The High Flyers Podcast with Vidit Agarwal

Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on iTunes and Spotify, as it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show and grow the show with sponsors and partners. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter for more!Contact Vidit directly at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests and share feedback. ***Learn about how curiosity has driven his professional journey in Science, Retail, Pharmaceuticals, Energy & currently Last Mile Delivery leading Deliveroo in Australia. Ed shares how to transition well into a new industry, how to build strong personal relationships, how to manage up authentically, and the advantages and disadvantages of being a generalist. I was curious for Ed’s take on structured education and whether an MBA is helpful on your journey to being a leader. And stay tuned to learn about Ed’s varied interests including Bee Keeping, Archery and more!Welcome to episode #75 w Ed McManus! Here are 5 key takeaways you will learn from this episode:1. How parents shaped Ed and his 2 siblings2. Curiosity leading to PHd in Biochemistry and transition to business3. How to manage up authentically in your career4. Should you do structured education to position yourself to become CEO5. Advantages and disadvantages of being a generalist leader***TIMESTAMPS03:08 - Ireland and Australia 04:08 - Primary and secondary carers 05:27 - Growing up in Ireland in the 80’s in a fractured country 07:30 - How parents shaped Ed and his 2 siblings 12:27 - Sporting heroes 13:57 - Curiosity driving work in science, business & more 16:44 - Doctors and nurses being high flyers for Ed’s family 19:47 - Transition from biochemist to commercial business roles 23:26 - How to build strong personal relationships 26:58 - How to figure out a new environment and where to add value 30:20 - Don’t be under pressure to come up with answers only 32:54 - Transparency, performance and managing up 37:50 - Advantages and disadvantages of being a generalist vs specialist 41:21 - Side hobby as amateur bee-keeper 43:45 - Should you do structured executive education? 46:59 - Supporting startups through capital and knowledge Please enjoy!

Hear from Kal Jamshidi, founder of Letter of Intent -- the daily Australian business activity newsletter read by 6k subscribers. This conversation will take you inside: How and why Kal started this newsletter, being anonymous at the beginning, utilising the power of LinkedIn, Creating a habit for the readers and serving utility, defensibility, media trends and we end with some of your most requested community questions. Please enjoy exploring your curiosity as I did mine through this conversation!***TIMESTAMPS—————02:30 - Life before Letter of Intent 04:23 - How 6 years in San Fransisco was inspiration 06:57 - Building a habit for the consumer 09:52 - The growth engine of LinkedIn 11:04 - Anonymous marketing 14:05 - 5 hours each night 15:20 - Filtering news into 1 page 16:22 - Creating habits and serving utility 17:38 - Peleton and RM Williams 19:44 - Balancing gossip and facts 21:04 - The Aussie corporate 21:34 - Unique community 23:55 - Changing landscape in Media 28:28 - Community questions***Find out more about Curiosity Center at www.curiositycenter.xyz Find out more about Letter of Intent at https://www.letterofintent.com.au/Share your feedback or questions directly with us at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz or via Linkedin / Instagram

Learn about drive and determination at a young age with a deep desire to be a professional athlete, to then having his startup shut down and making his way into VC and co-founding AfterWork Ventures, a community led VC doing things differently for the next gen. Welcome to episode #73 w Adrian Petersen! Here are 5 key takeaways you will learn from this episode:Deep determination and focus to be a professional athlete, being obsessed with Tennis & Cycling at a young ageThe importance of be team first and win collectively with an "open up" policyAdrian's non traditional path to Venture CapitalThe birth of AfterWork and the cold start challenge of building a communityBiggest surprise about investing in Sports Tech startups***TIMESTAMPS02:31 -  Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra 03:48 -  Dream to become a tennis player 05:25 - Both parents worked in grandpa’s scaffolding company 06:25 -  Roger Federer and Lance Armstrong 07:25 - Australian Institute of Sport 08:45 - importance of be team first now vs being single mildly focused in his past 10:11 - Working with people smarter than you 12:00 -  Learning the importance of “open up” when closing his first business 15:12 -  First 3 months re-setting to find next opportunity 16:40 - The path to becoming a VC 19:55 - The birth of AfterWork 24:28 - Cold start challenge of building a community 26:20 - Deal flow sources being a community first VC 30:23 - Ability to significantly follow on 32:21 - Direct to consumer investments 34:15 -  Investor changing sentiment 36:46 - Mentors that have shaped his thinking 38:20 - Going from zero to one and beyond 40:26 - In house team complimenting the community advisors 42:14 - Investing in sports focused startups 43:30 - final sprint***Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on iTunes and Spotify, as it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show and grow the show with sponsors and partners. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter for more!Contact Vidit at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz

