Startup Theatre Podcast

Goodnature CEO Dave Shoemack has had one of the more unusual startup careers you will hear about. From big beer at Heineken HQ, to helping turn VanMoof into the “Tesla of e-bikes” in Amsterdam, to leading Wellington trap-maker Goodnature and living with a founder at home through natural perfume brand Abel.In this episode of Startup Theatre, Troy and Serge sit down with Dave to talk about building global hardware companies from tiny teams, dealing with bankruptcy and rebirth, and why focus and courage matter more than almost anything else.You will hear:The inside story of VanMoof’s rise, the brave anti-car ad that was banned in France, and what it felt like to watch the company go bankrupt after he leftHow Dave walked away from a cushy global role at Heineken, battled crippling imposter syndrome, and learned to love “lobster moments” where growth only comes from discomfortWhy VanMoof eventually doubled down on one bike, one audience, and one moment, and how that extreme focus translated directly into brand powerThe move back to Wellington, joining Goodnature’s board then stepping up as CEO, and what it is really like to manufacture smart, humane traps 100 metres from the Basin Reserve and ship them to the worldDinner-table startup life with his wife Frances, founder of natural perfume house Abel, and the difference between pioneers who start things and settlers who grow themHow Goodnature keeps “founder chaos” alive in a 20-year-old company, and why Kiwi companies should stop selling out too earlyIn a new “Behind the Curtain” explainer segment, Serge also breaks down ESOPs and share options:What ESOP and options actually are, and why most employees do not receive real shares up frontHow vesting, cliffs, good leaver and bad leaver provisions work in New ZealandWhat happens to your options if the company sells early, or you leaveWhen tax hits, how net settlement usually works, and whether ESOP is really “worth it”Practical advice on negotiating salary first, then treating options as upside rather than your base payFinally, Troy and Serge answer audience questions, talk through the new Behind the Curtain segment, and explain how you can be in the draw for a $1,000 Prezi card as they work towards the 100th episode.Sponsor:This episode is brought to you by Vanta. If you are starting or scaling your security programme, Vanta automates compliance for ISO 27001, SOC 2, and more.Get USD $1,000 off at: vanta.com/startuptheaterLinks from this episode:Goodnature: https://goodnature.co.nzVanMoof: https://www.vanmoof.comAbel fragrance: https://abelodor.com

David Booth, a community architect and partner at Andreessen Horowitz, shares insights from his journey in connecting founders. He discusses how On Deck evolved into a powerful network that supports over 1,000 startups. David emphasizes the importance of building community for startup success and explains the nuanced shift from operator to investor. He also highlights the value of authenticity in pitching investors and advises Kiwis on balancing local ambitions with global aspirations, all while fostering meaningful relationships in Silicon Valley.

In this episode of Startup Theatre, host Troy Hammond sits down with serial founder and engineer Nimo Naamani—a man who’s lived through the chaos of founding blockchain companies, building developer tools, getting acqui-hired by Twitter, and now taking on one of the hardest industries of all: healthcare.Nimo shares wild stories—from building Horizon State, to selling his startup to Twitter, to launching Propagator, a platform aiming to connect every health transaction in New Zealand. Along the way, we unpack the mindset of a “zero to one” founder, what makes a 10x engineer (or a 100x one), and why he thinks clarity is more important than speed.Plus, you’ll hear about:Building tech under Jack Dorsey and Elon MuskWhy he believes every system leaks and how Propagator builds around thatThe surprising cult-like spirit inside TwitterThe infamous swamp origin story (yes, it involves a cowboy costume and actual sh*t)If you’re a startup builder, healthtech nerd, or just love hearing from people who do the hard stuff, this is one for the queue.🎧 Tune in now – and take notes. Nimo knows how to build a product and scale. 🔑 Topics CoveredThe swampy origin story that shaped Nimo’s love of chaos and hard problemsWhat happens inside a Twitter acqui-hire — and why they paid top dollar for his teamHow Propagator is fixing healthcare by doing the hardest thing first and not storing your dataWhy most startups fail at integration — and what it actually takes to connect legacy systemsThe messy truth about co-founders, clarity, and leading when you're not a natural CEO🔥 SoundbitesSpeed without clarity is just noise.I don’t want to store your data. I want to move it — fast and safely.I’ve been surrounded by bullsh!t since I was four. I’m used to chaos.I never wanted to be CEO. I just want to fix things.You don’t need a cult to build a great company. You need adults.A startup is not a family. I’ve got kids — I don’t need more at work.I’ll take the swamp every time. That’s where the real work is.Most people start with the easy. We started with the hard.The best founders aren’t the loudest. They’re the most convicted.Every system leaks. So prepare, don’t panic.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ using the link ⁠⁠https://www.vanta.com/startup⁠

