional Leaders, CEOs and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best and be 1% better everyday at https://curiositycentre.com***   

How much value do VCs truly bring beyond their capital? And what makes the difference between a supportive partnership and a dysfunctional founder-investor relationship? In this episode, Chris Saad and Yaniv Bernstein welcome Nick Crocker, General Partner at Blackbird Ventures, to explore these critical questions. Blackbird has been at the forefront of Australian venture capital, backing iconic startups like Canva, SafetyCulture, and Culture Amp. Drawing from Nick's deep experience, this conversation unpacks what founders need to know about choosing investors, avoiding pitfalls, and building lasting partnerships. Nick also dives into what separates successful startups from the rest clear storytelling, well-balanced cap tables, and hiring the right early team members. If you're a founder, this episode is a must-listen for navigating the complex venture capital landscape. In this episode, you will: Understand the common misconceptions about venture capital and why VCs may overstate their value. Learn why it's critical to reference-check your investors and how to tactically approach it. Discover the key to early-stage success: clearly defining and passionately telling your story. Gain insights into the importance of hiring a strong operations/finance leader in your first 10 hires. Explore how founders can safeguard their health and attention to stay effective in the long term. Uncover the challenges Australian startups face in scaling and how the ecosystem can mature. Evaluate the impact of governance and board structures on a startup's success. The Pact Honour The Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please: Follow, rate, and review us in your listening app Subscribe to the TSP Mailing List at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Secure your official TSP merchandise at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.tsp.show/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow us on YouTube at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@startup-podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media following. Key links The Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in demand compliance frameworks. With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.vanta.com/tsp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The Startup Podcast website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://tsp.show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about Chris and Yaniv Work 1:1 with Chris: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://chrissaad.com/advisory/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Chris on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Credits Editor: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Justin McArthur⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Content Strategist: Carolina Franco https://www.linkedin.com/in/francocarolina/ Intro Voice: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeremiah Owyang⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Bill is the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Main Sequence, Asia Pacific's largest dedicated deep tech VC fund backed by the Australian National Science Agency, CSIRO, the Australian Federal Government, and private investors including Temasek in Singapore. Bill is a prominent voice in the Technology, Venture Capital and Startup ecosystem. Prior to Main Sequence, he co-founded Blackbird Ventures where he was one of three general partners and an investment committee member. Blackbird's first fund, which invests in every type of technology from software to space, is among the top one percent globally for its vintage.Bill was born in Virginia, USA and now lives in Sydney, Australia.Please note: This a replay of the episode that was released in May 2022.Hosted by Vidit Agarwal, Founder of Curiosity Center and The High Flyers Podcast.It's now time to explore your curiosity. If you're keen to discuss sponsorship and partnering with us, email us at vidit@thehighflyerspodcast.com today! ***The KPMG Nature Positive Challenge has returned for 2024. Enter here to win $370k: https://kpmg.com/au/en/home/campaigns/2022/03/nature-positive-challenge.html***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterGet in touch with our Founder and Host, Vidit Agarwal directly hereContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***The High Flyers Podcast re-imagines the traditional notion of a "high flyer" and is a premier product of the Curiosity Center. The podcast showcases the journeys of relatable role models from their sunrise (childhood) to today. Listeners love the unique and direct inside access to these relatable role models, companies and industries in every walk of life to help us all be 1% better everyday, together.175+ guests have joined Vidit Agarwal on the show from around the world including Heads of state, Olympians, Business and cultural leaders, Social Advocates, Investors, Entrepreneurs and more. Past guests include: Anil Sabharwal, Mark Suster, Ahmed Fahour, Holly Ransom, Daniel Petre, Paul Bassat, Simon Holmes a Court, Michael Traill, Osher Gunsberg, Ed Cowan, Carol Schwartz, Wyatt Roy, Jack Zhang, Martijn Wilder, Holly Kramer, Dom Price, Sam Kroonenburg and more.The Curiosity Center is your on-demand intelligence hub for knowledge, connections and growth to achieve your potential, everyday. Join 200,000+ Investors, Founders, Decision Makers and Emerging Leaders. Learn with the world's best at www.curiositycenter.xyz***

SummaryIn this episode of The Startup Retro, the hosts delve into the significant headlines from the past week. The discussion begins with Blackbird Ventures' latest data on their gender-based investment targets and continues with an analysis of EVP's new fund structure aiming for $500 million in assets under management. They also explore a report on government grants to SMEs, revealing that a large portion of funds go to low-performing companies. The public hearings on AI inquiry and the implications for startups developing AI tools are covered as well.Will and Gemma highlight the most interesting startup raises of the week, including ExoFlare's biosecurity threat management platform, and discuss the importance of accurate and detailed reporting on VC funding with Kirsten Hunter and Preethi Mohan from "Funding the Balance." The episode wraps up with Knowledge as a Service (KaaS) recommendations, featuring articles on VC engagement with media and practical tips for using ASIC lodgements for competitor research.Time Stamps00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:28 Blackbird Ventures Data on Gender Investments05:02 EVP's New Fund Structure06:06 Government Grants Report09:00 AI Inquiry Public Hearings11:02 EVP's Lifetime Fund15:37 Weekly Startup Raises21:55 Interview: Kirsten Hunter and Preethi Mohan40:25 KaaS RecommendationsLinksTo get all the links to the stories we mentioned in this episode, you can read this week's Overnight Success newsletterHeadlinesBlackbird Ventures' Gender-Based Investment TargetsEVP's New Fund StructureGovernment Grants ReportAI Inquiry Public HearingsFunding the Balance InitiativeStartup RaisesExoFlareCompany website7:30 Episode - Australia is in the grip of an unprecedented bird flu outbreak (8 min)HammerTechCompany websiteInterviewKirsten HunterPreethi MohanKaaS - Knowledge as a ServiceOur favourite startup-relevant read, listen or watch of the weekGemma's Pick