Learn about power of self belief, dreaming big, dealing with the lowest of lows and coming out stronger with a level headed perspective on work and life, Mac shares his journey to founding the VC firm, Rare Beed. Welcome to episode #72 w Mac Conwell! Here are 5 key takeaways you will learn from this episode:How his father always made Mac dream big and push to do moreFiguring out life at age 19, after loosing his dad and being homeless to securing a job in government that paid more than what his parents earntHow to secure 1000+ meetings via Twitter to raise Rare Breed Ventures and 3 secrets of cold emailingHow should founders get the attention of investors through succinct company updatesVC's that inspire Mac and markets outside of the US he wants to invest in***TIMESTAMPS02:30 - From seasoning fried chicken to venture capital 03:10 - Mac’s father being a high flyer 03:45 - Dad was postal worker and Mum was bank teller 05:55 - Mr Davis & Patrick Jackson 08:00 - Success at age 20 09:15 - From lowest of lows to making an impact today 11:23 -  Heroes 12:15 - Most painful learning 14:55 - Attraction to Venture Capital 16:48 - learnings about people from 1000 meetings to start RareBreed VC 20:12 - 3 biggest secrets about effective cold messaging 23:00 - Managing influx of requests 24:20 -  Giving founders the room not to be perfect 28:00 - How to get VC’s attention with company performance update 29:35 - Founders that make the receptionist rich, make everyone rich 32:38 - Not hiring the quarterback 36:46 - Market outlook 38:00 - Interest in Africa and Pakistan startup ecosystem 39:45 - Inspiring VC’s and founders 42:05 - Final sprint***Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on iTunes and Spotify, as it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show and grow the show with sponsors and partners. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter for more!This show showcases relatable role models, re-imagining a high flyer to help you achieve your potential and be 1% better everyday!Contact Vidit at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz

Learn about the the Diplomacy & International Relations Industry, What it means to adjust to new cultures every few years, Providing value to stand out and dealing with unconscious bias Welcome to episode #71 w Michelle Wade! Here are 5 key takeaways you will learn from this episode:How being a "small fish in a large pond but aware of the ocean" provided perspective in her childhoodApplying 6 years of symphony orchestra learnings to diplomacyAdjusting to new cultures every 4 years in India, Spain, Malaysia, ItalyManaging the $45M covid relief fund for the Victorian GovernmentOpening the eyes of employers to the value of hiring foreign students***TIMESTAMPS02:08 - First women life guard 04:25 - Michelle’s sunrise: small fish in a large pond but aware of the ocean 06:02 -  Influences growing up in a small town 07:30 - Finding success at age 16 08:50 - Full circle now living in India 10:40 - Painful learning: Unconscious Bias 12:55 - Dealing with repercussions of speaking up 16:10 - Applying 6 years from music to diplomatic career 18:10 - Transition from symphony orchestra to Aus Govt posting in Milan 21:40 -  Building her diplomatic career in the first 5 years to stand out 27:10 - Adjusting to new cultures every 4 years in India, Spain, Malaysia, Italy 32:40 - The unknown human element of having a global transient career 35:55 - Opening the eyes of employers to the value of hiring foreign students 38:35 - Learnings and inspiration from the Israeli Consulate General in India 40:50 - Managing the $45M covid relief fund for the Victorian Government 44:20 - How can International students integrate into Australia and stand out 47:00 - Role of universities supporting students with practise alongside theory 51:05 - Final sprint***Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on iTunes and Spotify, as it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show and grow the show with sponsors and partners. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter for more!This show showcases relatable role models, re-imagining a high flyer to help you achieve your potential and be 1% better everyday!Contact Vidit at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz

