Episode Summary:
Jodie Fox co-founded Shoes of Prey, an innovative shoe retail company which at its peak was a global business, with more than 200 staff, six million shoes designed and US $27 million in funding raised. After Shoes of Prey ceased trading in 2018, Jodie wrote a memoir, Reboot. In her conversation with Adam, Jodie discusses what the startup ecosystem looked like when she founded Shoes of Prey in 2009, and the challenges and opportunities that came from moving the headquarters of Shoes of Prey to the US.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:22 Meet Jodie Fox
00:25 Jodie Fox and Shoes of Prey
00:37 The Beginning of Shoes of Prey
00:48 The Entrepreneurial Ecosystem in 2009
01:41 Prominent Companies in 2009
02:11 Early Office Experiences
03:16 Support Before Infrastructure
04:05 Creating a Coworking Environment
05:12 Challenges with Banking and Regulations
05:45 Staying Connected to the Startup Community
06:35 Differences Between US and Australian Startup Cultures
07:32 The Openness to Risk and Failure
08:53 Strengths of the Australian Startup Ecosystem
09:27 Reasons for Moving HQ to the US
11:29 The VC Landscape in 2009
14:57 Gaps in the Australian Startup Ecosystem
16:09 Advice to New Founders
18:13 Resources Available in 2009
20:31 Involvement in Incubators and Accelerators
21:08 Final Thoughts on the Australian Startup Ecosystem