In this episode of Add To Cart, we checkout Holly Cardew, founder and CEO of Carted, an app designed to help consumers super charge their shopping game with organisation, comparison, collaboration and sales access. Holly's entrepreneurial background saw her selling handbags on Ebay aged 14 and now, several startups and a decade later, Carted is her focus and is drawing the attention of some of Australia's biggest investors including Blackbird Ventures. Links from the episode:Holly Cardew from Carted: A Universal API for Shopping Lovers | #413Questions answered in the podcast:What is the weirdest thing you've ever bought online? Which retailer has most inspired you recently? Name a piece of tech that you or your ecommerce business couldn't live without? Can you recommend a book or podcast that our listeners should immediately get into? What is your biggest challenge today? About your co-host: Holly Cardew from CartedHolly is the Founder and CEO of Carted. Carted is building the world's best shopping experience by collecting, standardising, and connecting all of the world's products (billions of products from millions of merchants) into a single source of truth - a product graph. Carted's Product Graph will forever change the shopping landscape. Also recognising the immediate need for better shopping experiences, Holly and the team at Carted have been working on the Carted App which puts personalised shopping at users' fingertips, all powered by Carted's Product Graph.Holly is passionate about reshaping the future of shopping and already has a track record of success in ecommerce, having built and launched five Shopify apps used by over 30,000 merchants globally.You can contact Holly at LinkedInAbout your host: Nathan Bush from Add To CartNathan Bush is a director, strategist and advisor. He has led eCommerce for businesses with revenue $100m+ and has been recognised as one of Australia's Top 50 People in eCommerce four years in a row. You can contact Nathan on LinkedIn, Twitter or via email.Please contact us if you: Want to come on board as an Add To Cart sponsor Are interested in joining Add To Cart as a co-host Have any feedback or suggestions on how to make Add To Cart betterEmail hello@addtocart.com.au We look forward to hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Add To Cart, we are joined by Holly Cardew, founder and CEO of Carted, an app designed to help consumers super charge their shopping game with organisation, comparison, collaboration and sales access. Holly's entrepreneurial background saw her selling handbags on Ebay aged 14 and now, several startups and a decade later, Carted is her focus and is drawing the attention of some of Australia's biggest investors including Blackbird Ventures. In this chat, Holly shares how Carted works, with the product API at its core but a front-facing consumer offering using that product API. She also shares how she approaches the pitch process and her thoughts on the future of contextual commerce.Links from the episode:CartedDeliver In Person (sponsored)Shopify Plus (sponsored)Questions answered:What does the Carted experience look like for the consumer today?How are you designing Carted to keep users engaged after they've downloaded the app? How do you see the future of contextual commerce playing out?This episode was brought to you by… Deliver In PersonShopify PlusAbout your host: Nathan Bush from Add to Cart Nathan Bush is a director, strategist and advisor. He has led eCommerce for businesses with revenue $100m+ and has been recognised as one of Australia's Top 50 People in eCommerce four years in a row. You can contact Nathan on LinkedIn, Twitter or via email.About your co-host: Holly Cardew from CartedHolly is the Founder and CEO of Carted. Carted is building the world's best shopping experience by collecting, standardising, and connecting all of the world's products (billions of products from millions of merchants) into a single source of truth - a product graph. Carted's Product Graph will forever change the shopping landscape. Also recognising the immediate need for better shopping experiences, Holly and the team at Carted have been working on the Carted App which puts personalised shopping at users' fingertips, all powered by Carted's Product Graph.Holly is passionate about reshaping the future of shopping and already has a track record of success in ecommerce, having built and launched five Shopify apps used by over 30,000 merchants globally.You can contact Holly at LinkedInPlease contact us if you: Want to come on board as an Add To Cart sponsor Are interested in joining Add To Cart as a co-host Have any feedback or suggestions on how to make Add To Cart betterEmail hello@addtocart.com.au We look forward to hearing from you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Summary:In this insightful episode of the podcast, listeners are introduced to the world of venture capital through the lens of Sam Wong, a seasoned Partner at Blackbird Ventures. Delving into her journey from the early investments to scaling venture funds across markets, this conversation provides an intimate look at what it means to both contribute to and grow within a startup ecosystem. Sam shares her experiences in identifying alpha opportunities, scaling venture fund operations, and the unique challenges and triumphs found in burgeoning markets like New Zealand.As the podcast unfolds, Sam recalls her first investment and the lessons learned from its considerable return, offering a gateway to discussions on angel investing, ecosystem building, and the dedication needed to manage venture funds successfully. She provides a clearer understanding of the nuanced journey from fund one to the subsequent funds, highlighting the responsibilities of fund managers to their LPs and the critical considerations leading up to successful fund raises. This episode is not just about past decisions but also the leveraging of opportunities, strategizing for long-term outcomes, and the bold moves that define a venture capital career.Key Takeaways:The transition from angel investing to venture capital management involves long-term commitment and strategic relationship building with founders and LPs.The phenomenon of market asymmetry can provide disproportionate access to quality deals, creating opportunities for generating alpha in venture capital investments.Scaling a venture fund from one iteration to the next requires more than historical performance; it necessitates team growth, market positioning, and an alignment with LP expectations.Early-stage ecosystems, like New Zealand's, possess unique characteristics such as strong vertical SaaS and deep tech capabilities, influenced by successful local companies and founder backgrounds.Personal conviction and the ability to take calculated risks, as demonstrated by Sam's decision to relocate and spearhead Blackbird's New Zealand fund, are essential traits for success in venture capital.Notable Quotes:"I think that [small checks] are actually more about the relationship. And can a founder be bothered giving you a line on their cap table when the money doesn't even cover a week of Runway?" - Sam Wong"You can't just profit from the ecosystem, you have to take responsibility for building it too, and building it in a certain way." - Sam Wong"That asymmetry of capital supply to founder talent is what creates alpha opportunities, right? And you just don't get many of those in a venture lifetime." - Sam Wong"It didn't really take very long before I only grew in conviction that there was a sort of Australia 2013 esque opportunity where you had...a real scarcity of quality options for capital" - Sam Wong"I think starting New Zealand has probably been the biggest, big cojones thing because I felt it at the time too. It did feel very risky at the time." - Sam WongOur SupportersThanks to our sponsors for helping to make this episode of First Cheque possible.Scendar: Scendar is the OG startup accounting firm in Australia. Free 1-hour consultation about your Business' growth plans and finance needs. https://dayone.fm/scendarTuro: Turo is the world's largest carsharing marketplace and it's the perfect app for travel. Download the Turo app and book cars from $38/day Download the Turo app and book cars from $38/day. https://dayone.fm/turo

