The Sachin and Adam Show

Dive into the fascinating world of AI agents as the founders of A1base discuss giving these agents real identities like phone numbers and emails. They emphasize the importance of trust and communication in AI technology. Discover the lessons learned from previous startup experiences, the unique culture of Silicon Valley, and how Y Combinator shapes ambitious founders. The conversation furthers into the crucial need for agility in building AI infrastructures while pondering the balance between innovation and accountability in the rapidly evolving landscape.

Anna Podolsky turned a home-cooked meal for her dog into one of Australia’s fastest-growing startups. In this episode, she shares how Lyka scaled from her kitchen to a 400-person team and hundreds of millions in revenue. We dive into mission-driven leadership, operational complexity, and the mindset behind building a generational company. If you care about startups, pets, or building with purpose - this one’s for you.00:00 Introduction 02:02 Anna's Background and Early Influences03:24 Building and Leading a Team06:54 Operational Complexities and Growth09:23 Vanta Ad12:36 Navigating Supply and Demand16:30 Lessons from Consulting to Entrepreneurship23:04 Empowering Teams for Success24:04 Day-to-Day Life of a CEO25:21 Mission and Culture: Keys to Success27:05 The Importance of Brand and Marketing29:37 Personal Growth and Leadership32:27 Balancing Work and Personal Life36:20 The Drive Behind the Mission38:53 Working with a Partner42:56 Final Thoughts and Reflections--Thanks to Vanta for the episode sponsorship. Our audience gets a special $1,000 off Vanta through our promo: https://www.vanta.com/sachinandadamVanta automates compliance for global frameworks like ISO 27001 and SOC 2 and, the latest Australian frameworks like CPS 234 or Essential 8, saving you time and money.Over 8,000 global companies like Atlassian, Handle, FireAnt, and Tactiq.io use Vanta to manage risk and prove security in real time.--JOIN OUR COMMUNITYLinkedIn 🚀: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-sachin-and-adam-show🐦 X: https://x.com/Sachin_and_Adam📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sachinandadam/LISTEN TO THE SHOWSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3M29tMFbZ4mtzJbcRNY3N6?si=731f376e2ddf4d34iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-sachin-and-adam-show/id1462522364About usWe are two best friends, trying to build a community around in-depth interviews and short documentaries with the best minds in technology and startups. Through bold storytelling and candid conversations, we explore how visionary thinkers are shaping the future. The best way to support is subscribing, truly it makes all the difference for us 💙

Charlie Gearside, co-founder of Eucalyptus, shares his transformative journey after stepping away from a $560 million healthtech startup. He candidly discusses the personal toll of startup life, burnout, and how therapy helped him rediscover his identity. Charlie dives into Australia’s cost of living crisis, the importance of equity for young Aussies, and how media shapes economic futures. With a vision for innovation and empowerment, he reveals why he’s turned to content creation to bring his ideas to life.

Tom Duffy, Head of Media, shares insights on the emerging 'Design-Founder Era' where taste is becoming a competitive edge in tech. He discusses the growing need for high-quality designers in startups as lowering creation costs intensify brand competition. The podcast highlights the evolution of startup culture, the significance of integrated financial solutions, and the mental hurdles of entrepreneurship. Duffy also sheds light on the recruitment of young talent and the innovative dynamics of working with AI, painting a picture of an exciting future for tech founders.

Jack White, Co-founder of Cuttable with a rich creative background in advertising, teams up with Sam Krindenberg, who sold A Cloud Guru for $2B. They discuss how their contrasting experiences shape their approach to AI-driven advertising. Jack shares poignant advice from his father, while Sam’s journey from risk-averse beginnings to tech success unfolds. The duo explores why most AI ads fall flat and their mission to elevate creativity, believing human artistry remains crucial even in an AI-saturated market.

Mina Radhakrishnan, Uber's first Head of Product and co-founder of Different, shares insights from her tech journey. She discusses the intensity of working with Travis Kalanick and the lessons learned from her startup's collapse. Mina offers her take on how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship and coding, emphasizing the need for a collaborative environment. She also highlights the challenges faced by startups and the importance of resilience, urging Australian startups to cultivate a pay-it-forward culture.

Liam Millward, the 21-year-old co-founder and CEO of Instant, shares his incredible journey from dodging rent to building a $100M startup. He discusses raising $18 million in just 10 days and emphasizes the importance of momentum in overcoming challenges. Liam reveals his unique hiring strategy, leadership style, and obsession with driving revenue. He also talks about expanding into the US market and leveraging AI to transform retail, all while proving doubters wrong and keeping his eyes on future goals.

