Hard Mode

Tractor Ventures
  • 5.0 (3)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
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This startup caper is HARD WORK! This is the startup founder reality - the struggles and setbacks on the path to creating a future state they can control. Join us, as we host conversations with founders, investors, operators and outliers with anecdotes of the path towards sustainable growth. Hosted and Produced by the team at Tractor Ventures - this is Hard Mode

  1. Tipping Point with Seedooh

    06/12/2022

    Tipping Point with Seedooh

    Welcome to this episode of Hard Mode featuring Seedooh Founder & CEO Tom Richter in conversation with Tractor Ventures Co-Founder and Co-CEO Matt Allen. Seedooh is a fully automated, data-led Independent Verification Platform for public space advertising campaign reporting - the first of its kind. They’re committed to helping Australia develop a new industry standard in campaign playout reporting and they’re actively scaling into other highly-developed global markets. Discussed in this episode is Advertising Technology trends, taking a sector-wide approach to big data, the changing face of advertising attribution and how Seedooh evolved in the early days from consultancy to a platform. Talking points: Scaling an ad verification platformThe solution for advertisers and advertising agencies, globallyTaking a sector-wide approach to big dataTransitioning from consultancy to platformDividing a line between known and unknownThe changing face of advertising attributionThe future of integration and connectivityLinks: SeedoohAWS for StartupsOnline: www.seedooh.com Twitter: @SeedoohPlatform Follow Tractor Ventures on Twitter: @tractorventures This episode was hosted by Tractor Ventures Co-Founder & Co-CEO Matt Allen: @mattallen

    37 min
  2. Macro Trends with Social Media College

    29/11/2022

    Macro Trends with Social Media College

    Welcome to Hard Mode with Social Media College Co-Founders & Co-CEO's Daniele Tanner & Jonathon Tanner in conversation with Tractor Ventures Entrepreneur in Residence, Noga Edelstein. Social Media College is the market leader for social media education. They work with the world's top social media experts who use all the social platforms every day to deliver real life education that helps people accelerate their business and career. They possess national accreditation for their Diploma of Social Media Marketing and engage with thousands of students and multiple universities.  In 2014, Jonathon and Daniele were working in the consulting and advertising media industries & realised employers were struggling to find qualified social media managers and tertiary education providers were finding it impossible to keep up with the constantly evolving nature of social media marketing. This set in motion bringing the concept of Social Media College to market. Talking points: An online learning platform for social media marketingPiggybacking off macro trendsContinual involvement in entrepreneurial pursuitsThe mythology of the overnight successAn aligned vision as a couple running a startupLaunching a new platform to market…Funding the company from phase 1 to phase 2The power of EdTechGuiding Decision Making with Company ValuesTop tips for amplifying social media marketingLinks: Social Media CollegeA Cloud GuruCanvaChargebarForbes Top 50 Social Media Power Influencers ListOpen CollegesPluralsightSocial Media Marketing DiplomaOnline: www.socialmediacollege.com Twitter: @SMConnect Instagram: @socialmediacollege Youtube: www.youtube.com/c/SocialMediaCollegeTV   Follow Tractor Ventures on Twitter: @tractorventures This episode was hosted by Tractor Ventures Entrepreneur in Residence Noga Edelstein: @nogsE

    53 min
  3. Validation & Discipline with Cartelux

    22/11/2022

    Validation & Discipline with Cartelux

    Welcome to Hard Mode with Joshua Williams, Founder & CEO of Cartelux. The Cartelux story is fascinating - they are shaping the future of retail marketing, empowering local area marketers to run digital campaigns in the most time efficient, cost efficient and brand compliant fashion possible, and have found particular product market fit within the automative industry. Discussed in this episode is Josh's approach to solving niche problems, the challenge and discipline required to pivot from a good, working business model to embrace risk in transitioning to a global tech company. Josh permanently moved from California to Australia and continues to grow Cartelux's global trajectory. Great chat! Talking points: The beginnings as a digital video agencyLeveraging the power of motion picture, onlineMoving into a specific niche problem to solveMoving from Southern California to AustraliaThe transition from filmmaker to entrepreneurShutting down a good business to go all in on a global tech playA globally distributed teamThe hard part about hard thingsCreating a team-wide culture of convictionLeaning heavily into automotive industryLinks: CarteluxAston MartinAudiBMW GroupFordGoogleKristin HarderMGNissanPatrick DobleRaoul PicelloRenaultStarcomToyotaOnline: https://cartelux.com/ Twitter: @Cartelux Follow Tractor Ventures on Twitter: @tractorventures This episode was hosted by Tractor Ventures Entrepreneur in Residence Noga Edelstein: @nogsE