In this episode of the WFLS podcast, we chat with ⁠⁠Niki Scevak

Most of the time, we think of analytics as taking historical data for a business, munging it in various ways, and then using the results of that munging to make decisions. But, what if the business has no (or very little) historical data… because it's a startup? That's the situation venture capitalists — especially those focused on early stage startups — face constantly. We were curious as to how and where data and analytics play a role in such a world, and Sam Wong, a partner at Blackbird Ventures, joined Michael, Val, and Tim to explore the subject. Hypotheses and KPIs came up a lot, so our hypothesis that there was a relevant tie-in to the traditional focus of this show was validated, and, as a result, the valuation of the podcast itself tripled and we are accepting term sheets. For complete show notes, including links to items mentioned in this episode and a transcript of the show, visit the show page.

Nick Crocker is a general partner at Blackbird Venture Capital, former CEO of Startmate and founder or co-founder of numerous companies.  From accelerators to the Giants program, Mark and Nick explore how Blackbird is shaping the startup landscape in 2023. Understand the challenges of finding the right founder and the realities of entrepreneurship. They explore the Australian VC scene's potential, the relationship with the government, and superfunds in funding innovation.  You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/e7C8akgj.  Join the Facebook Group. Follow Mark Bouris on Instagram, LinkedIn & YouTube. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Vexev founders, Dr John Carroll and Dr Eamonn Colley met in Sydney as PhD students interested in fluid dynamics. They have turned their talents to investigate blood flows to try and predict vascular disease.They have created an ultrasound-powered imaging robot and software platform — to automatically take fast and consistent 3D scans, to supercharge the diagnostic power of vascular clinicians, with the simple push of a button.The company has secured funding through Blackbird Ventures and are travelling between Australia and the US developing their production prototype and working with dialysis patients and clinicians to refine their technology.

In this episode, David is joined by Andrew Rothery to discuss the opportunities and advantages of investing in private markets. Andrew highlights the broad range of assets that can find a home in the private market, including equities, debt securities, and alternative investments like oil and gas. He emphasizes that private ownership is more about the needs of the investor rather than the specific asset class. The conversation explores Andrew's positions as a non-executive director in various businesses, such as a deep tech incubator and a property development company focused on community-building. He also mentions his involvement with Blackbird Ventures and LeapFrog Investments, showcasing the growing venture capital and impact investing sectors. Andrew stresses the importance of track records when selecting managers in the private asset space. He encourages investors to look for managers with a successful history and a proven ability to generate returns. Additionally, he highlights the role of advisory boards in managing conflicts of interest in venture capital funds. If this is done well, Andrew believes private markets can offer investors the potential for high returns, diversification, and the opportunity to invest in impactful and innovative businesses.