Hear from Tom Richardson, Head of Startups & SMB for APAC + Japan @ Stripe. We take you inisde: the exciting world of startups and specifically the 3 roles Tom plays, what they are, how they look in practise and his biggest learnings.Learn about how Tom joined Stripe and what his focuses are as head of startups for APAC & Japan, his biggest learning from scaling the team from 8 to 30 people in 12 months. I asked Tom how he’s gone about using his experiences at Stripe and previously in various markets to now mentor startup founders and what it looks like in practise. And the 3rd aspect of this flywheel you’ll learn about is how Angel Investing became another avenue for Tom to be of service to startups and some examples of founders he’s helped and how.Please enjoy exploring your curiosity as I did mine through this conversation!***KEY POINTS COVERED03:40 - How did Tom join Stripe? 05:25 - What does a head of startups role mean? 06:50 - Biggest learning in scaling Stripe from 8 people to 30 people 11:40 - Using his leadership and operator knowledge to mentor startup founders 14:50 - Which areas can Tom help startup founders with and how? 17:55 - What does mentoring founders look in practise? 21:00 - Mentoring is not a transaction 22:45 - How did Tom start Angel Investing? 27:30 - Balancing value add vs cheque size as an angel investor? 29:40 - How to contact Tom for mentoring / support***Find out more about Curiosity Center at www.curiositycenter.xyz Find out more about Tom Richardson at https://www.tomrichardson.info/Share your feedback or questions directly with us at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz or via Linkedin / Instagram

Welcome to episode #69 w Jaddan Comerford! Here are 5 key takeaways that I think you will learn from this episode today:How his parents inspired him to have a go which led to starting his music record label at age 17?What helped Jaddan succeed starting his own business right out of high school? Unified Music Group today has 70 employees and $20M in revenue without any external capital raised. A-Z of Unified Music Group and the support it provides artistsThe challenging economics in music and why artists earn less than 20c a stream on Spotify?How did Jaddan get started investing 4 years ago?BONUS: Jaddan mentions, “not all that glitters is gold” and ask yourself, is it an opportunity or a distraction?***TIMESTAMPS03:00 - Jaddan quick facts 03:45 - High Flyer in Jaddan’s life 04:50 - Jaddan’s sunrise: influence of family + environment 07:30 - Inspiration from his entrepreneurial parents 08:50 - Not fitting into private school 11:05 - Average marks graduating high school 11:50 - First 3 months of starting Boom Town records at age 17 14:35 - Learning how to run a startup early on 16:20 - What helped him succeed starting out at 17? 20:30 - Balance between inner belief and over confidence 24:00 - Dynamics of people in music industry: trust in relationships 27:15 - Basic introduction into Unified Music Group and operations? 30:20 - How does an artist get discovered? 32:20 - Monetisation model in Music: Do Artists earn less than 20c a stream on spotify? 36:40 - Independence vs going direct to audience and discovery 38:50 - Touring provides biggest return for artists and how it’s returning after COVID downturn 40:35 - Involvement in MODA DAO and Web3 for Music 42:45 - How did Jaddan get started investing 4 years ago? 48:00 - How has Rachael made him a better person? 49:40 - Final sprint***Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on iTunes and Spotify, as it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show and grow the show with sponsors and partners. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter for more!This show showcases relatable role models, re-imagining a high flyer to help you achieve your potential and be 1% better everyday!Contact Vidit at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz

Hear from Lauren Humphrey, co-founder of The Mintable about how they are building the empowerment platform where the best people managers come to succeed; learning, community, and tools built for managers by managers and welcome to episode 5 of this curiosity series taking you inside topics, companies and industries. Please enjoy exploring your curiosity as I did mine through this conversation!***KEY POINTS COVERED02:45 - What is The Mintable? 03:15 - Problem they’re solving and co-founders based in USA & Australia 05:55 - How they turned an idea into reality to create the startup? 08:30 - How did they go about customer discovery? 11:00 - How to ensure Learning & Development is continuous and engaging, not a set and forget exercise? 13:30 - Focusing on current managers or aspiring to help them become managers? 15:15 - How to commercialise and Go-To-Market? 19:00 - Marketplace and How does The Mintable provides differentiation? 20:45 - Difference between Australia and US for Managers? 22:50 - Career paths available at The Mintable? 25:15 - Expectations of having great managers in-house 26:30 - Risks to mitigate 28:55 - COVID impact on management style***Find out more about Curiosity Center at www.curiositycenter.xyz Find out more about The Mintable at https://getmintable.com/Share your feedback or questions directly with us at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz or via Linkedin / Instagram

Welcome to episode #67 w Niki Scevak! Here are 5 key takeaways that I think you will learn from this episode today:How accessing his first internet modem in his childhood changed Niki's worldWhat is the source of his courage and ambition and seeking it in othersHow does Niki structure his week to balance thinking, meeting founders and growing Blackbird?Applying the Orchids and Dandelions concept to parenting and businessWhat prevents investors from making the first move?BONUS: Starting Blackbird Ventures in 2012: out of 500 meetings, 97 people said yes to raise $29M fund***TIMESTAMPS03:05 — Niki quick facts 04:30 - High Flyer in Niki’s life 06:45 - Niki’s family unit and growing up in Newcastle 08:25 - How the internet very early on influenced Niki 10:00 - Source of being courageous and highly ambitious 12:15 - Learnings about successful characteristics in people 14:05 - Living in New York in the early 2000’s 18:10 - How leading thinkers like Peter Thiel have shaped Niki’s mindset 22:30 - How does Niki structure his week to balance thinking, meeting founders and growing Blackbird? 26:00 - Being out of his comfort zone in last 12 months? 28:35 - Niki’s insights on his framework to taking a meeting and pitch decks 32:40 - A career is not a 10 move chess match 34:10 - Applying Orchids and Dandelions concept to parenting and Blackbird 38:30 - Managing the dynamics with Blackbird going from the new kid to now one of the big players 40:15 - The key mechanisms that scaled Blackbird 45:10 - Media first investor landscape in the USA and Australia 47:35 - Providing value add as a board member 52:15 - What prevents investors from making the first move? 56:44 - Starting blackbird in 2012: out of 500 meetings, 97 people said yes to raise $29M fund 57:20 - Final sprint***Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on iTunes and Spotify, as it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show and grow the show with sponsors and partners. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter for more!This show showcases relatable role models, re-imagining a high flyer to help you achieve your potential and be 1% better everyday!Contact Vidit at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz

Hear from Peter Vranes & Hitesh Mehta, co-founders of Nutromics about how they are building the future of health monitoring to prevent chronic disease (and deaths) and welcome to episode 4 of this curiosity sseries taking you inside topics, companies and industries. Please enjoy exploring your curiosity as I did mine through this conversation!***KEY POINTS COVERED03:50 - What is Nutromics and the problem they’re solving? 05:20 - How did they turn their idea into reality? 07:00 - Creating an impact with medical devices 11:00 - How does the operation in the ecosystem work? 13:20 - Example of therapeutic drug monitoring with vancomycin 14:45 - Does Nutromics save the system money by managing outpatients vs inpatients? 17:03 - How is the dosing of Vancomycin cost effective through technology? 20:35 - Potential size of the opportunity and market 26:30 - Biggest threat to their technology 28:30 - Biggest surprise to date 30:50 - Smart watches and wearable devices***Find out more about Curiosity Center at www.curiositycenter.xyz Find out more about Nutromics at https://www.nutromics.com.au/Share your feedback or questions directly with us at vidit@curiositycenter.xyz or via Linkedin / Instagram