Melissa Widner discusses the huge progress of startups

Melissa Widner discusses the huge progress of startups

Melissa Widner discusses the huge progress of startups

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Episode Summary:

Melissa Widner is the CEO of Lighter Capital, an investment firm that is based in the US and launched in Australia in 2020. Their novel model involves lending to early stage startups and linking repayments to revenue, without requiring founders to relinquish equity. Melissa has a long history in the startup world, having been CEO or board member of many companies. In her conversation with Adam, she discusses Lighter Capital’s new model, and the ways in which she believes the Australian startup ecosystem has made huge progress in the last 5 or so years.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Day One Podcast

00:29 Meet Melissa Widner

00:44 Understanding Revenue-Based Financing for SaaS Companies

02:00 Melissa's Journey to Lighter Capital

03:26 The Australian Startup Ecosystem in 2009

05:05 Momentum Building in the Ecosystem

08:06 The Role of Atlassian in Venture Capital Recognition

10:12 Government's Role in Supporting Startups

11:04 The Importance of Employee Stock Options

12:36 Current Gaps in the Ecosystem

13:53 Overview of Lighter Capital

15:05 Unpopular Opinions on the Ecosystem

17:14 Success in Funding Women-Led Companies

19:04 Recommendations for Increasing Diversity in Venture

19:58 Advice for New Founders

21:38 Reflections on Working in Operations vs. Venture Capital

22:06 The Future of the Australian Startup Ecosystem

23:42 Closing Remarks and Gratitude

Transcript:

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Transcript:

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Transcript:

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