Open the Pod Bay Doors

Sam Kroonenburg is the CEO and Founder of A Cloud Guru, a disruptive online learning platform for cloud certification and training. A Cloud Guru has recently been acquired by Pluralsight, a US company, in the largest-ever acquisition of an Australian software company. The story of A Cloud Guru is an amazing example of product-market fit and successfully getting the product into the hands of the customers who need it most.Sam has an extensive background in software development; he spent years at Microsoft as a Software Design Engineer. Sam also spent time honing his software development skills at Kiandra IT, where he worked as a Software Development Lead and a Software Development Manager.During their chat, Ian & Sam discuss…Sam’s extensive background in software developmentWorking in an ever-changing industryEngaging customers through educationThe natural progression of adding B2B servicesThe process of negotiations that led to the acquisition by PluralsightThe unique set of challenges A Cloud Guru faced in raising funds and hiringCreating consistency through shared values among employees...and more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: Sapiens by Yuval Noah HarariPodcast: Lex Fridman podcastNews source: Ars Technica, The Age, The Washington Post, WSJTech CEO: Elon Musk (Tesla)App: CalmProductivity tool: Superhuman EmailTV show: The West WingTed Talk Topic: “The future of education and work” or “the biggest and most exciting ideas in physics”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Joined by Paul Naphtali (Rampersand), Sarah Nolet (Tenacious Ventures), and Rachel Yang (Giant Leap), Ian sits down for a deep dive into family offices. The panel discusses a variety of topics related to family offices and provides a wealth of information for potential VC investors as well as those looking to learn more about who is behind VC funds.Ian & the panel discuss…The role family offices play in Australia and how it is evolvingHow family offices can help innovation become a core part of the Australian economyThe differences between a family office and an individualThe intergenerational nature of family officesDeal flow as a determinant of success in first-time fundsThe importance of ESG (environmental, social, governance)Trends among family offices...and more!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ashik Ahmed is the Co-Founder, CEO, and CTO of Deputy, a workforce management software platform. Deputy seeks to simplify shift work for hundreds of thousands of customers around the globe. Ashik is a genuine, open, and honest CEO with a multitude of insights on the founder journey.Ashik is back on Open the Pod Bay Doors to discuss…The difficulties Deputy faced during the pandemic and how they overcame themHow Deputy adapted to place more of a focus on the healthcare industryDeputy’s recent rebranding and how it came to beThe concept of “clocked-in for the customer”The startup landscape in Australia and how COVID-19 has impacted itHow he is largely driven by courage & compassion...and much more!Quickfire RecommendationsBooks: Shoe Dog by Phil KnightPodcast: The Tim Ferriss ShowNew Source: Facebook videoApp: WiZ AppFavourite Tech CEO: Jeff Bezos (Amazon)Productivity Tool: Screen time on iPhone, turning notifications offTV Show: The PlaybookTed Talk Topic: “Being selfless and owning that selflessness”___________https://www.deputy.com/careersDeputy is hiring! Check out open roles here: See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Lauren Hall is the Founder and CEO of iVvy, a venue and event management software company. Prior to founding iVvy, Lauren worked across a variety of industries including clothing, pharmaceuticals, FMCG, and technology. Lauren is a tenacious founder with an indomitable spirit; her story is one of talent, hustle, resilience, and success.Lauren & Ian discuss a wide array of topics including…How Taekwondo impacts several areas of Lauren’s business and lifeGrowing up in South Africa and how it sparked Lauren’s desire to immigrate to AustraliaThe process of healing post tragedy and traumaLauren’s introduction into the events industry and how iVvy came to beHow Lauren successfully led iVvy through COVIDThe ways in which COVID has impacted the events industryPreparation for iVvy’s upcoming IPOThe existence of hybrid events and the future of the events industry...and more!Quickfire Recommendations:Book: Scale or Fail by Allison MaslanPodcast: The Joe Rogan ExperienceTech CEO: Mike Cannon-Brookes & Scott Farquhar (Atlassian)App: SlackProductivity Tool: Monday.comTV Show: Bloomberg, Dragons’ DenTed Talk Topic: “The courage, the resilience, and the endurance around delivering success within a person’s world and what it actually takes to be successful.”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another edition of the OTPBD News Special, our fortnightly series which analyses the news that matters for Australian and Kiwi startups.Meet this week's panel...Tessa Court, IntelligenceBankDanny Gilligan, ReinventureKevin Jochelson, The Tech RooportTopics we discuss:The discussion kicks off with the biggest headline of the fortnight: Square's $39 billion acquisition of AfterPay. The panel dives into the implications of the deal for the BNPL sector, and banking in general. We also discuss the new innovation hub opening up in the new Salesforce Tower in Sydney, Australia's first crypto credit card from CoinJar, the new $270 million VC fund from Airwallex, and new raises by IntelligenceBank and Culture Amp._______Subscribe to The Tech Rooport for a daily dose of headlines from the ANZ startup ecosystem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Adam