    40 min
  4. Network Effect with Syncio

    16/11/2022

    Network Effect with Syncio

    Welcome to this episode of Hard Mode with Syncio Founder Jimmy Zhong in conversation with Tractor Ventures Co-CEO Matt Allen. Jimmy and Matt talk about the bootstrapped progression for Syncio, achieving network effect along the way Syncio is on a mission to take commerce to its next stage - Collaborative Commerce. This is a world where merchants can seamlessly partner with other merchants to cross-promote and sell each others products, where merchants can grow together. Syncio does this through real-time inventory, product, and order syncing across online stores. This reduces the immense time required to manage inventory across different shopfronts, ensuring all connected shopfronts have accurate stock levels to avoid overselling. 3000+ online stores use Syncio, syncing hundreds of millions of dollars  in GMV on an annual basis. Talking points: Jimmy’s beginnings in fashionThe thing about marketplacesPivoting to ethical and sustainable lifestyle fashion focusCreating and leaning on the network effectShifting to full time focus on SyncioLaunching into accelerator programsTo go down VC path or to not go down VC path?The reality of the founder journey away from the shiny stuffHard ModeAn admiration for the growth of SingaporeCreating a category: Collaborative CommerceLinks: SyncioAkaguEthiKookaiLee Kuan YewMelbourne Accelerator ProgramModern SingaporePatagoniaStartmateShopifyOnline: www.syncio.co www.tractorventures.com Follow Tractor Ventures on Twitter: @tractorventures This episode was hosted by Matt Allen: @mattallen

    49 min
  5. Language & Business Growth with The English Farm

    23/08/2022

    Language & Business Growth with The English Farm

    Welcome to this episode of Hard Mode featuring The English Farm Founder Matthew Radich. The English Farm was created by teachers to be the best place on the Internet to learn English - They’re a community of more than 120 teachers, based all around the world, with Matthew himself residing in Auckland New Zealand. During the podcast chat with Tractor Head of Engagement Garry Williams, Matthew dives into the origins of starting The English Farm in Japan and Brazil, new Māori language focussed business streams and the importance of people, especially with a workforce based all around the world. Talking points: Beginning the business in one of the most difficult marketsA long history wth JapanThe challenges of dealing with a remote distributed teamBuilding trust with a large amount of staff all around the worldFactoring in seasonalityHard to find downtime!Down to the last $20…Make or Break timeLuck plays a part in building the businessThe gratification in building a businessTaking steps towards end goalsOnline: https://theenglishfarm.com/ Facebook: @theenglishfarm www.tractorventures.com Follow Tractor Ventures on Twitter: @tractorventures This episode was hosted by Garry Williams: @gwilliamsALTS

    46 min
  6. Greener Tomorrow with Urban Plant Growers

    16/08/2022

    Greener Tomorrow with Urban Plant Growers

    Welcome to this episode of Hard Mode featuring Urban Plant Growers Co-Founders Dilhan Wickremanayake & Peter Cole. Urban Plant Growers address the issue of food wastage and environmental degradation by selling indoor plant growing products to the average person. Much of the food we eat comes from industrial farms that rely heavily on fertilisers and pesticides that reduce the long term health of the soil they grow in. Furthermore the plants we commonly eat are those that are suited not to taste and freshness, but to being driven halfway across the country in a cold steel box to get to you. Hydroponics and indoor farming provides the opportunity for city dwellers to become self sustainable, allowing them to live healthier and more environmentally friendly lives. Dilhan and Peter chat to Garry Williams from Tractor about their backgrounds as engineers, launching an equity crowdfunding campaign to fund the next phase of life for UPG from the people and their importance on the team culture. Talking points: An interview in the middle of a fundraiseGrowing a holistic gardening company2 engineers meet at universityA COVID contribution to salesLaunching an equity crowdfunding campaignScaling up the ambition by hiring for needsAn eye to further overseas expansionRealities of shipping & supply chain logisticsPeople as an integral part of the businessA range of new products that enables people to grow food at the point of consumptionLinks: Urban Plant GrowersCostcoDavid JonesEden GardensEquitiseFlower PowerMarine TrafficOnline: https://www.urbanplantgrowers.com/ Instagram: @urbanplantgrowers www.tractorventures.com Follow Tractor Ventures on Twitter: @tractorventures This episode was hosted by Garry Williams: @gwilliamsALTS

