Episode Summary:
With experience founding and co-founding tech startups since 1995, Alan Jones is a veteran of Australia’s startup ecosystem. An angel investor and advisor, Alan has supported Australian startups independently and through BlueChilli, Blackbird Ventures, Pollenizer Ventures and Startmate. In his conversation with Adam, Alan discusses how the internet’s disruption of media companies made possible Australia’s first tech startups, and how the advent of wifi and the smartphone dramatically impacted Australia’s startup ecosystem.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:31 Meet Alan Jones
00:42 Alan's Early Exposure to Startups
01:50 Early Personal Computer Experience
02:28 Transition to Writing and Journalism
04:12 Influence of Computer Magazines
05:32 FTP and the Changing Landscape of Publishing
07:24 The Shift to the Internet and Web Publishing
08:15 Year of Transition
10:21 Evolution of the Tech Community in Australia
12:45 Alan's Journey with Microsoft
13:28 Launching Yahoo Australia and New Zealand
24:35 The Role of Media Companies in Early Startups
30:08 The Influence of Venture Capital
33:40 Transition to Click-Based Advertising
35:00 The Impact of Wi-Fi on Collaboration
38:15 Challenges in the Current Startup Ecosystem
42:04 Advice for New Founders
44:30 The Role of Smartphones in the Tech Startup Landscape
