Aussie Founders

Sam Hodgson and Nikita Boldyrev

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Australia has some underrated founders. Find their stories and insights here

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Forced Out & Bankrupt: A Founder's Story of Overcoming It All | Jonas Eliasson

In 2001, after working as an architect for many years, Jonas co-founded his first company, O-pen, after inventing a novel optical touch screen technology. After receiving €6 million of investment, and bringing in an international CEO, Jonas was ousted from his own company in 2005 and left the company officially in 2007. Now, O-pen is called FlatFrog and has partnerships with major companies such as Google and Samsung. In 2008, Jonas moved onto his next company, Me-Mover, where he invented a new type of transportation device which was like a cross between a scooter and a bicycle. After successfully launching the product, in a sudden turn of events, the company went bankrupt. Now, Jonas is the team lead of the SkyLab at the Denmark Technical University (DTU) where he coaches student start-up founders. In this episode you will learn: How to retain control over your company whilst receiving investmentWhat company bankruptcy actually looks likeHow to create hype around your product launch Chapters: (00:00) - Introduction (01:23) - The Touch Screen Idea Born From a Computer Mouse (08:34) - Fired From My Own Company (11:23) - How Founders Lose Control (Investor Lessons) (17:56) - The Second Startup: The Me Mover (23:53) - Kickstarter Success & The Unexpected Pivot (45:03) - How a Tiny Fee Bankrupted My Company (50:32) - Buying Back The Company's Assets (53:18) - Coaching the Next Generation of Founders (1:00:40) - What Truly Makes a Founder Successful

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He Built One of Australia’s Top Creative Agencies... Now He’s Going Bigger | Shooby Kandel

Shooby launched his first creative agency, Mude, during his second year of university, working on major projects with clients like Amazon Music and the Australian Government. Now he’s at the helm of What Works Global, a consultancy focused on marketing, tech and digital innovation, exploring ventures in cutting-edge fields like AI and blockchain. Shooby shares his unfiltered journey from 10+ years of building brands, leading teams and scaling creative businesses. In this episode, you’ll learn: His playbook for pricing your product/service as your business maturesHow Shooby assembled his team of A-playersWhy cold outreach might be a waste of your time

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“No Rational Person Would Set Out To Make a Billion Dollars” | Craig Benson

At 24, Craig Benson led a squadron of aircraft and 100 personnel for the RAAF. Today, he’s co-founder of Skykraft — delivering the world’s first space-based VHF communication system for air traffic management, especially in remote and oceanic regions. With $100M+ in funding and a bold partnership between Australia and India, Skykraft is proving that world-first innovation can be built in Canberra and scaled globally. In this episode, you’ll learn: Leadership lessons from the militaryThe importance of robustness over absolute performance, particularly for Space TechHow to build resilience — and when it’s time to quit Chapters (00:00) Intro (00:16) Craig’s Air Force Background (03:20) Founding Skykraft (04:22) Finding a CEO (08:33) From Problem to Product (18:21) What Makes a Strong Founder (26:36) Culture That Embraces Failure (38:57) Made in Australia (45:33) Monopsony Risks (48:52) Craig on the Future (55:31) Final Thoughts + Internships Learn more: Skykraft: https://www.skykraft.com.au/ Craig Benson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drcraigbenson/ News coverage of Skykraft’s $100M+ raise: https://www.afr.com/technology/big-money-is-back-as-space-tech-start-up-raises-120m-20231013-p5ec69

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NASA Scientist Explains Why Having His Tech ‘Stolen’ Was a Good Thing | Daniel Shaddock

On September 10, 2001, Dr Daniel Shaddock signed on with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab, where he worked on LISA, the revolutionary space-based gravitational wave detector. Over a decade later, he co-founded Liquid Instruments, a cutting-edge startup transforming test and measurement — now backed by top international and government investors. In this episode, you’ll learn: How to pitch yourself to investors Why Australia may be failing its technical founders What it's like to eat lunch with a Mars Rover 🎙️ Powered by the ANU Entrepreneurship Club Chapters: (00:00) Intro (00:12) Nobel Prize (02:45) Career in Physics (08:12) NASA (14:04) Liquid Instruments Early Days (21:54) How to Pitch Yourself (28:26) VC Experience (32:36) Signs of a Winning Product (38:06) Moku Product Strategy (47:59) Product Awesomeness (51:41) Advice for Young People (53:52) Where to Learn More

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$100M Tech Founder - Michelle Melbourne. Powered by the ANU Entrepreneurship Club

After graduating from the Australian National University, Michelle (Chelle) got a job at a tech start-up and never looked back. In the early 2000s, she co-founded Intelledox, a software company which was acquired in 2019 for an estimated $105M (MergerLinks). Expect insights into the early days of the internet, advice on how to hire amazing people and inspiring a culture of excellence. Powered by the ANU Entrepreneurship Club Production assisted by Lucy Gabbay for Woroni Radio. Credited to ANU Student Media (ANUSM).

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Cambridge physicist to business guru - Craig Davis. Powered by the ANU Entrepreneurship Club

After getting his PhD at Cambridge University, Craig worked in Defence before cofounding TakeABreak, an online holiday home rental company (similar to Airbnb), back in 2003. After selling the company into what eventually became Stayz, Craig has mentored thousands of start-ups through his work at the Canberra Innovation Network. Episode 1 of the Move Fast Break Things Podcast Powered by the ANU Entrepreneurship Club Production assisted by Lucy Gabbay for Woroni Radio. Credited to ANU Student Media (ANUSM).

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Australia has some underrated founders. Find their stories and insights here

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Sam Hodgson and Nikita Boldyrev
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© Sam Hodgson and Nikita Boldyrev
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Aussie Founders