    57 min
  7. Digital Swiss Army Knife with Paperform

    08/08/2022

    Digital Swiss Army Knife with Paperform

    Welcome to this episode of Hard Mode featuring Paperform Co-Founders Diony & Dean McPherson. Paperform is a flexible online form builder like no others. It combines beautiful design with serious digital smarts to create endless possibilities - you’ll hear the company referred to as a digital Swiss Army knife more than once in this episode. Payments, bookings, onboarding - all is possible in the Paperform experience, which is used by thousands of customers all around the world. Diony and Dean talk to us about running the business while running a family together, why optionality is important, building a great team culture for what’s important and getting very good at arguing well. We discuss their journey as a bootstrapped company, venturing into new enterprise offerings and how they feel about the term 'lifestyle business' particularly as it relates to the balance between the company and family. Talking points: The origins of the big visionHow do we feel about the perception of a lifestyle business?Building a great culture with family and community firstTo scale or not to hyper scale?A customer base predominantly overseas.Between optionality and end-gamesHard mode moments in the journeyGetting good at arguing wellMaking sure that responsibility and authority are matchedA background in arts/culture to a career in SaaSA-ha moment of where Paperform sits in the marketUtmost emphasis on customer successTurn on the tap with enterprise product offeringsLinks: Paperform37SignalsANUBasecampGoogle Arts & CultureMacquarie UniversityLinktreeZapierOnline: https://paperform.co/ Twitter: @PaperformCo www.tractorventures.com Follow Tractor Ventures on Twitter: @tractorventures This episode was hosted by Matt Allen: @mattallen

    49 min
  8. Large Scale Problem-Solving with Talisium

    01/08/2022

    Large Scale Problem-Solving with Talisium

    Welcome to this episode of Hard Mode featuring Talisium Founder Tony Brennan. Talisium are reimagining global health education by providing a global focussed training platform that enables health employers and professionals to access thousands of health courses to upskill and stay current. During this conversation with Tractor Ventures Entrepreneur in Residence Noga Edelstein, Tony dives into his unbelievable career journey, and unpacks the motivations behind running this high impact business. Tony has a background in the Australian army, including time with the Parachute Surgical Team, where he trained in severe trauma medicine and aviation medicine. Tony completed a law degree and spent time practicing in the areas of corporate finance, corporate advisory and M&A. And as an academic, Tony was Australia’s youngest Adjunct Law Professor and has taught law and foreign direct investment across Australia and Asia. He has worked in corporate advisory across Asia, the Middle East and South America and more recently was the CEO for a medical and health services company where he developed training and medical projects in Afghanistan, the Middle East, USA, Africa and Haiti. Talking points: Providing Health Education with ImpactNow THAT is a career trajectorySolving problems on a big scaleA love of entrepreneurship as a careerFunding perspective for growing an impact focussed businessPinch-me moments in developing Talisium‘We make our own luck’High Praise for those who step into the unknownLinks: TalisiumClayton UtzNational University of SingaporeOnline: talisium.com www.tractorventures.com Follow Tractor Ventures on Twitter: @tractorventures This episode was hosted by Noga Edelstein: @nogsE

    45 min
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About

This startup caper is HARD WORK! This is the startup founder reality - the struggles and setbacks on the path to creating a future state they can control. Join us, as we host conversations with founders, investors, operators and outliers with anecdotes of the path towards sustainable growth. Hosted and Produced by the team at Tractor Ventures - this is Hard Mode

Information

  • Creator
    Tractor Ventures
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2022
  • Episodes
    27
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2022 Tractor Ventures
  • Show Website
    Hard Mode