INvested Series: Nick is a General Partner at Blackbird Ventures, a Venture Capital firm that backs generational ambition with generational ownership by raising funds and investing in the best startup companies all the way through their journey from idea to beyond IPO.Blackbird's portfolio is worth over $10B and includes some of the most successful Aussie and Kiwi startups including Canva, Zoox, SafetyCulture and Culture Amp.TOPICS DISCUSSEDTime and project management solutionsHow to artificially create opportunities for rest and recoveryImportance of celebrating micro-wins with your teamTechniques to shift perspective in high-pressure situationsCreating moments of levity to lighten the journeyMeditation as a daily practice and end-of-week wrap-up ritualsVisit https://www.highgrowthventures.com.au/invested to download the white paper and for more insights and resources designed specifically for startups and scale-ups. ……Connect with Marc >>>  Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | TwitterDrop a review and let me know what's resonating with you about the show!Thanks as always for listening and have the best day yet! Show Credits 

Dr Megan Sebben is the Program Manager at CSIRO's Kick-Start Program, an initiative designed to help innovative Australian startups and small businesses develop their business and grow by providing funding support and access to CSIRO's research expertise and capabilities. Megan has extensive experience in environmental research and consulting in both the public and private sectors.  This is a special episode featuring guest host Alan Jones, an investor and veteran of Australia's startup ecosystem who has supported Australian startups independently and through BlueChilli, Blackbird Ventures, Pollenizer Ventures and Startmate. In their conversation, Megan and Alan discuss the the types of support the Kick-Start program provides to startups, as well as Megan's perspective that while progress has been made within Australia's startup ecosystem to improve access for underrepresented groups such as women and first nation's peoples, there is still a lot of work to be done. See full show notes: https://w2d1.com/megan-sebben

Niki Scevak is a co-founder and General Partner at Blackbird Ventures - an Australasian investment firm whose mission is to invest in wild hearts, with the wildest ideas, right from the beginning - and co-founder of Startmate. Niki describes the wildest idea he's ever been pitched and invested in. This is a fascinating insight into the origins of some of the biggest companies in the current stock market and how angel investment philosophy brings these companies into existence.Follow our new Instagram for The Dive. The Dive is our new podcast. Who says business news needs to be all business?****Calling all bulls, bears and party animals.Come and trade ideas at Australia's biggest investing festival - Equity Mates' FinFest.With expert speakers and guests, DJs and booze, it's an inspiring event for investors of any level of experience.Save the date - 15th October, 2022 Sydney - Head to equitymates.com/finfest to register your interest.Equity Mates' FinFest, powered by Stake****Want more Equity Mates? Come to our website and subscribe to Equity Mates Investing Podcast, social media channels, Thought Starters mailing list and more at or check out our Youtube channel.*****In the spirit of reconciliation, Equity Mates Media and the hosts of Equity Mates Investing Podcast acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respects to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people today. *****Equity Mates Investing Podcast is a product of Equity Mates Media. All information in this podcast is for education and entertainment purposes only. Equity Mates gives listeners access to information and educational content provided by a range of financial services professionals. It is not intended as a substitute for professional finance, legal or tax advice. The hosts of Equity Mates Investing Podcast are not financial professionals and are not aware of your personal financial circumstances. Equity Mates Media does not operate under an Australian financial services licence and relies on the exemption available under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) in respect of any information or advice given.Before making any financial decisions you should read the Product Disclosure Statement and, if necessary, consult a licensed financial professional. Do not take financial advice from a podcast or video. For more information head to the disclaimer page on the Equity Mates website where you can find ASIC resources and find a registered financial professional near you. Equity Mates is part of the Acast Creator Network. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

A Managing Masterclass with Lauren Humphrey, co-founder of The MintableThe 5 dimensions of great people managementWhy soft skills are key (and aren't taught elsewhere)How the AI tool The Mintable is building assists managers in real timeWhat the first thing each manager should do isHow to let people goThe Mintable gives managers the training, tools and community they need to succeed.Episode Highlights from Lauren:“50% of us will leave a job directly because of a manager, and one study found it takes 22 months for a direct report to recover physically and emotionally from the effects of a bad manager.”“The root of most hard conversations is that there wasn't a clear expectation in place.”“The first thing you've got to do is define success. You have to know, at any given point, what success looks like for each of the people on your team. If you don't, they will certainly not.”“At the Mintable we've got what we call the 5 dimensions of great management: Aware, Care, Prepare, Share and Dare.”“We call it strategic care: what are the key things that you need to learn about the people on your team to get the best out of them? Understand how someone likes to receive feedback, how they like to receive recognition.”Learn more about The Mintable:https://bit.ly/3JVRo9kLauren Humphrey's Linkedin:https://bit.ly/3K5nKi0Get in touch with Mason using his Blinq card below: https://bit.ly/3AqLYQq

S3 E1: Key Insights Covered

Blackbird is an Australasian venture capital firm whose mission is to invest in wild hearts, with the wildest ideas, right from the beginning. It seeks to back generational ambition with generational ownership by raising funds and investing in the best startup companies all the way through their journey from idea to beyond IPO. The company's portfolio is worth over $10bn and includes more than 100 Aussie and Kiwi startups, including Canva, Zoox, SafetyCulture, Culture Amp, Halter and Propeller Aero. Mason Yates is part of the investment team and hosts Wild Hearts, a Blackbird podcast dedicated to revealing the secrets of the founders seeking to change the world.

