Business strategy Archives

How to land late-stage capital: Skedulo founder Matt Fairhurst reveals the strategy behind SoftBank’s $100 million Series C in the productivity startup

Matt Fairhurst & Nathan Merzvinskis - May 4, 2022 5 MIN READ

In July last year, Brisbane-founded, US-based workplace productivity software startup Skedulo announced a A$100 million (US$75m) Series C from Japanese VC powerhouse SoftBank. In this special behind-the-scenes analysis, founder and CEO Matt Fairhurst and Skedulo chief of staff Nathan Merzvinskis reveal how they built the strategy behind the raise. You’ve made it — almost. Your… Read more »

Advice

Idea to Unicorn: Employment Hero Chief People Officer Alex Hattingh on how to attract and keep the best talent for your startup

Startup Daily - May 3, 2022 2 MIN READ

One of the biggest challenges founders face as they get their idea off the ground is what to do next to make it happen. That’s what we explored recently in the series Idea to Unicorn, presented by Startup Daily in partnership with Microsoft. Over two days at Tank Stream Labs at the Sydney Startup Hub,… Read more »

Advice

Ignition Lane’s tech wrap: Mega marketplaces, failed Fast & billionaire battles

Gavin Appel & Rebecca Eastwood - April 26, 2022 5 MIN READ

Welcome to Ignition Lane’s Tech Wrap, where they cut through the noise to bring you their favourite insights from the technology and startup world. Ignition Lane works with ambitious business leaders to apply the Startup Mindset to their technology, product and commercialisation problems. This wrap goes out free to subscribers on Saturdays. Don’t forget you can catch… Read more »

Advice

Canva’s Cameron Adams on how they’re building the business for beyond ‘Net Zero’

Cameron Adams - April 22, 2022 5 MIN READ

This Earth Day is our moment to change it all — the business climate, the political climate, and how we take action on climate. At Canva, we’re fortunate to have built an amazing organisation on the premise of finding huge opportunities within interesting problems. We strongly believe that in every challenge there is opportunity, and… Read more »

Advice

Idea to Unicorn: How to get s#!t done when you’re a startup founder

Startup Daily - April 21, 2022 2 MIN READ

One of the biggest challenges founders face as they get their idea off the ground is what to do next to make it happen. That’s what we explored recently in the series Idea to Unicorn, presented by Startup Daily in partnership with Microsoft. Over two days at Tank Stream Labs at the Sydney Startup Hub,… Read more »

Advice

Blue is the new beige: research reveals Australian startup branding is a bit dull

Simon Thomsen - April 19, 2022 2 MIN READ

The branding of Australian tech companies is predictable and bland, compared to global competitors, a first-of-its-kind study into the use of semiotic codes by local tech brands has found. The report, ‘Decoding Tech Brands’, a collaboration between The University of Sydney Business School, and market consultancy Hotwire Global, found that there’s an over-reliance on functional… Read more »

Advice

Startups and the 3 degrees of lostness

Alan Jones - April 13, 2022 6 MIN READ

I like participating in outdoor endurance and adventure events for many reasons, not the least because they often involve solving problems and taking calculated risks based on partial information in a small team of high-achieving people who aren’t getting enough rest. It’s no coincidence that “…solving problems and taking calculated risks based on partial information… Read more »

Advice

Using ‘IDS’ to solve all the issues in your startup

Benjamin Chong - April 12, 2022 3 MIN READ

Last week I was at an international board meeting. While we’ve met countless times using Zoom over the last two years, it was our first in-person meeting since the beginning of 2020. Expectations were high as we welcomed new board members and reconnected with existing board members. There were lots to catch up on,… Read more »

Advice

Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap: The unicorn boom, valuations heading south, Meta faces legal squeeze

Gavin Appel & Rebecca Eastwood - March 21, 2022 5 MIN READ

Welcome to Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap, where they cut through the noise to bring you their favourite insights from the technology and startup world. Ignition Lane works with ambitious business leaders to apply the Startup Mindset to their technology, product and commercialisation problems. This wrap goes out free to subscribers every Saturday. Don’t forget you can catch Gavin Appel… Read more »

Advice

How to attract and build a great startup team using an employee share plan

Benjamin Chong - March 9, 2022 3 MIN READ

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been having conversations with several founders about employee share ownership plans (ESOPs). An important ingredient of many fast-growing startups, ESOPs are used to align key team members to the long-term success of the business by providing them with exposure to the growth in equity value of the startup. Once… Read more »

Advice

Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap: Super-fast unicorn, VC funding boom, put another founder on a Barbie

Gavin Appel & Rebecca Eastwood - March 7, 2022 6 MIN READ

Welcome to Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap, where they cut through the noise to bring you their favourite insights from the technology and startup world. Ignition Lane works with ambitious business leaders to apply the Startup Mindset to their technology, product and commercialisation problems. This wrap goes out free to subscribers every Saturday. Don’t forget you can catch Gavin Appel… Read more »

Advice

Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap: Tech’s climate fight, another big raise week, valuations set to fall?

Gavin Appel & Rebecca Eastwood - February 28, 2022 5 MIN READ

Welcome to Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap, where they cut through the noise to bring you their favourite insights from the technology and startup world. Ignition Lane works with ambitious business leaders to apply the Startup Mindset to their technology, product and commercialisation problems. This wrap goes out free to subscribers every Saturday. Don’t forget you can catch Gavin Appel… Read more »

Advice

Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap: the Meta worst, Peloton’s backpedalling, the week’s biggest raises

Gavin Appel & Rebecca Eastwood - February 14, 2022 5 MIN READ

Welcome to Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap, where they cut through the noise to bring you their favourite insights from the technology and startup world. Ignition Lane works with ambitious business leaders to apply the Startup Mindset to their technology, product and commercialisation problems. This wrap goes out free to subscribers every Saturday. Don’t forget you can catch Gavin Appel… Read more »

Advice

Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap: The Great Reengagement, backing Web3, riding the markets & the big local raises

Gavin Appel & Rebecca Eastwood - February 7, 2022 7 MIN READ

Welcome to Ignition Lane’s Weekly Wrap, where they cut through the noise to bring you their favourite insights from the technology and startup world. Ignition Lane works with ambitious business leaders to apply the Startup Mindset to their technology, product and commercialisation problems. This wrap goes out free to subscribers every Saturday. Here’s their review of the week. Back… Read more »

Business strategy

B2B event SMB Digital announces two inspiring keynote speakers

Startup Daily - February 2, 2022 3 MIN READ

A fighter pilot and the CEO of the online division of the largest university in the southern hemisphere will headline the inaugural SMB Digital, inspiring business leaders to unlock their potential over two days at this one-of-a-kind event. Christian ‘Boo’ Boucousis was recruited into the Royal Australian Air Force as a pilot and completed over… Read more »