Podcasts about blackbird ventures

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.

In this episode of the WFLS podcast, we chat with Harry Wilde

 Tom Humphrey is an Investor with Blackbird Ventures, a venture capital fund supercharging Australia and New Zealand's most ambitious founders. Prior to Blackbird, Tom was a partner with Access Ventures based in Denver USA and was on the management / founding teams of two successful startups. Tom was COO of OurDeal, a “group-buying” ecommerce website in Australia that over 12 months scaled to a team of 80 and a successful exit to News Corp, and then became COO of Kanopy, a B2B video streaming platform that he guided to an exit in 2018 delivering a 14x return to investors. In this episode #138 w Tom Humphrey, learn about:Tom's sunrise in Sydney, Australia being the youngest of 4 siblings, with his mother a high school teacher and then business executive and dad an architect. I loved his reflections on how his older sister, stayed up at night and sometimes missed school because she was looking after Tom, and then their journey later in life building Canopy for nearly a decade to now being one of the top 10 M&A exits for a tech company out of Australia. 14x return on investmentI asked Tom about the key differences between Australian and US culture given his 10 years living, studying and working in the US, his reflections on his time in Bhutan and learning about the economics of happiness, his insecurities and how he manages them, how he's learn what good looks like in sales and go to market for startups, the concept of deposits in the care bank to be a great manager and his balancing act on decision making with analytics and gut feel. We also cover his transitions from consulting to a a startup at a time when startups weren't the buzz they are today and his reflections on what he would change if he could start his career today.It's now time to explore your curiosity. Please enjoy!(Timestamps below)***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterContact 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! ***

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.

Sam Wong is a General Partner at Blackbird Ventures, who exist to supercharge Australia's and New Zealand's most ambitious founders. She was the first hire in their Australia fund and has since invested in companies including Vow, Halter, Harrison AI and led the raising of their inaugural $59M New Zealand Fund, and $80M New Zealand Fund II (2022) + heads up their New Zealand office. Sam was born in Perth, Australia and now lives in Auckland, New Zealand. In this episode #129 w Sam Wong, learn about:Sam's sunrise in Perth, Australia growing up in and around her parent's business packing Soundblaster boxes, and influenced by various cultures with mum of Malaysian/Chinese heritage and Dad being half English and half Chinese but grew up in India.This one is wide ranging and Sam is very candid — we cover her highlights from 7 years as a lawyer and influences from early managers that have shaped Sam's leadership style today as General Partner at the Venture Capital firm, Blackbird.Sam's been at various vantage points in her career, from law to early stage startup to co-founding a startup to investing so I wanted to know where would she start her career if she could do it again? Learn about her experience co-founding a startup with her partner Ben, biases Sam had to delete switching from founder to investor and we cover the Blackbird story to date, including Sam's reflections on her investments in companies like Vow and Halter that seemed very non obvious at the time, the story behind raising and building the NZ fund and her most painful learning to date.

The FinTech Report Podcast: Joe Patrick at Astral Ventures Joe Patrick is the co-founder of Astral Ventures – a technology focussed corporate advisory firm based in Sydney, Australia. Astral has worked with some of Australia's most exciting technology companies including Hivery, FrankieOne, ImmutableX, Spaceship and VC fund Blackbird Ventures, among many more. Astral Ventures is also the publisher of the ANZ VC Leaderboard which is a first of it's kind initiative launched in February of this year. The VC Leaderboard enables founders to make more empowered decisions about whom to partner with - and for VCs to better understand how founders benchmark them against peers.Prior to founding Astral, Joe was an investment banker at JPMorgan. In this episode, we discuss:Joe's finance background at JP MorganWhy the move to ventureWho are Astral Ventures? Track record, vision, missionHow Astral work with Founders and the early stage eco-systemRecent report – VC Leader board – grading the investorsMethodology: how do Founders ‘judge' the investors?How can investors do better?Thoughts on the fintech funding eco-system: global macro trends, as well as local micro trends About Astral Ventures VC Leaderboard. 700 submissions from founders on 150 funds.With the data, Astral has created a founder NPS ranking tool - ranking the best VCs in the eyes of Australian and Kiwi founders. Astral decided to publish the top 25 funds, and have shown the remainder alphabetically. Astral's intention is for founders to use this tool to make more empowered decisions about whom to partner with - and for VCs to better understand how founders benchmark them against peers.View the Astral Leaderboard report here: https://thelist.astralventures.com.au/ 

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.

Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on iTunes and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterEmail  Vidit directly at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz or contact us via www.curiositycenter.xyz to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests and share how we can improve. ***Welcome to episode #95 w Joel Connolly! Please enjoy. ***TIMESTAMPS01:50  - Where were you born and live now? 02:00 - What was your first job and now? 02:31 - High Flyer in Joel's life 03:58 - Darwin and Copacabana 06:57 - Influences of family and public figures 08:53 - Being raised by a single mum 11:18 - First time he came across music and creative world 13:13 - Career plan at age 18 17:08 - Didn't feeling like a creative till his mid 30's 18:10 - We're all born creative 19:36 - Creativity in podcasting 21:39 - The move from music to Venture Capital at Blackbird 28:05 - Unlearning and trying new things at Blackbird 31:50 - How Joel created the Blackbird brand strategy: 36:15 - Community and firm building 38:25 - Most painful learning 42:01 - Balancing creative role in an investment firm 45:13 - Blackbird 2.0 49:03 - What is brand building as an expression of who you are 52:20 - What does crypto have right and wrong about culture? 55:41 - How does Australia encourage Vitaliks (founder of ETH)? 58:31 - Joel's thinking in themes and not pictures 01:01:12 - Rapid fire 

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

Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on iTunes and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterContact Vidit directly at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests and share feedback. ***Welcome to episode #80 w Bill Bartee! Here are 5 key takeaways you will learn from this episode:1. How growing up near a NASA facility started Bill's love for science, tech and engineering2. Reflections on working in Silicon Valley in the 80's seeing the early technology evolution3. What he learnt from his most painful learning and why one advice has stuck the most 4. The 5 hall of fame Australian VC's Bill would love to be in a room with5. Why is deep tech innovation different and how does talent equate in Australia vs the USAPlease enjoy!***TIMESTAMPS03:03 - Growing up seeing rocket launches 03:40 - Papers, washing cars and labourer 04:24 - Double nobel prize winner in Physics and Chemistry 06:12 - Economically poor, intellectually rich 08:01 - Aspirations to be an astronaut 09:48 - Building information sources in the 1960/70's 11:07 - 25 year love for Australia 12:45 - Working across the spectrum: large, medium and early companies 15:13 - Evolution in rate of learning 17:54 - what makes people succeed 21:08 - 99% of learnings coming from failing 23:36 - Not judging a book by it's cover 26:39 - Applying mathematics love to startup investing 30:32 - Venture Capital today vs the early 2000's 35:02 - Co-founding 3 x VC firms 38:12 - top 5 hall of fame investors 41:10 - founders from 2000's that impressed the most 43:47 - metrics in sass vs deep tech 48:23 - How do investors help deep tech founders? 50:54 - Most challenging mental models 52:43 - Talent equation in deep tech: Australia vs USA 54:26 - final sprint 

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!

Good morning and welcome back to another episode! Today we are joined by Christie Jenkins, an associate at Blackbird Ventures and professional athlete. Christie has balanced her professional career with her athletic career, having represented Australia in trampolining, beach volleyball and CrossFit. In this episode we discuss her journey from university and how she got to where she is now. We chat about what it's like to work in the venture capital industry, including her ‘day in the life', how it differs from working in a more traditional asset management fund and advice for students wanting to enter. Christie speaks to the increased activity in the venture capital space and what is driving it. Finally, Christie touches on high performance psychology - the lessons she has learnt from her athletic career on how to achieve your best, and how everyone can apply this to their own careers. Show your support for BoW Talks by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or following on Spotify. Alternatively you can leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Looking to join Banking on Women? Connect with us on Instagram, LinkedIn or visit our website. Looking to collaborate on a BoW Talks episode? Say hi at podcast.director@bankingonwomen.org.au Guest Recommendations: ‘So Good They Can't Ignore You' by Cal Newport ‘Never Split the Difference' by Chris Voss and Tahl Raz

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!