Niki is the Co-founder of Blackbird, a venture fund that exists to supercharge the most ambitious founders. Blackbird Ventures is one of the leading Venture Capital funds in Australia and NZ, counting companies such as Canva, Culture Amp, and Safety Culture as part of its portfolio. Niki Co-founded Blackbird in 2012 with an initial $29M. That initial fund proved to be hugely successful, with the fund selling 40% of fund 1 for $100M. The sale provided a guaranteed 3x return to all 96 investors who contributed to fund 1 while retaining an interest in the 12 portfolio companies with a carrying value of $6.50 per $1 invested. On today's show, Niki shared his journey from starting a business with his University friend, Mike Cannon Brookes, whom you may know as the founder of Atlassian, all the way to co-founding Blackbird Ventures and how he became known as the 'Godfather' of Venture Capital here in Australia. He also shared the Blackbird's investing philosophy, "Taking a chance on the hungry, not the proven" which means he is more interested in those who are passionate to succeed than those who possibly have already proven themselves, and also discussed why "investing is more phycological than it is data and analytics".  Niki also shared with us :What are some of the key qualities he looks for in entrepreneurs which lead to success, The pivotal role organisational Culture plays in startups What the Australian Start-Up Scene looks like over the next 5-10 years His advice for entrepreneurs to attract investors  His beliefs in the constant need for Personal growth  What does the future look like for Blackbird Ventures. Books  mentioned in this episode:Poor Charlie's Almanack - The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger By: Charles Thomas Munger Zero to One -  Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future By Peter Thiel, Blake MastersWhere to find  Aaron Hickmann:LinkedInWebsiteTwitterJoin the conversation on Synergy IQ on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram (@synergyiq), and please support other leaders by liking, subscribing, and sharing this podcast. Access SynergyIQ Website to get to know more about us. Say hello to our host Daniel Franco on LinkedIn.

Aengus Tran saw healthcare as a field where he could do something worthwhile, and really add value with his life and work. His startup has already raised over $100M as they transform medicine at scale. The company, Harrison. AI has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Horizons Ventures, Skip Capital, I-Med Network Technology, and Blackbird Ventures.

Mick Liubinskas is the founder of Climate Salad, an organisation that aims to boost climate tech companies in Australia and New Zealand by providing tools, programs and community support. Mick has a long history working within the startup ecosystem both in Australia and overseas, and notably was co-founder of Pollenizer, one of Australia's first startup incubators. This is a special episode featuring guest host Alan Jones, an investor and veteran of Australia's startup ecosystem who has supported Australian startups independently and through BlueChilli, Blackbird Ventures, Pollenizer Ventures and Startmate. In the conversation, Mick and Alan compare notes on the early days of Australia's startup ecosystem, and discuss Mick's belief that Australia's startup ecosystem would be stronger with a single city leading as the central hub for startups within the country. See full show notes: https://w2d1.com/mick-liubinskas

Emily Rich is a co-founder and partner at M8 Ventures, a venture fund that focuses on investing in tech startups during their “pre-seed” stage. Emily is also Director of Startups for APAC, where she has been tasked with helping to drive startup growth in the Asia-Pacific region. This is a special episode featuring guest host Alan Jones, an investor and veteran of Australia's startup ecosystem who has supported Australian startups independently and through BlueChilli, Blackbird Ventures, Pollenizer Ventures and Startmate. In the conversation, Emily discusses how she got her start co-founding a machine learning startup, and her belief that while bootstrapping a business may be an appealing prospect for early founders, that seeking investment early and taking what she calls “smart money” is often a better path for fast and sustainable growth. See full show notes: https://w2d1.com/emily-rich

My guest for Episode 159 of The Startup Playbook Podcast was the Co-founder & General Partner of Blackbird Ventures, Niki Scevak. Blackbird Ventures is one of the leading Venture Capital funds in Australia and NZ, counting companies such as Canva, Culture Amp and Safety Culture as part of its portfolio. Niki and previous podcast guest, […] The post Ep159 – Niki Scevak (Co-founder & Partner – Blackbird VC) on raising ambition appeared first on Startup Playbook.

Chris and Yaniv have a discussion with Nick Crocker, General partner at Blackbird Ventures. Together they discuss The truth about "VC Value add" and how the wrong investor can be value destructive How founders and VCs partner over a multi-stage iterative game of growth Reference checking potential investors How founders imagine and build new products The importance of hiring operations and finance people The precious nature of a founder's attention and health And more!

Aussie mining giant Fortescue has inked a new deal with German energy company E.ON to replace Russian gas with Australian green hydrogen.   Australian venture investor Blackbird Ventures is raising $1 billion from investors to find and back the next Canva.   Sony is launching a new PlayStation subscription service, as gaming companies strive to replicate the success of TV and movie streaming.   ---   Download the free app (App Store): http://bit.ly/FluxAppStore Download the free app (Google Play Store): http://bit.ly/FluxappGooglePlay Save money and win cash prizes up to $250k weekly: https://www.flux.finance/win-the-week Get your credit score for free: https://bit.ly/fluxcreditscore Daily newsletter: https://bit.ly/fluxnewsletter Instagram: http://bit.ly/fluxinsta TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@flux.finance   ---   The content in this podcast reflects the views and opinions of the hosts, and is intended for personal and not commercial use. We do not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any opinion, statement or other information provided or distributed in these episodes. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This episode is with Niki Scevak - co-founder and partner at Blackbird Ventures, one of Australia's leading VC funds, turning $1.2B invested since 2013 into a portfolio valued at $10B with investments including Canva, SafetyCulture and Eucalyptus. In this episode we talk about how to raise money from a VC fund with discussions around the VC industry in Australia, Blackbird Ventures' investment strategy, what they look for in a startup opportunity, how to pitch a VC, and what founders should focus on after they get funded.

