Episode Summary:
Lars Rasmussen is a Danish computer scientist and tech angel investor with a long history of working within the startup ecosystem both within Australia and internationally, including as co-founder of Google Maps, and as Director of Engineering for Facebook in London. In 2015, Rasmussen announced his departure from Facebook to co-found a music startup, Weav Musi, with his partner Elomida Visviki. In his conversation with guest host Will Tjo, Lars discusses his love of Sydney, what he sees as key ingredients for successful founders, as well as the difficult balancing act between self belief through adversity and knowing when to quit.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast
00:32 Meet Lars Rasmussen
01:25 Lars' Background and Journey to Entrepreneurship
02:28 Founding Google Maps
03:36 Choosing Sydney as a Base
04:27 The Startup Ecosystem in Sydney Post Dot-Com Bubble
08:01 The Vibrant Community of Sydney
10:51 Misconceptions About Australians and Work Ethic
12:31 Growth of the Startup Ecosystem in Australia
15:15 Opportunities for Improvement in Australian Startups
16:45 The Role of Crisis in Startup Success
20:05 The Importance of Early Success Stories
24:18 Advice for New Entrepreneurs
29:09 The Balance Between Tenacity and Realism
32:02 Concluding Thoughts on Entrepreneurship
34:12 Future Plans and Investment Focus
39:59 How to Connect with Lars Rasmussen
40:39 Closing Remarks