Nick Crocker says “Don't Do Self-Deprecation.”   This week on 37 Degrees Latitude, Nick Crocker reflects on ambition, story telling, tall-poppy syndrome and the surface area of serendipity.   As a both a founder and an investor, Nick knows that a focus on the product is paramount, but timing and a little luck goes a long way when you're trying to get started as an entrepreneur in both Australia and the United States.  U.S. Consul General Mike Kleine hosts Nick to investigate the secrets of his success that spans entrepreneurship in music, fitness, and venture capital at 37˚ north and south.      Mentions  Blackbird Ventures  My Fitness Pal  Vimeo  Nick's newsletter: https://nickcrocker.substack.com/  Nick's Twitter: @nickcrocker    Stay in touch  Follow the U.S. Consulate General Melbourne Twitter @usconsulatemelb Instagram at @usconsulatemelb  Facebook melbourne.usconsulate/    About In this podcast, U.S. Consul General to Melbourne Michael Kleine meets the Australian founders and entrepreneurs who cut a path between 37˚ N & S and found capital, partners, markets, and success in the United States.  Mike Kleine is a career diplomat for the U.S. Department of State Officer who is currently the U.S. Consul General to Melbourne. As a former founder turned diplomat, he has a deep-seated interest in entrepreneurship, a fascination with innovation, and a passion for the U.S-Australia relationship. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

My guest for Episode 8 of The Startup Playbook Hustle is Matt Jones, the Co-founder of beauty and wellness platform Honee. Matt started his career at ANZ before leaving to start his own startup. Unfortunately things didn't go to plan with this idea, but instead of heading back into the corporate space, Matt joined DeliveryHero, which at that time was at an early stage in their penetration into the Australian market, taking them to 4400 restaurants before getting poached by Groupon. He was then sent to Singapore to lead Quandoo's expansion into the APAC market, soon overtaking the major local competitors before coming back to Australia to join Zomato after the UrbanSpoon acquisition, where he scaled the business to over 100 people, 7 verticals and over $1M in revenue. Matt was then able to take all of these experiences and come full circle to launch Honee, a beauty and wellness online platform. Since launching in early 2016, Honee has signed up over 10,000 venues across Sydney and Melbourne offering more than 200,000 services. They have also recently graduated from the Startmate Accelerator program and closed a $1.8M seed round from Blackbird Ventures as well as a number of Angel Investors. In this episode we talk about: The need to fail quickly How to ask for feedback Deciding when to pivot How to train sales teams   Video recording of the Podcast (now on Youtube) PLAYBOOK MEDIA – Growth through Data-Driven Storytelling THE E-COMMERCE PLAYBOOK ACCELEPRISE AUSTRALIA STARTUP PLAYBOOK HUSTLE APPLICATION    Show notes - Delivery Hero - Quandoo - Zomato - Zomato's Urbanspoon acquisition - Deepinder Goyal - Pankaj Chaddah - Honee - Sean Qian - Collective Campus - Nick Chang - Nicole So - Startup Victoria - James Cameron - Airtree - Blackbird - Startmate - Nick Crocker - Matt Jones (email) Feedback/ connect/ say hello:  Rohit@startupplaybook.co @playbookstartup (Twitter) @rohitbhargava7 (Twitter – Rohit) Rohit Bhargava (LinkedIn) Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound Other channels: Don't have iTunes? The podcast is also available on Stitcher & Soundcloud The post Hustle Ep008 – Matt Jones (Co-founder – Honee) on selling effectively appeared first on Startup Playbook.

