The Upstarts Podcast

Alex Konrad
  • 5.0 (7)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

On The Upstarts Podcast, you’ll hear from some of the most exciting Upstarts today: emerging technology leaders punching above their weight to achieve real impact.  Veteran tech reporter Alex Konrad profiled leaders from Marc Benioff to Melanie Perkins in a decade-plus at Forbes. Now as the founder and editor of Upstarts Media, he’s sitting down with breakout entrepreneurs taking on the status quo to shake up their fields in AI, design, nuclear energy, space, and more.  You’ll leave each interview with a new understanding of a world-changing technology that’s transforming how we live and work – as well as strategies and tactics any builder can put to use. 

Episodes

  1. 6D AGO

    Canva’s Melanie Perkins on scaling startup vision and values for global impact

    Canva co-founder and CEO Melanie Perkins leads the most valuable woman-led startup in the world, a design and publishing tool used by more than 260 million users and valued at $42 billion. But before all that, Melanie was an Upstart: an unappreciated founder from western Australia who had to fly to San Francisco uninvited just to secure startup funding. Melanie goes into that Upstart Moment in this debut episode of The Upstarts Podcast, covering the mindset and strategies that helped her go from university pitch competition to global phenomenon. Melanie breaks down Canva’s framework for setting goals and values – and makes her case for why all startups should lean into a big vision and focus on impact from day one. Plus, Melanie turns the tables and gives Alex some founder homework of his own. Chapters: 0:00 Intro to Melanie 2:15 Canva’s scale and impact mindset 3:42 Melanie’s first startup and Canva origins 7:15 Melanie’s early motivation and facing doubts 10:19 Learning from customers and a long-term vision 16:35 Risking her life and her Upstart Moment 19:58 How to set effective team goals 22:51 Setting values, culture and priorities as you scale 28:01 Canva’s 1% pledge and giving away billions 33:02 Melanie’s homework for founders (like Alex) Season 1 of the Upstarts Podcast is presented by Mercury. Produced & edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

    37 min

  2. TRAILER

    The Upstarts Podcast | Trailer

    On The Upstarts Podcast, you’ll hear from some of the most exciting Upstarts today: emerging technology leaders punching above their weight to achieve real impact. Veteran tech reporter Alex Konrad profiled leaders from Marc Benioff to Melanie Perkins in a decade-plus at Forbes. Now as the founder and editor of Upstarts Media, he’s sitting down with breakout entrepreneurs taking on the status quo to shake up their fields in AI, design, nuclear energy, space, and more. You’ll leave each interview with a new understanding of a world-changing technology that’s transforming how we live and work – as well as strategies and tactics any builder can put to use. Learn more at UpstartsMedia.com Produced & edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

    1 min

Trailer

5
out of 5
7 Ratings

About

On The Upstarts Podcast, you’ll hear from some of the most exciting Upstarts today: emerging technology leaders punching above their weight to achieve real impact.  Veteran tech reporter Alex Konrad profiled leaders from Marc Benioff to Melanie Perkins in a decade-plus at Forbes. Now as the founder and editor of Upstarts Media, he’s sitting down with breakout entrepreneurs taking on the status quo to shake up their fields in AI, design, nuclear energy, space, and more.  You’ll leave each interview with a new understanding of a world-changing technology that’s transforming how we live and work – as well as strategies and tactics any builder can put to use. 

Information

You Might Also Like