Episode Summary:
Evan Thornley is a serial entrepreneur with decades of experience founding and leading tech startups, including Australia’s first to be listed on the NASDAQ and reach a more than $1 billion valuation. In 1995 Evan Thornley and his wife Tracey Ellery Founded LookSmart, which in 1999 had 500 employees and was the twelfth most visited website worldwide with 10 million users. Since leaving LookSmart Evan has had a diverse career, and is currently Executive Chair of LongView, a company aiming to transform the Australian property landscape. In his conversation with Adam, Evan discusses the highs and lows of his time with LookSmart, and the ways in which the Australian startup ecosystem has changed in the decades since the dot com boom and bust.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:11 Overview of Australian Startup Ecosystem
00:29 Guest Introduction: Evan Thornley
00:40 Evan's Current Role at Longview
01:09 Evan's Early Entrepreneurial Days
01:21 First Startup Experience in University
02:06 Starting LookSmart and Insights on Search
03:42 The Internet Boom and Crazy Valuations
04:51 Challenges Post-Bust and Running LookSmart
06:36 The Decision to Leave LookSmart
07:43 Reflections on LookSmart's Journey
09:34 Evolution of the Australian Startup Ecosystem
11:29 The Role of Success in Startup Growth
13:16 Insights on Governance in Startups
15:01 The Impact of Government on Startups
16:32 Heroes in the Australian Startup Ecosystem
18:10 Shoutout to Key Figures: Paul Bassat, Niki Scevak
19:45 The Importance of Social Ventures
21:20 Evan's Vision for Residential Property
23:30 The Future of the Australian Startup Scene
25:40 Closing Remarks and Advice for Founders
26:12 How to Connect with Evan Thornley
