Jason Leong
Fintech

‘You can’t borrow your way out of a cost-of-living crisis’: fintech founder on the problem with the government’s approach to open banking

- March 21, 2025 3 MIN READ

The founder of fintech PocketSmith believes ordinary Australians should be prioritised by the federal government through the Consumer Data Right (CDR) to address cost-of-living pressures. The call, by cofounder and CEO Jason Leong, follows a record 859 pre-Budget submissions to the Commonwealth Treasury, up from 789 last year, with more than a quarter highlighting the… Read more »

Leadership

The great gossip paradox – is what you’re talking about just chat or laying the groundwork for scandal?

- March 18, 2025 3 MIN READ

When two junior employees bump into each other in the corridor and start chatting about their manager’s overbearing manner, it’s typically considered gossip. But what about when two managers have an off-record catch-up to discuss an under-performing employee? Both scenarios meet traditional definitions of gossip – the information being shared is about other people, the… Read more »

Leadership

Why entrepreneurship needs to be taught in all schools

- March 18, 2025 5 MIN READ

In a world where technology and innovation drive rapid change, young people need more than academic knowledge to thrive. They need an entrepreneurial mindset, the ability to see problems as opportunities, to think critically and creatively, work collaboratively, and adapt to change. These are not future skills, they are now skills, with flexibility, resilience, agility… Read more »

Business strategy

Startup 360: How to CEO, Fishburners transforms & thinking about staff like investors

- March 14, 2025 2 MIN READ

When do you know you’re CEO material? It’s the question Startup 360 host Simon Thomsen put to Majella Campbell, the newly appointed CEO of Fishburners, Australia’s pioneering startup coworking space. Majella talked about her mentor, Myles Baron-Hay, the former Sydney Swans CEO, saying “why not?” when she had her doubts. “When I was unsure about… Read more »

Life hacks

Burnout isn’t the enemy – it’s the message, but are you ready to listen?

- March 12, 2025 2 MIN READ

Everywhere I turn I hear another story about how burnt out everyone currently is. How everyone is overworked. That they’re at their breaking point. In fact, Deloitte did a survey on professionals in the workplace, stating “77% of respondents say they have experienced employee burnout at their current job”. Now before we start pointing fingers and… Read more »

Advice

How to create a tax-effective exit for your startup

- March 11, 2025 5 MIN READ

For founders, the day that someone comes to buy their startup can be bittersweet. Whilst many startups and scaleups forge their own independent path by continuing to grow their market share, for others, a successful exit will be a huge validation of what the whole team has built over the years.  Given the hard work… Read more »

MIcrosoft CEO Satya Nadella
AI/Machine Learning

Microsoft’s AI price hikes and why they ditched their data centre plans

- March 6, 2025 4 MIN READ

After a year of shoehorning generative AI into its flagship products, Microsoft is trying to recoup the costs by raising prices, putting ads in products, and cancelling data centre leases. Google is making similar moves, adding unavoidable AI features to its Workspace service while increasing prices. Is the tide finally turning on investments into generative… Read more »

Leadership

Beyond Pinkwashing: How to make International Women’s Day meaningful

- March 6, 2025 3 MIN READ

International Women’s Day (IWD) is fast approaching, and with it comes the flood of well-intentioned but often superficial corporate gestures. Think pink logos, vague social media statements, and one-off panel discussions that barely scratch the surface of gender inequality. While organisations may be eager to show their support, many fall into the trap of performative… Read more »

Oliver, begging bowl
Advice

A step-by-step guide for founders to raise capital

- March 5, 2025 4 MIN READ

The truth is, a lot of the startups undertaking a capital raise don’t meet the minimum investor expectations for their chosen funding pathway. Rather than reflecting on their readiness or taking responsibility for this, many founders blame investors instead  (I wrote an article on it here). But here’s the reality: raising capital is a process,… Read more »