With experience founding and co-founding tech startups since 1995, Alan Jones is a veteran of Australia's startup ecosystem. An angel investor and advisor, Alan has supported Australian startups independently and through BlueChilli, Blackbird Ventures, Pollenizer Ventures and Startmate. In his conversation with Adam, Alan discusses how the internet's disruption of media companies made possible Australia's first tech startups, and how the advent of wifi and the smartphone dramatically impacted Australia's startup ecosystem. See full show notes https://w2d1.com/alan-jones

My guest for Ep150 of The Startup Playbook Podcast was the Co-founder & Partner at Blackbird Ventures, Rick Baker. Blackbird is one of, if not the leading Venture Capital Fund in Australia. Since launching in 2012, Blackbird has raised 4 funds for a combined committed capital of $1.24B with an astonishing net internal rate of return of 46.7% for every dollar invested as of June 30, 2020. Their portfolio includes some of Australia's most iconic companies  such as Culture Amp, Safety Culture and Canva where they own 14% ownership stake, which is by far the largest of any external investor. The overall success of their first fund led them to selling 40% of their fund 1 for $100M, providing a 3x return to all of their LPs. In this interview we discussed: The story behind Blackbird's first fundWhy Blackbird has a unique rule in backing in only backing founders who are not looking for exitsHow Blackbird's internal culture and curiosity led to investments in the future of food, space and autonomous vehiclesThe thinking behind Blackbird's decision to sell 40% of their first fund for $100MWhen and how to reach out to Blackbird for investment& much more! Timestamps 3.03 - Intro to Rick Baker and his background  6.07 - How Rick got connected to his co-founder Niki and they started Blackbird 8.16 - Starting Blackbird during a time when VC was dying in Australia 11.10 - Early days of Blackbird and not paying themselves for the first 18 months 11.53 - What Blackbird looks for in founders and experience working with Baraja 16.00 - Blackbirds goal to be more than just a financial fund by offering connections and other support 17.58 - Blackbirds no exits rule and why they have it21.53 - Shift in founders ambition in Australia since the growth of the startup industry23.12 - Why Blackbird is selling off part of their Fund 126.53 - How Blackbird helps founders to stay motivated, engaged and involved in the business 29.27 - Supporting founders through difficult times 32.50 - The importance of giving constructive feedback35.14 - Building the Blackbird team and the importance of having a solid team for the growth and success of the company 39.24 - Choosing what to invest in and how those decisions have changed from the beginning of Blackbird 41.30 - Maintaining company culture as a team grows 43.50 - Defining the culture at Blackbird45.23 - Looking for opportunities and Blackbirds' choice to invest in new industries and technologies 49.12 - When is the right time to pitch Blackbird and why it's never too early 51.53 - The importance of social proof and the ability to bring people on your journey as a founder 53.49 - Getting investment from Blackbird or joining the Startmate Accelerator56.22 - What Blackbird are looking for in new and future investments 59.45 - Where Blackbird is going next 1.02.04 - How to get in contact with Rick and Blackbird Links Mentioned  Ricks Links  Ricks' LinkedInRicks' Twitter Blackbird Website Sunrise21 (Blackbird Event)Blackbird EventsBlackbird Contact Form People Mentioned  Niki ScevakFederico Collarte Cibby PulikkaserilCraig BarrattSam Wong Nick Crocker Companies Mentioned MLCAtlassianCampaign MonitorAconexRedbubbleHalf Brick StudiosAustralian Investment Council (AIC)ZooxBarajaCanva Safety CultureCulture AmpStartmate Past Episodes Mentioned  Episode 146 - Federico Collarte Episode 109 - Nick Crocker Special Thanks: Special thanks to Niki Scevak, Federico Collarte and Cibby Pulikkaseril for their help with research for this interview!  Feedback/connect/say hello: Rohit@startupplaybook.co@RohitBhargava7 (Twitter)/rohbhargava (LinkedIn)@rohit_bhargava (Instagram)My Youtube Channel Credits: Music: Joakim Karud – Dreams Other channels: Don't have iTunes? The podcast is also available on Spotify, Soundcloud & Stitcher Audio Player.

Welcome back to part 2 of our interview with the legend himself, Niki Scevak, partner and co-founder of Blackbird Ventures and co-founder of Startmate. In this episode we pick up where we left off with more gold from Niki and David. They discuss the evolution of the startup ecosystem in both Australia and the US and the implications of staying local versus expanding overseas. Niki talks about his love of numbers in the sense of seeking the truth about our reality and gives his thoughts on David's 5 pillars for building a company that reaches $100m in revenue. To wrap it up, Niki shares his secrets on building successful startup communities. For more from Niki follow him on Linkedin @Niki Scevak and Twitter @nikiscevak Sanity Check is an independent podcast. To support the show please subscribe and also rate and review to help us reach more people. To stay up to date be sure to follow us on: Instagram: @sanitycheckofficial LinkedIn: SanityCheck Twitter: Sanity Check AU Facebook: Sanity Check And Done!

