Episode Summary:
Bill Tai is a global venture capitalist who is based in Silicon Valley and spends part of the year in Perth. Bill has been funding startups as a Venture Capitalist since 1991, and has had 23 of his startups become listed companies. Bill is also an Adjunct Professor at Curtin University, where his focus is innovation and economic development. In his conversation with Adam, Bill discusses how he became one of the earliest investors in Canva after meeting one of its co-founders Melanie Perkins, as well as what he sees as key similarities and differences between Silicon Valley and Australia’s startup ecosystem.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:31 Meet Bill Tai
00:45 Bill's Experience with Zoom
01:26 Bill's First Exposure to the Startup World
02:38 Comparisons Between Silicon Valley and Australia
03:28 Government Policies and Startup Ecosystem
04:02 The Importance of Equity for Employees
05:21 Bill's Journey to Australia
07:57 The Birth of the Startup Competition
10:25 Meeting Melanie Perkins
11:54 Formation of the OSAP Awards
12:02 Connection to Richard Branson and Necker Island
13:40 Transition to Sustainable Development Goals
15:51 Bill's Impressions of Melanie Perkins
16:26 The Impact of Cloud Technology on Design
17:12 Introduction to Technical Co-Founder
19:22 Pairing Melanie with Cameron Adams
21:53 Bill's Path to Becoming an Investor
22:18 Observations on the U.S. vs. Australian Ecosystems
23:28 Challenges for the Australian Startup Ecosystem
25:57 The Evolution of Funding in Australia
29:32 The Future of the Australian Startup Ecosystem
30:28 Riding the Next Wave of Technology
33:29 Opportunities in the Blockchain Space
38:30 Advice for New Founders
40:29 Encouragement for the Australian Startup Ecosystem
42:21 The Future of Technology and Human Participation
45:36 Closing Remarks
