Startup Theatre Podcast

Nick Lissette is the founder and CEO of Black Pearl Group, a New Zealand-born SaaS company generating over $12.5M in ARR from the US market and he’s just getting started. With a relentless drive and a famously no-BS approach to business, Nick has been scaling startups since he was 24, when he bought his first company for $1, walked into an office with a server, a car park, and no clue what he was doing and figured it out the hard way.Since then, he’s built and sold multiple businesses, survived the brutal cycles of SaaS, and taken Black Pearl public on the NZX, with plans now underway for a dual listing on the ASX. Under his leadership, Black Pearl has launched a suite of products that use real AI, not vaporware, to help SMEs in the US find and close more customers. Nick doesn’t just talk about AI—his team builds it, deploys it, and uses it to scale faster with fewer people. And yes, he thinks Elon might’ve had a point about Twitter headcount.Nick is as authentic as they come. He tells it like it is, about fundraising, hiring tough operators, managing burnout, building billion-dollar visions, and grinding through hill runs with his teenage son to stay mentally sharp. Whether he’s cold-calling from a Taco Bell in Arizona or closing deals face-to-face in the US, Nick plays to win, and he’ll either succeed or “die trying.”This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠Vanta⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off Vanta using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

Ben Gracewood is one of those rare tech leaders who’s done the whole arc—starting in low-level code, scaling product and engineering teams at Vend through to a $400 million exit, and now leading in a world where AI is rewriting the playbook.With a deep background in software development and executive leadership, Ben has built teams, shaped product strategy, and helped grow one of New Zealand’s most successful SaaS companies. But he’s not stuck in nostalgia. Today, he’s laser-focused on what comes next—and he’s convinced that we can now do more with fewer people.Ben’s current work explores how artificial intelligence can augment product and engineering teams—not to replace humans, but to strip away busywork and let great people focus on what matters. He’s open in questioning the bloat that’s crept into many tech orgs, and he’s even willing to say what others won’t: maybe Elon wasn’t entirely wrong when he gutted Twitter’s headcount. Brutal? Maybe. But Ben thinks it opened up an uncomfortable truth—most tech teams are overstaffed and under-focused.Whether it’s scaling with soul, building leaner, smarter teams, or staying close to the craft as a leader, Ben brings a no-BS, high-empathy perspective to what modern product leadership looks like. He’s still a builder at heart—and now he’s building with AI at his side.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in Vanta 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off Vanta using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

For nearly two decades, Heather has worked across strategy, operations, product marketing, revenue, and executive go-to-market roles in 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆 startups and multinational companies.On this episode, we discuss the impact of AI on business and the importance of 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 to stay competitive. Heather shares her insights on the future of work, the necessity of adapting to new technologies, and the 𝗱𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗔𝗜. "𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘢𝘩𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵." ~ Heather GadonniexIn this engaging conversation, Heather shares her insights on the evolving landscape of startups, the impact of AI on productivity, and the importance of 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗼-𝗧𝗼-𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝗶𝗲𝘀. "That's mind-blowing." ~ Adrienne MuirThis podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in Vanta 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off Vanta using the link https://www.vanta.com/startuptheatre.

​Hamish Edwards hasn't told his story in detail before. and so you get to hear it for the first time. Renowned for co-founding Xero with Rod Drury in 2006 in his accounting companies' boardroom, before they ever moved to said apartment. As a practicing accountant at the time and working with Rod, Hamish played a pivotal role in Xero's early growth, shaping the product and expanding its customer base across New Zealand, Australia, and the United Kingdom by closely collaborating with accounting firms.In this episode, Hamish tells us how and why Xero was founded and what he is doing now with https://www.firmcheck.com/. We discuss the importance of obsession in achieving success and whether all founders have to be obsessed or not. Now worth in the vicinity of $300 million, we ask Hamish: Has success changed you? If you are a founder looking to go global, this one is not to be missed.This podcast is brought to you by our amazing sponsor in Vanta and could not be done without them.