My guests for Episode 5 of The Startup Playbook Hustle are Heidi Holmes and Lucy Lloyd, the co-founders of Mentorloop. Heidi and Lucy have been friends for over 20 years, initially meeting at school before initially heading down different career paths. Prior to Mentorloop, Heidi was the Managing Director of Adage, an online jobs board that was acquired by OneShift in early 2015, whereas Lucy spent several years with tech and development agencies before reconnecting and discussing the initial idea for Mentorloop over a glass of wine. That idea turned into a Mentorloop, which provides mentoring software that enables businesses to match their people into effective mentorships at any scale. Mentorloop was recently accepted into and went through the highly competitive Startmate accelerator program and announced a partnership with the Australian Olympic Committee. The success and growth of Mentorloop has allowed them to raise $1M of funding from a number of investors including Blackbird Ventures, Rampersand and Tempus Partners. In this episode we talk about: How to get buy-in from your first few customers Passing the hurdle test Finding a technical co-founder vs outsourcing development A detailed breakdown of Mentorloop's fundraising process   PLAYBOOK MEDIA – 10X your growth through Data-Driven Storytelling STARTUP PLAYBOOK HUSTLE APPLICATION   Show notes: Adage KPMG Common Code Startmate Airtree Airtree investor spreadsheet Trello Mark Suster Invest in Lines not Dots - Both Sides of the Table (blog) Rampersand Heidi Holmes Lucy Lloyd Heidi's ask: Intro's to HR Managers Lucy's ask: Talented people to join Mentorloop with a Development or Marketing background Feedback/ connect/ say hello:  Rohit@startupplaybook.co @playbookstartup (Twitter) @rohitbhargava7 (Twitter – Rohit) Rohit Bhargava (LinkedIn) Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound Other channels: Don't have iTunes? The podcast is also available on Stitcher & Soundcloud Want to be featured on an upcoming episode? Fill out the Application Form: STARTUP PLAYBOOK HUSTLE APPLICATION   The post Hustle Ep005 – Heidi Holmes & Lucy Lloyd (Mentorloop) on the hurdle test appeared first on Startup Playbook.

My guest for episode 65 of The Startup Playbook Podcast is Jason Lim, the General Manager of York Butter Factory (YBF) and Director of National Innovation Precint, Hoist. Jason joined Melbourne based Venture Capital Fund, Adventure Capital over 5 years ago, providing funding and resources for startups to scale and grow. Since then, Jason has been at the centre of the Victorian startup ecosystem through his role at the York Butter Factory, helping to drive the local community and fostering connections and collaborations between startups and corporates. Along with his role at YBF and Adventure Capital, he is also the Director of Hoist, a new innovation precinct at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney which is a partnership between YBF and Mirvac. The partnership will bring together various communities, corporate partners, incubators and accelerators at the Locomotive Workshop in the ATP, providing a collaborative workspace. In this interview we cover a range of topics including; overcoming a culture of risk aversion, building diversity from the grassroots, playing to your strengths, building effective teams and the importance of having role models. PLAYBOOK MEDIA – Growth through Data-Driven Storytelling Show notes: - York Butter Factory - Stuart Richardson - Darcy Naunton - Stuart & Darcy Podcast interview - Blackbird Ventures - SquarePeg Capital - Bailador - Hyper Anna - Sequoia Capital - 90Seconds - Sheryl Sandberg - George Catlett Marshall - The 5 love languages test - Startup Bootcamp - Pantree - Leigh Sherman - Kate Morris podcast interview - Hoist - Mirvac - Australian Technology Park - Atlassian - Cisco - Cicada Innovations - Level 39 - Canary Wharf - TechCrunch Battlefield - Startcon - Sunrise - Jason Lim (Email) Feedback/ connect/ say hello:  Rohit@startupplaybook.co @playbookstartup (Twitter) @rohitbhargava7 (Twitter – Rohit) Rohit Bhargava (LinkedIn) Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound Other channels: Don't have iTunes? The podcast is also available on Stitcher & Soundcloud The post Ep065 – Jason Lim (GM – YBF & Director – Hoist) on learning from role models appeared first on Startup Playbook.