This week on Sanity Check we are joined by the incredible Niki Scevak, partner and co-founder of Blackbird Ventures, a venture fund that exists to supercharge Australia's and New Zealand's most ambitious founders. He is also the co-founder of Startmate, a founder community helping the next generation succeed. Our chat with Niki was so insightful that we didn't want to leave any of it on the cutting room floor. So we have decided to split this interview into two episodes. In part 1, you'll hear about Niki's journey co-founding both Blackbird Ventures and Startmate and the lessons he learnt along the way. He also shares his philosophy on building community relationships, tangible advice for working smarter not harder, as well as his thesis on investing and making quality decisions. Stay tuned for part 2 next week! For more from Niki follow him on Linkedin @Niki Scevak and Twitter @nikiscevak Sanity Check is an independent podcast. To support the show please subscribe and also rate and review to help us reach more people. To stay up to date be sure to follow us on: Instagram: @sanitycheckofficial LinkedIn: SanityCheck Twitter: Sanity Check AU Facebook: Sanity Check And Done!

My guest for Ep123 of The Startup Playbook Podcast was the Founder of Eucalyptus, Tim Doyle. Tim is one of the most renowned marketers in Australia. He was previously the Head of Marketing for Direct to Consumer (DTC) mattress brand, Koala, taking the business from $500,000 in revenue a month to a business turning over $100M a year. He is now the Founder of Eucalyptus, a brand engine that builds and runs digital consumer companies. They currently have two products currently in market, Pilot and Kin which are brands that focus on mens  health and women's fertility respectively. During this interview, Tim also announced that Eucalyptus is a few short weeks away from launching their 3rd product, a skin care brand called software.skin. To date, Eucalyptus has raised over $8M in funding from the likes of Blackbird Ventures and W23, Woolworths Corporate Venture Capital arm. We covered a wide variety of topics in this interview including: Insights and lessons from running digital campaigns for the Labor party in the 2016 electionHow to build high performing growth teamsBuilding traction and finding your first few customers on a budgetHow to find white space opportunities and channels for growthFundraising process for DTC and other “off trend” startups& much more Full interview below! Show notes: Koala MattressEucalyptusPilotKin FertilitySoftware.skin (watch this space!)Dany Milham (Co-founder @ Koala)Steve SmithVinomofoJustin Dry (Co-founder & CEO of Vinomofo) on Startup Playbook Ep003Shoes of PreyJodie Fox (Co-founder of Shoes of Prey) on Startup Playbook Ep018Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)Cost Per Mille (CPM)Blackbird VenturesSam Wong (Partner @ Blackbird)Nick Crocker (General Partner @ Blackbird)Niki Scevak (Co-founder & Partner @ Blackbird)Charlie Gearside (Founder @ Eucalyptus)UnileverProctor & GambleLMVHMike HalliganScratchPetCirclechewy.comShoe Dog, by Phil Knight (book)Casper MattressNura headphonesTimeChi (crowdfunding campaign)Sean Greenhalgh (Co-founder & CEO - TimeChi)DeliciouKjetil Hansen (Founder & CEO - Deliciou)Fast.coDomm Holland (Co-founder & CEO - Fast) Next interview: Join our next live podcast interview with Tim Fung, the Co-Founder & CEO of AirtaskerDate: 11th August 2020Time: 8-9am (AEDT)Registration link: https://tinyurl.com/Ep124Airtasker Feedback/connect/say hello: Rohit@startupplaybook.co@RohitBhargava7 (Twitter)/rohbhargava (LinkedIn)@rohit_bhargava (Instagram)My Youtube Channel Credits: Music: Joakim Karud – Dreams Other channels: Don't have iTunes? The podcast is also available on Soundcloud & Stitcher Audio Player and now also available on Spotify. https://youtu.be/ad9yPrQu-0o The post Ep123 – Tim Doyle (Founder – Eucalyptus) on Discipline, Differentiation and Data appeared first on Startup Playbook.