Boyle is the CEO of Newcastle-based Pegasus, a competency management software and services organisation. Adam joined Pegasus as a General Manager in 2007 and became CEO in 2010, bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role. Pegasus was recently acquired by U.S. company Avetta; the deal was finalised last week after receiving regulatory approval.During their chat, Ian & Adam discuss many topics including...The transition of Pegasus from a labor hire company to a tech companyPegasus’s recent acquisition by Avetta and how it came to beThe benefits and challenges of running a Newcastle-based tech organisationPegasus operating with a growth mindsetManaging the tension between sales and development...and more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: t by Andy AllenThe Next ElemenPodcast: How I Built ThisNews Source: The Newcastle Herald, AFR, The AustralianFavourite Tech CEO: Ryan Smith (Qualtrics)Favourite App: HeyYouProductivity Tool: CoffeeFavourite TV Show: Loki, The Footy ShowTed Talk Topic: “How my broken leg at 22 became the means for me to change my life”See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another edition of the OTPBD News Special, our fortnightly series which analyses the news that matters for Australian and Kiwi startups.Meet this week's panel...Melissa Widner, Lighter CapitalPeter Dunne, Herbert Smith Freehills & Safety CultureBarnaby Marshall, Icehouse VenturesTopics we discuss:Our panel kicks off with a discussion of the recent call from leading Australian tech investors and founders for a plan to end the lockdown crisis and then transitions to talk about funds, raises, and acquisitions from the Australian and New Zealand startup ecosystem. Some major headlines we cover: new funds from ANZ, Tennis Australia, Our Innovation Fund, and Tractor Ventures and raises and exits by Go1, Rokt, Sweat, Invoice2go, and Employment Hero._______Horizon, Innovation Bay's angel investor community, is hosting a number of upcoming pitch events. Apply to pitch here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James Ferguson is the CEO and co-founder of Immutable, a platform that provides scalable blockchain infrastructure for video games. James is a driven founder with a growth mindset that has led Immutable to build a staff of 100 and raise $20m. James and his brother/co-founder, Robbie Ferguson, have been featured on the ‘Forbes 30 under 30’ list for their impressive work in growing and scaling Immutable.Ian sits down with James to discuss…His journey to founding ImmutableThe process of recruiting a successful teamBuilding a team culture centred around a growth mindsetThe gaming industry as a wholeImmutable operating in a carbon-neutral wayThe history and future of NFTs...and more!Quickfire RecommendationsBook: The Three Body Problem trilogy by Liu CixinPodcast: The Tim Ferriss ShowNews Source: Stratechery by Ben Thompson, Matt Levine newsletter in BloombergTech CEO: Patrick Collison (Stripe) & Sam Bankman-Fried (FTX Exchange)App: DeliverooProductivity Tool: Polymail (a tool to tackle email)TV Show: Drive to SurviveTed Talk Topic: “what it means for the world in 10 years if we have programmable immutable digital assets”hereImmutable is hiring! Check out the open roles .See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Matthew Koertge, Managing Director of Telstra Ventures, is an unsung hero of the Venture Capital industry with a portfolio including 78 investments, 28 liquidity events, 12 unicorns, and a staff of 19 globally. He is a passionate and dynamic advocate for the startup industry, where he has been active since 1998. Prior to starting at Telstra Ventures in 2011, Matthew worked across a variety of industries including positions at Accede Capital Venture Partners, Deutsche Bank, Macquarie Group, and Fujitsu.In his chat with Ian, Matthew discusses:The GP LP structure of Telstra Ventures and why it worksTelstra Ventures operating as a thematic investorThe Telstra customer network and why it is an asset for Telstra VenturesThe growth of the Australian startup ecosystem over the past 10 yearsThe existence and future of secondary marketsAustralia’s venture capital market in comparison to other countries globally...and more!Quickfire Recommendations: by Yuval Noah Harari, by Ben Horowitz, & by Bill Carr and Colin Bryar.Book:Sapiens: A Brief History of HumankindThe Hard Thing About Hard ThingsWorking Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon20 Minute VC & PivotPodcast: TechCrunch, Business Insider, Wall Street Journey, & AFRNews Source: George Kurtz of CrowdStrikeTech CEO: LinkedIn & Apple MusicApp: Telstra Ventures data science toolsProductivity Tool:WestworldFavourite TV Show: Aligning incentives between management and investors”Ted Talk topic: “See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to another edition of the OTPBD News Special, our fortnightly series which analyses the news that matters for Australian and Kiwi startups.Meet this week's panel...Holly Cardew, CartedHugh Stevens, Galileo VenturesTopics we discuss:Our panel discusses how border closures and lockdowns are holding back Australian startups, as well as recent raises by Gilmour Space, Fl0, Skedulo, and Currus Biologics. We also touch on Wise's debut on the London Stock Exchange and Nextdoor's SPAC.__________________Horizon is Innovation Bay's community of passionate, experienced angel investors. Horizon has a number of pitch opportunities for startups coming up this October. For the opportunity to connect 1-on-1 with an impactful group of angel investors, apply to pitch here.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.