What happens when a broke Kiwi founder and his team fly to San Francisco with only $15,000 left, sleep in a basement, and end up playing poker with the investor who changes everything?In this episode of Startup Theatre, Troy Hammond sits down with Alistair McLeay, co-founder and co-CEO of Grw AI, one of New Zealand’s most ambitious artificial intelligence startups. Alistair shares how a chance poker game in San Francisco helped him land funding and kickstart the creation of what he calls a “superhuman AI sales leader.” Grw AI is a tool that coaches, trains, and lifts entire sales teams like the world’s best manager on steroids.🔑 Topics Covered:​The high-stakes gamble that almost ended his company before it began​What it takes to raise capital when you have nothing left but conviction​Why AI could make us more human, not less​The personal cost of chasing something world-changing​How the next five years of AI will transform how we think and workFrom investing in San Frasnciso, to neural networks, this is a story about risk, belief, and the blurred line between human intuition, machine intelligence, and moral responsibility.If you care about startups, AI ethics, and the people shaping the future of artificial intelligence when everything is on the line, this one is for you.🔥 Soundbites:​We had $15,000 left and nowhere to sleep, so we went all in.​We’re not building AI to replace people. We’re building it to make them superhuman.​The real danger isn’t that AI will take your job. It’s that it might take your purpose.​We taught machines to think, but can we teach them to care?​This isn’t just a startup story. It’s a glimpse into the next chapter of humanity.​You don’t need comfort to build the future. You need obsession.🎧 Tune in now – and take notes. Alistair doesn’t hold back.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ using the link ⁠https://www.vanta.com/startup

In this episode of Startup Theatre, Troy Hammond sits down with Michael "Koz" Koziarski, a veteran software engineer, startup founder, and open source contributor, to talk about the messy, real, and rewarding side of building software and leading teams.From his early work in Ruby on Rails and open source to his leadership roles at Vend and Southgate Labs, Koz shares the honest truths about engineering in high-growth environments.You’ll hear how great leadership isn’t about having all the answers, it’s about building trust, hiring well, and raising the performance bar.This conversation delves into what it truly takes to lead technical teams, navigate outages, transition from consulting to product development, and why there are no silver bullets—just consistent, hard, and deliberate work.Whether you're an engineer stepping into leadership or a founder trying to build a high-performing team, Koz’s lessons on product understanding, trust, AI expectations, and crisis management will resonate.🔑 Topics Covered:​The evolution of open source and Ruby on Rails​Why understanding product is non-negotiable for engineering leaders​The real differences between consulting and building product​Transitioning from coder to leader—and doing it well​Navigating business reality vs. startup fantasy​Raising the performance bar and letting your team fail​Leadership in the age of AI​Outages, crisis comms, and how to keep calm under fire🔥 Soundbites:​“There are no silver bullets in business... hard work is key.”​“You’ve got to be able to call bullsh!t.”​“Engineers need to stop sitting in ball pits."🎧 Tune in now – and take notes. Koz doesn’t hold back.This podcast was brought to you by our amazing sponsor in ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🙌🏻Get USD $1000 off ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Vanta⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ using the link https://www.vanta.com/startup