In Episode 53 of The Startup Playbook Podcast, I interview Pete Cooper, the Founder of SydStart, StartSoc and iCentralCo. Pete has been one of the pillars in growing the Australian startup ecosystem, particularly in his hometown of Sydney. He is probably best known for founding the SydStart Conference (now known as StartCon), the first tech conference of it's kind in the country and he actively mentors, invests and is helping to develop an ecosystem to provide the best chances for startups to succeed. In the episode we talk about a range of topics including his transition from a corporate career path to being heavily involved with startups, how to find mentors, how to build communities and how to get started in the startup ecosystem. LIVE PODCAST WITH VICKY LAY (MANAGING DIRECTOR - ARTESIAN VENTURE PARTNERS) Show notes: - SydStart - Sunrise conference - Elias Bizaanes - Mick Liubinskas - Cicada Innovations - Startcon - Freelancer - Spark Festival - Maxine Sherrin - Niki Scevak - iCentral - Lana Hopkins - Mon Purse - Jodie Fox - Jane Lu - Michael Biercuk - Sydney School of Entrepreneurship - Startup Genome - Newcastle Slingshot Program - Eighteen04 - Tyro - Fishburners - StartupAus - StartSociety - Sydney Angel Group - Founder Institute - Ben Chong - Springboard enterprise - 500 Startups - Lean Canvas - Silicon Beach Melbourne - Athula Bogoda - Atlassian - Canva - Envato - Tom Ellis - Paul Napthali - Startup Playbook 50th episode - Airtree Ventures - Blackbird Ventures - Blue Sky Venture Capital - Square Peg Venture Capital - Pete Cooper (Twitter) Blog: 50 Lessons from 50 successful founders, investors & experts (Part 1) Blog: 50 Lessons from 50 successful founders, investors & experts (Part 2) Feedback/ connect/ say hello:  Rohit@startupplaybook.co @playbookstartup (Twitter) @rohitbhargava7 (Twitter – Rohit) Rohit Bhargava (LinkedIn) Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound Other channels: Don't have iTunes? The podcast is also available on Stitcher & Soundcloud The post Ep053 – Pete Cooper (Founder – SydStart) on the old and new economy appeared first on Startup Playbook.

In episode 39 of The Startup Playbook Podcast, we did a live podcast interview with Nick Crocker, the Melbourne Venture Partner of Blackbird Ventures. Nick was the founder of We are Hunted, a digital music chart which sold to Twitter in 2012. He then co-founded Sessions, a digital health coaching program, which sold to MyFitnessPal 2 years later. After MyFitnessPal was acquired by Under Armour for $475M, he went on to lead their Product Strategy and Operations in San Francisco. Nick is now back in Australia and is the Melbourne Partner at Blackbird Ventures, a $230M Venture Capital firm that counts companies such as Canva, Red Bubble, Shoes of Prey, Culture Amp and Edrolo as part of it's portfolio and runs the Startmate Accelerator program. In this interview we talk about the importance of proving your business on a small scale, what the best companies focus on, what to do when you first meet with an investor and the importance of culture and values in building a successful company. Audience questions: 1. What does a company like Blackbird look for in startups? 2. What are some of the biggest mistakes that people make when they are pitching? 3. Do we miss founders who don't match the typical startup founder profile? 4. What does Startmate bring to Melbourne? 5. How important are valuations when making investment decisions? Show notes: Musicadium The 9 ways to ride the digital music age We are Hunted Boxee Zach Klein Vimeo College Humour CabinPorn authored by Zach Klein Steven Leckart Spark Capital Union Square Ventures Sessions MyFitnessPal Under Armour Blackbird Ventures Startmate Niki Scevak Rick Baker Rock Health Ben Hartney Albert Lee Mike Lee Culture Amp Shoes of Prey What Blackbird is Looking for in 2017 Mike Cannon Brookes Safety Culture Michael Fox Zoox Andrew Denver Didier Elzinga Atlassian Melanie Perkins Cliff Obrecht Canva Matta (Matt Allen) Startup Playbook TV is now on Youtube!!! Australian Podcast Awards – Voting Feedback/ connect/ say hello:  Rohit@startupplaybook.co @playbookstartup (Twitter) @rohitbhargava7 (Twitter – Rohit) Rohit Bhargava (LinkedIn) Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound A big thank you to Matt Allen and the team at Teamsquare for hosting The Startup Playbook Live session. The post Ep039 – Nick Crocker (Venture Partner – Blackbird Ventures) on people, culture and products appeared first on Startup Playbook.