My guest for Episode 109 of the Startup Playbook Podcast (and returning back to the show) is the General Partner of Blackbird Ventures, Nick Crocker. Prior to joining Blackbird, Nick was a successful founder. He was the Co-founder of We Are Hunted (acquired by Twitter) and Sessions (acquired by MyFitnessPal). After MyFitnessPal was acquired by Under Armour for $475M, he went on to lead their Product Strategy and Operations in San Francisco. I initially interviewed Nick for Ep39 of The Startup Playbook Podcast in March 2017, shortly after he had moved back to Australia to join Blackbird VC as a Venture Partner for the (at the time) $230M fund. Since then, Nick has become a General Partner at Blackbird Ventures (now a $500M venture capital firm) that counts companies such as Canva, SafetyCulture, Culture Amp and Zoox as part of its portfolio. Nick sits on the boards of Culture Amp, Nura, XY Sense, Applied, Bellish, Startmate and Eucalyptus. In this interview we spoke about a range of topics including: the importance of performance coachinghow Blackbird refined and defined its cultural valueshow Blackbird looks for conviction when assessing investment dealsthe importance of storytelling to your investors& much more! Show notes: Ep039 - Nick Crocker (Venture Partner - Blackbird VC) on people, culture and productsThe Y FilesMyFitnessPal buys Australian coaching app, Sessions (article)Culture AmpDidier ElzingaEp101 - Didier Elzinga (Co-founder & CEO - Culture Amp) on the key traits of successful foundersPropeller AeroRory San MiguelJodie AusterEp066 - Jodie Auster (GM - Uber Eats) on hypothesis driven problem solvingStartmateBen HudsonOptimMichael Batko"The Psychology of Executive Coaching" - Michael BatkoSunrise ConferenceSamantha WongJoel ConnollyNiki ScevakMichael FoxFable FoodsNick Beaumont - Co-founder of HeurosThe Elephants - Nick CrockerEd Cowan"In the firing line - Diary of a season" - Ed CowanA bigger picture: An Autobiography by Malcolm TurnbullSapiens: A brief history of Humankind - Yuval Noah HarariByrne Hobart - SubstackPreston PesekCulture Amp - Insights"When tailwinds vanish" - blog Join our next live podcast interview with the Co-Founder of Up, Dom Pym!Date: 5th May 2020Time: 8-9am (AEDT)Registration link: http://tinyurl.com/ep110DomPym Feedback/connect/say hello:Rohit@startupplaybook.co@RohitBhargava7 (Twitter)/rohbhargava (LinkedIn)@rohit_bhargava (Instagram)My Youtube Channel Credits:Music: Joakim Karud – Dreams Other channels:Don't have iTunes? The podcast is also available on Soundcloud & Stitcher Audio Player and now also available on Spotify. https://youtu.be/1waxm3KGWug Watch the video recording from the interview on Youtube! The post Ep109 – Nick Crocker (General Partner – Blackbird VC) on investing with conviction appeared first on Startup Playbook.

On today's show, we have Melanie Perkins. She is the CEO and co-founder of Canva, an online design and publishing tool which makes graphic design simple for everyone. Since launching in 2013, Canva has grown to over 15 million users across 190 countries, with more than 1 billion designs created, at 36 designs per second. Today, Canva is growing with over 600 team members across 3 offices in Sydney, Manila and Beijing, working together on a mission to empower everyone to create beautiful design. After hundreds of revisions to the Canva pitch deck, Melanie has now raised more than $140 million from investors including Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen, Yahoo! CFO Ken Goldman, and funds such as Felicis Ventures and Blackbird Ventures. Today, Canva is valued at US$2.5 billion, making Canva the second Australian startup to achieve Unicorn status.   In this episode, you'll learn: What was the strategy to enter China and have there been any pivots along the way? Who could disrupt Canva and its massive growth?    What is the implication of the acquisition of Pexel and Pixabay and Canva's expansion through partnering or acquiring other companies? What is the future of graphic design and what can people anticipate in the next 2-3 years?     Please take a few seconds and leave us a positive review as it helps the show grow and motivates us to create content. Thank you for helping and giving back to the show!   Connect with Shawn by following this link for most updated and complete social media platforms” https://linktr.ee/ShawnflynnSV BOOKS AND RESOURCES Website for Canva CONNECT WITH SHAWN: Shawn Flynn's Twitter Account Shawn Flynn's LinkedIn Account Silicon Valley LinkedIn Group Account Shawn Flynn's Facebook Account Email Shawn@thesiliconvalleypodcast.com Summary On today's show we chat with Melanie Perkins, the CEO and co-founder of Canva, an online design and publishing tool which makes graphic design simple for everyone.

Nick is a partner at Blackbird Ventures. A venture capital fund that seeks to invest in world-class founders who are setting out to make a difference in the world. Investors in Blackbird's fund include the Australian Government Future Fund, Host Plus, and Mike Cannon Brookes. Nick originally studied law and political science at UQ. After a short period of time working in the legal world he pivoted across into the world of startups. He co-founded, and was CEO of, Sessions (which used technology to help people stay healthy, and Sessions was later acquired by MyFitnessPal in December, 2013). Nick also co-founded We Are Hunted which was acquired by Twitter. Nick said he would come into contact with approximately 1000 companies a year, of which he meets face to face with around 100. He would probably consider around 10 but ultimately invests in around 2 or 3 a year. However, at the time of recording in late September he still had not made an investment this year. One thing which I wasn't aware is that he measures every minute of his day and he takes us through how he does this. As on average as he invests in 1 in every 500 companies he comes across he knows how important time management is. We discuss valuation which is always difficult, let alone investing in a startup company that's probably loss making at the time with not many true comparable comapnies. Nick describes how important a well articulated mission and vision are. However, so often they're nothing more than buzzwords which are often stuck on the wall and then forgotten about. It's important though, the mission and vision reverberates throughout the company as it attracts the best talent, which can attract investors, which can help in the process to attract customers. This episode is brought to you by Six Park - Australia's leading online investment manager www.sixpark.com.au