Barriers are imaginary
In my second week of high school, our teacher set us an assignment for our social studies program: what career did we want to follow? We had to interview someone in that profession, asking them a set list of questions…
So you want to work at my startup
For the past few weeks, I’ve focussed on recruiting more team members for our offices in Sydney and Manila. We’re hiring senior and junior engineers in both places, and Communications and Sales managers in Sydney. It seems as if everyone…
How investors can kill your startup without losing any money themselves
This is the story of a major mistake I made – not once but twice while fundraising for Posse. Each time it almost cost us the business. I like to think of it as a disease investors often unknowingly give…
How kids become entrepreneurs
Last week I had the privilege to mentor at Club Kidpreneur – a program teaching 8 – 12 year olds to start businesses. It was inspiring to see the enthusiasm for creating something from nothing, to be a part of guiding…
The end of stress
Now, in the New Year, I can admit it: 2013 sucked and I’m glad it’s over. For the first eight months, I ran around the US trying to launch a startup on no budget, build a product, raise capital,…
How being a female tech founder is different
Just over three years ago I started a company called Posse, a business idea that required technology. I never thought I was doing anything extraordinary, and was shocked to learn that only 3% of Australians who launch technology companies are…
Can startups create a culture that competes with Google?
When I closed my first round of funding for Posse, I asked one of the lead investors – what’s the first thing you think I should focus on? His response: culture. Culture? Surely I should focus on hiring smart people,…
One of the worst things you can do in business and in life, and we all do it all the time.
I caught up with one of our investors in Auckland a few weeks ago – Peter, a wise chap who’s had a lot of success. Our conversation drifted from a company update to general advice and on to a deep…
What I’ve learnt about outsourcing so far
Startups with limited resources may be tempted into outsourcing to cheaper places. I’m sure you’ve heard horror stories of entrepreneurs who spent a fortune building an idea in India only to discover a rat’s nest of badly written code that…