Lowry Gladwell has been at the forefront of some of New Zealand’s most iconic companies, from law to payments, tech partnerships to sales. Playing a key role in Vend’s journey through to their successful exit in 2021 and leading Xero’s embedded finance strategy and execution, Lowry knows his domain well. Now, as Head of New Zealand at Airwallex—an Australian unicorn transforming banking and financial service, Lowry is focused on building the local team and introducing Airwallex’s game-changing product to the New Zealand market.In this episode, we discuss all things revenue and channel partner growth, and how you should build a function and hire a team. If you are a product company looking to go global, this one is not to be missed.

Rowan Simpson has been at the heart of New Zealand's most successful technology companies. As a founding team member at Trade Me and Xero, he witnessed firsthand how great companies are built through consistent execution. His subsequent investments and hands-on work with ventures like Vend and Timely have helped shape a generation of high-growth companies.If you’re the kind of person who hates being wrong (let’s be honest, that’s most of us), then How to Be Wrong is a game-changer. It completely flips the script on failure, showing that being wrong isn’t something to fear—it’s something to embrace. The book and ultimately this podcast is packed with real-world wisdom, practical advice, and a refreshing perspective on how to navigate uncertainty without letting your ego get in the way.

Nicole Retter, the founder and CEO of PAM, shares her journey of creating an AI-powered personal admin manager designed to ease the mental load of busy families. With two decades in marketing, she highlights the challenges of juggling parenthood and work while pushing for innovative solutions. Listen as she discusses the importance of community support, refining pitches for investors, and how her app aims to simplify daily family tasks. Nicole's insights into startup life and the unique hurdles faced by women in tech add depth to this engaging discussion.

Philip Fierlinger co-founded Xero, playing a major role as Head of Design, leading Xero to become a disruptive platform and an iconic global brand. Now he is the co-founder of Upstock, a B2B e-commerce & logistics platform transforming the food & beverage industry. His early career highlights include work for Beastie Boys and General Magic. In this episode Philip goes deep on the Xero story and the lessons he has learned to make Upstoack a 🦄 also. Please check out our sponsor in Talent Army who are NZ's best tech startup recruiters.

In this episode, we chat with Derek Handley Derek is an entrepreneur known for co-founding alongside Sir Richard Branson The B Team - a global collective advocating economic systems change to protect our natural environment and secure a safe, sustainable, and equitable future for all Before The B Team, Derek was one of the first young Kiwi entrepreneurs to build a global start-up, The Hyperfactory, an early pioneer driving the transition from the PC world to the mobile world. He started it out of University and took from a balcony in Anzac Ave Auckland to offices across the world from New York to India and almost 200 people, before selling to a 100 year old NYSE-listed giant Meredith Corporation. Have served on the Board of Sky TV, sustainability board of Air New Zealand, as Adjunct Professor at AUT; Innovator in Residence at Wharton University of Pennsylvania and as campaign Chair for Prince Harry Duke of Sussex for his sustainable travel initiative “Travalyst”. Founder of Aera VC, a global climate-tech seed fund investing in transformative technologies to radically reverse climate change. Our 25+ portfolio companies have gone on to raise over $2b NZD. Personal angel investor in over 50 start-ups, still actively backing 2-4 companies a year - most recently examples x.Ai Series B and Tracksuit. Awarded Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Sir Peter Blake Leader, and Victoria University Distinguished Alumni awards He is now building his latest company in Aera. Aera is a new Kiwi fintech start-up helping first-home buyers build a deposit in half the time.

Will Palmer is a seasoned entrepreneur with a successful track record in tech, co-founding Movio, Cupla, and DevRamp. As Movio's CEO, he led its growth to dual listings on the NZ and Australian stock exchanges before exiting to build two entirely different businesses. Consumer app start up Cupla and the developer tool, DevRamp. With the massive success of Movio, we talk with Will on his lessons and learnings. Will is not stopping until he’s reached that unicorn status and we can see this happening. Thanks to our sponsor in Talent Army who are NZ’s best IT recruiters