Today we’re joined by Max Marchione — a close friend and ambitious founder disrupting healthcare through AI, data aggregation, and radical prevention to make personalised medicine accessible to everyone.This conversation is important because it explores one of the few industries left untouched by true innovation — healthcare. Despite its scale, it’s still waiting for its defining startup moment.We dive into:- Why healthcare is still waiting for its defining startup- How Superpower raised $30M to make prevention mainstream- The vision: AI doctors, not human ones- Building for the world vs. building for VCs- The danger of consensus thinking and advice- Making $50K concierge care available for $500- Sacrifice, fear, and living below the office- What sets elite investors and teams apart- Underpriced talent, content, and 10x growth bets- Why dreaming bigger is the only optionThis isn’t just about building a startup — it’s about reinventing a system that impacts everyone.00:00 Intro02:05 Podcast Introduction and Catching Up02:25 Reflecting on the Journey and Future Plans03:04 Insights on Fundraising and Investor Relations04:18 Challenges and Strategies in Building a Startup05:41 The Role of AI in Transforming Healthcare08:33 Zeller Ad10:06 Proving and Discarding Beliefs in Healthcare11:55 Constructing Superpower's Funding Round15:00 Setting Ambitious Goals for the Future16:34 Product Vision and Consumer Impact18:53 Balancing Focus and Expansion20:56 Superpower's Branding24:16 Operational Challenges and Growth Strategies27:01 Betting on the Right Growth Levers28:18 Top-Down and Bottom-Up Growth Strategies29:13 KC Ventures Ad30:05 The Importance of Risk in Business31:16 How does Max Balance Ambition and Happiness?33:01 Tips For Hiring and Identifying Talent36:16 Personal Sacrifices and Priorities37:09 Discarding Old Beliefs38:48 How Max Learnt to Overcome Fear and Take Action40:11 Changing Self-Talk and Personal Narratives43:00 New Learning and Growth Methods47:28 The Future of AI and Human Relationships53:06 Final Thoughts and Accountability-Thanks to our sponsors Zeller and KC Ventures. Zeller is building the financial stack to help startups scale, called Zeller for Startups. Join the waitlist at https://www.myzeller.com/startups to be eligible for a $100 cash bonus. KC Ventures helps Australian startups scale by providing strategic financial advice. You can find KC Ventures at http://kcventures.com.au/ or message their founder Luke Rix on Linkedin to get in contact directly.Check out more of Max's work including learnings on the journey of building a $100B company, hobbies, life hacks and more at maxmarchione.com

Alex Valente is the founder of Redactive, an AI security startup helping enterprises control who can access sensitive data. Redactive ensures permissioning is done right—so companies can safely adopt tools like Copilot and AI agents without leaking internal documents, exposing secrets, or creating massive security risks.This episode is for anyone building or working with AI—especially in enterprise, security, or early-stage startups. If you're thinking about AI adoption, data risks, or how to take a product global, Alex shares hard-won insight, sharp takes, and a few great stories along the way.Thanks to our sponsors Zeller and KC Ventures. Zeller is building the financial stack to help startups scale, called Zeller for Startups. Join the waitlist at https://www.myzeller.com/startups to be eligible for a $100 cash bonus.KC Ventures helps Australian startups scale by providing strategic financial advice. You can find KC Ventures at http://kcventures.com.au/ or message their founder Luke Rix on Linkedin to get in contact directly.-00:00 Introduction02:05 The Bull Case for Europe05:03 Moving to San Francisco: Opportunities and Challenges06:28 Redactive's Mission and Vision07:25 The Importance of Exporting Australian Engineering15:03 Early Life and Career Path21:39 The Future of AI and Software28:13 Enterprise AI Adoption Challenges33:23 The Pitfalls of Relying on a Single Vendor34:05 The Importance of Agility and Grit in Founders35:51 Commerciality and Interdisciplinary Respect38:23 Identifying and Improving Weak Points41:05 The Reality of Moats in Modern Business49:20 Security Threats in the Age of AI53:39 Building a High-Performance Culture57:23 Strategic Bets and Market Predictions1:01:00 Reflections and Future Plans--JOIN OUR COMMUNITYLinkedIn 🚀: / the-sachin-and-adam-show 📸 Instagram: / sachinandadam 🐦 X: https://x.com/Sachin_and_Adam🎵 TikTok: sachinandadam LISTEN TO THE SHOWSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3M29tMFbZ4mtzJbcRNY3N6?si=3ba0457fb1974595

Ben Pfisterer is an ex-NAB, Visa and Square employee who co-founded Zeller, an Australian fintech company that achieved unicorn status - reaching a valuation of $1 billion - in less than two years. Under his leadership, Zeller has attracted over 85,000 customers and secured $180 million in funding, revolutionizing business banking in Australia by offering integrated financial solutions that challenge traditional banking giants.He built fast, made bold bets, and outworked the competition - and Zeller is now challenging the banks that have dominated Australia for decades.If you're a founder, operator, or just someone who wants to understand how startups win at scale, this episode is for you.---Thanks to our sponsor for this episode, KC Ventures! They help Australian startups scale by providing strategic financial advice.You can find KC Ventures at https://kcventures.com.au/ or message their founder Luke Rix on Linkedin to get in contact directly.00:00 Introduction to Zeller's Success00:10 Challenges and Low Points00:22 Go-to-Market Strategy00:35 Ben Pfisterer's Background01:00 The Startup Community and Zeller for Startups01:25 Building a Culture of Speed02:33 Ben's Early Life and Influences04:48 Competitiveness and Design in Zeller05:52 Direct Approach to Leadership07:05 Navigating Bureaucratic Organizations10:02 Insights into the Financial System12:16 Founding and Growing Zeller17:33 Hiring and Building a Team19:40 Rapid Growth and Execution22:19 Sponsor Break: KC Ventures22:35 Strategic Work and Scaling Startups22:50 Optimal Timing for Founders to Seek Help23:11 Product Growth and Market Penetration25:25 Challenges and Resilience in Startup Journey28:27 Building a Culture of Speed and Efficiency30:58 Balancing Work Intensity and Employee Well-being33:37 Zeller for Startups: Revolutionizing Financial Services38:23 Future of Customer Experience in Financial Services40:47 Endless Entrepreneurial Journey42:46 Conclusion and Wrap-up