In episode 37 of The Startup Playbook Podcast, I interview Gavin Appel, the co-founder of Onestack, which partners with amazing entrepreneurs to accelerate growth through experience and connectivity. Gavin has over 20 years of experience in the startup, corporate and venture capital industries. He was the General Manager of Sinewave Interactive, Australasia's first Search Engine Optimization company, before becoming the Senior Vice President and CTO for Hitwise and being responsible for managing the global product development team. He then joined Square Peg Capital as a Partner.  Square Peg is one of the leading VC firms in Australia, counting companies such as Uber, Fiverr, Stripe and Canva in it's portfolio. Gavin is now the co-founder of OneStack, which partners with scale stage companies to help them grow their business. In the interview, Gavin shares what startups should look for in investors, the key criteria to scale effectively, the importance of hiring the right talent and when to start fundraising. Show notes: Webcrawler Lycos Excite Looksmart Hitwise Square Peg Capital Onestack Blackbird Ventures Zoom Unlockd JJ Stripe Onestack (Twitter) Gavin (Snapchat) Live Podcast Interview with Nick Crocker (Blackbird Ventures) Australian Podcast Awards – Voting Feedback/ connect/ say hello:  Rohit@startupplaybook.co @playbookstartup (Twitter) @rohitbhargava7 (Twitter – Rohit) Rohit Bhargava (LinkedIn) Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound The post Ep037 – Gavin Appel (Co-Founder – Onestack) on the challenges of scaling startups appeared first on Startup Playbook.

In episode 28 of the Startup Playbook Podcast, I interview Matt Allen. Matt is a mentor, advisor and investor in early stage startups. Over the last 20 years, Matt has built a wealth of knowledge in early stage startups, having founded a number of startups himself and assisting others as the Director of the Melbourne chapter of the Founder Institute program. Matt is now an active angel investor, a Director of technical recruitment agency Lookahead search and co-founder his new project Pick & Shovel, which helps enable technology companies through funding and resources. In the episode Matt shares how to get a developer for your startup, why competition is validation and when you should look to get investors on board. Show notes: Steve Gilles Blackbird Ventures Ego is the enemy Radical Candor Pick and Shovel Glenn Gillen Lachlan Donald 99 Designs Sitepoint Taggd Matt Allen Matt Allen (Twitter) Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound Click here to listen on iTunes Click here to listen on Stitcher The post Ep028 – Matt Allen (Angel Investor) on how to attract technical cofounders appeared first on Startup Playbook.

In episode 25 of The Startup Playbook Podcast, we sit down with Alan Jones an angel investor and startup evangelist. Alan is the Startup Evangelist at Blue Chilli, an angel investor and a founding investor in Startmate and Blackbird Ventures. Prior to these roles, Alan was Yahoo!'s second employee in Australia, and a founding member of the local management team. He worked with Yahoo! to localise US online consumer products for Australian & NZ audience as well as planning product strategy and managing the product development In the interview Alan shares his insights on understanding customer intent, the ingredients of a good startup team and the need to hack diversity, Show notes: Mick Liubinskas Nick Crocker Holly Cardew Macropod Bugherd Startmate BlueChilli She Starts Sam Wong Sam Wong podcast interview Alan Jones (Twitter)  Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound Click here to listen on iTunes Click here to listen on Stitcher The post Ep025 – Alan Jones (Angel Investor & Startup Evangelist) on understanding customer intent appeared first on Startup Playbook.

In episode 16 of The Startup Playbook Podcast, I interview Sam Wong, Head of Operations at Blackbird Ventures and Partner at the Startmate accelerator program. Sam started her career as a lawyer, before joining Surf Stitch as the Global Product Manager, growing the company from 40 to 300+ employees. She then founded CapacityHQ, a marketplace for legal consultants that helped firms and corporates deal with surge capacity requirements. CapacityHQ went through the Startmate program before exiting the company just 14 months after launching. In this episode, Sam shares her insights on the pros/ cons of accelerator programs, the challenges of growth stage startups and why it's important to think globally from day 1. Show notes: SurfStitch CapacityHQ Blackbird Ventures Startmate Sam Wong Email Sam Wong Twitter Mike Cannon- Brookes Ned Dwyer Holly Cardew Alan Downie Credits: Intro music credit to Bensound Click here to listen on iTunes Click here to listen on Stitcher The post Ep016 – Sam Wong (Head of Operations – Blackbird VC) on going global from day 1 appeared first on Startup Playbook.