In this episode of Startup Theatre, we sit down with Sam Kidd, co-founder and CEO of Lawvu, the pioneering legal operations platform that's transforming how in-house legal teams operate around the globe. Sam shares the journey of turning a bold idea from Tauranga, New Zealand in to a global SaaS company trusted by enterprise legal departments worldwide.We dive into:The pain points in legal ops that inspired LawvuLessons learned scaling a startup in a niche (and often overlooked) industryThe mental resilience needed to lead through hypergrowth and headwindsWhy building company culture and customer trust go hand-in-handThe future of legal tech and where Lawvu is headed nextWhether you're an early-stage founder, a SaaS junkie, or just love hearing how great ideas become global businesses, this one’s packed with insights you don’t want to miss.🎧 Tune in now – and take notes. Sam doesn’t hold back.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.

Ever wondered what your colleagues really think about you? In this episode, we sit down with Aaron Ward, co-founder and CEO of Huckleberry, the global startup turning workplace feedback on its head.Aaron isn’t new to shaking up the world of work. He previously co-founded AskNicely, a customer feedback SaaS that grew to Series B and raised over USD $50m, helping companies around the world rethink how they measure and act on customer experience. With Huckleberry, he’s now bringing that same obsession with feedback and growth to the way we understand ourselves at work.Huckleberry is the world’s first voice-based 360 feedback platform, designed to strip out the clunky surveys, save 90% of the time, and put your professional reputation in your pocket. Think of it as the LinkedIn of feedback, a shareable profile that captures your strengths, work style, and how your team actually sees you.In our conversation, Aaron shares how his team is reinventing one of the most broken parts of work: feedback. We explore the psychology of reputation, why most companies get it wrong, and how AI can transform the way we understand ourselves and grow our careers.If you’ve ever wanted a no-BS view of your office reputation....This episode is for you.

In this episode, we chat with "Global growth exec" Chris Teeling. For two decades, he has held global leadership roles in high-growth technology companies, where he has built and led world-class teams, shaped strategy, scaled internationally, and delivered lasting results. 🚀 At Xero, he had the privilege as a member of the global ELT to help drive the company’s global expansion, scaling from 70,000 customers to over 1.5 million. He led and shaped strategy, growth, capital markets, corporate development, product, and operations. Breaking through the biggest barriers and cutting a path to $10s of billions in value was impressive. Still, for himself, he's most proud of the incredible people he helped grow along the way and the incredible things they are achieving on the world stage today.📈 Over the last few years, he has been applying his experience scaling three successful global tech companies to help founders and leaders accelerate growth by uniting their people and harnessing AI tailwinds to turbocharge the journey.🌏 On a broader mission, Chris committed to helping Kiwis prosper. Whether by working with great businesses to grow New Zealand's export economy or by improving people's retirement choices as an Independent Director of a major superannuation fund, his goal is to leave a lasting positive impact.💡 Chris also announces his next new CEO role with a very successful Wellington SaaS company.

In this episode of Startup Theater, host Serge Van Dam engages in a dynamic conversation with female founders Irina Miller from Daisy Lab and Mrinali Kumar from Eat Kinda. These amazing founders are pioneering the alternative protein sector in New Zealand. On this episode, you will hear them discuss their journeys, the challenges of scaling their startups, and the importance of innovation in the food industry. Irina shares insights about Daisy Lab's mission to create dairy alternatives using precision fermentation, while Milli talks about her experience launching cauliflower-based ice cream with Eat Kinda. The conversation also touches on the broader plant-based market landscape, the role of female founders in startups, and the importance of vulnerability and collaboration in entrepreneurship.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.

In this episode, host Serge van Dam engages in a deep conversation with Axton Pitt from LitMaps and David Moide from Foundry Lab. They explore the intersection of science and entrepreneurship, discussing how science-based startups can drive innovation and have a positive impact. Axton shares how LitMaps accelerates scientific research by helping users navigate academic papers. David discusses Foundry Lab's mission to rebuild metal casting in the West. The conversation also touches on the challenges of leadership, the importance of creativity in science, and the geopolitical landscape affecting scientific research. The episode concludes with rapid-fire questions and highlights of other science-centric startups.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.