Sasha Baranikov once took a tech company from day 1 to ASX listing in under 5 years. A few years later it was sold for $3.7 BILLION.
These days, Sasha is using her keen instinct for entrepreneurship to help others kickstart their own endeavours. In this episode, Sasha and Sav cover the Founder Mindset, bouncing back from disappointment and what Sasha looks for when she invests in new start ups.
You’re in Charge is brought to you by ThincHer, an initiative of ThincLab at The University of Adelaide.
Transcript Search or select a timestamp to jump ▾ 0:00 Sasha Baranikov: Because at the end of the day, anyone could, like, 3 people can have the same idea, but someone will get, you know, get it done. People that kind of embrace challenge, you know, I'm somebody that I'm just drawn to challenge, like almost, you know, I'm not drawn to drama, but I'm drawn to the hard thing. Then I think curiosity, like I said, you just want to learn and explore and go, how could we do that better or differently? 0:27 Sav Perera: Hello and welcome to You're in Charge, where we are helping you with starting your business journey by sharing stories and insights from the best in the biz. My name is Sav Pereira, and you may know me from MasterChef Australia. And just a few months ago, I decided to leave my corporate job and go into the world of private chefing and working for myself in my own business. And it is true what they say, starting your own business is hard work. But the great thing is starting your business can also be incredibly rewarding, which is why I've teamed up with Thinker at the University of Adelaide to learn a bit more about the business of doing business. Together, we will sit down with some trailblazing women and talk to them about the business behind their successes. I'm talking about the business of building confidence, the business of bouncing back, The business of brokering security, and the business of being you through it all. Today's guest is a self-made entrepreneur and growth strategist with over 17 years of global experience across gaming, space, tech, and more. 1:32 Sasha Baranikov: Hi, I'm Sasha. I'm a mum of a 3-year-old. I'm a foodie, an artist, and I'm also managing director of STEAM Ventures, which has all come after Being a co-founder of Uniti Wireless, which we ended up listing on the ASX in under 5 years. 1:50 Sav Perera: Sasha Baranikov is a co-founder of Uniti Wireless Limited, which she helped lead to an ASX listing in under 5 years before it was sold for $3.7 billion. Now, as the Managing Director of STEAM Ventures and an entrepreneur in residence at the University of Adelaide's ThinkLab, Sasha brings a founder mindset and a genuine passion for helping entrepreneurs succeed. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family and channeling her creative energy into art and tourism projects in the Adelaide Hills. Let's dive into her inspiring journey. Sasha, absolute pleasure to have you here at You're in Charge. Now tell us a little bit about your career and your journey up until this point. 2:41 Sasha Baranikov: I always start by saying I've, I've never worked in the same industry twice. So it's, it's been colorful. It's been interesting. So I, I started out in media, so worked in, in radio, um, and I was doing a TV show. I was doing like 100 different things, and someone told me Why don't you just do one thing, focus? 3:04 Sav Perera: Yeah. 3:05 Sasha Baranikov: And do that well. And so I had a moment where I thought, yeah, okay, I'll do that. And then I found myself working at a games and media company. I told a funny story and a person listening to that story was like, you know, who is this person? So basically the funny story was I was at Falls Festival and the boys had this giant jar of pickles. And at the time, I hated pickles, and I was like, I need to get rid of these. And someone said to me, why don't you sell them? I was like, okay, done. Challenge sorted. Anyway, I made this big deal about people diving to the pickle jar and grabbing pickles out, and people giving me gold coins, and it was just this whole hoo-ha. Anyway, told that story, come back to the camp, jars full of pickles, and everyone's like, what? You've made a profit from from these pickles. So essentially this guy tracked me down and said, if you can make a profit out of a pickle jar, I wouldn't— I wanna know what else you can do. So needless to say, I kind of went down that path. It was a global games company, worked there for a bit, and that's where I met my future co-founder. Mm-hmm. And we ended up then moving into creating a wireless broadband company. So that grew quite quickly. So the super long story short there is We ended up listing it on the ASX in under 5 years. 4:32 Sav Perera: Wow. 4:32 Sasha Baranikov: And then it sold in under 10. Pretty good deal to a Brookfield Asset Management consortium. And during that time I also got to work in the space industry, which is really cool. And now I found myself in a position where, you know, company sold, I had a baby. And so now I'm doing a bit of investing, working at the uni at ThinkLab and supporting others on their growth journey. more kind of growth strategy and a few other little projects sprinkled in because, you know, focus. Yeah. 5:09 Sav Perera: So you've been in the tech side of things. You were in gaming. Is that your background or what sort of like, was that something that led you there? Or tell us a little bit about that. 5:22 Sasha Baranikov: To the tech? 5:23 Sav Perera: Yeah, the tech side of things. Yeah. 5:25 Sasha Baranikov: Well, I guess that was kind of one of those pivotal moments. And, um, I think people have plenty of them throughout their career. And I guess the thing, the theme with me is that when something presents itself, I'm, I'm curious and I kind of go, what's that about? And let's explore it. So no, I don't have a tech background. I guess what happened, uh, I was working at the other company, um, you know, I was in Hollywood, you know, bright lights, super cool, in my 20s, got to go to Playboy Mansion party, things like that. But, you know, seemingly great. Um, GFC sneaks up and kind of really hit that company hard, and they went from, you know, 50-odd people down to 5. Right. So my future co-founder had done a joint venture with them as well, and that was, uh, technology, you know, back when people had, uh, dumb phones that were like the Nokias, and you know, Bluetooth but no Wi-Fi. So their company had worked out how to use the phones in a way that was similar to Wi-Fi. So GFC happens, bang, that company goes, you know, into a different place, not a great place to be in. And we kind of went, okay, let's move on. What about this thing? Mm-mm. And, you know, another moment of like grace where, you know, things that seem pretty negative, like just propel you in a new direction, I guess. And so we're like, you know, smartphones, uh, hitting the market and then just, you know, going nuts. So, you know, I look back at that point in time and say Apple shares were at $6 a share. Mm-hmm. When we launched Unity, they were at $20 a share. So it was that moment in time when data and that consumption really took off. So because that company was dead, we're like, well, Yeah, what's next? So, you know, it was kind of going down that rabbit hole of what's this Wi-Fi thing, what's data. And, you know, we experience it now with AI. So AI is just surging, but a whole lot of other things need to grow to support that, um, developing into the, the real world. 7:32 Sav Perera: Yeah. 7:32 Sasha Baranikov: So internet, you know, data usage— internet wasn't great for everyone, and it wasn't built to support the amount that we were about to use. So we kind of learned that and it was a moment where you kind of have totally green eyes. So you're naive. 7:50 Sav Perera: Yeah. 7:50 Sasha Baranikov: But it's this moment in time where it's a perfect moment where, you know, technology from the wireless broadband perspective had really accelerated in a short window. So price point had come down and the performance had gone up. So everyone in the industry had kind of tried wireless broadband. We didn't know this. And it didn't work. And everyone's like, yeah, don't, that's not a thing. And we're like, this is great because in the US it had taken off, fragmented market, um, but it was there. And we're like, why isn't anyone doing this? Um, so understood that with scale, the, um, there was a lot of profit in the business. And so we're like, let's do this. Yeah. You know, naive, naivety really spurs on success. some things. Um, and it was going to be hard, but we kind of went about it. 8:41 Sav Perera: I, I just wanted to actually sort of focus on a couple of things that you said, just in terms of, yes, you know, the market was doing what it was doing and it was like the right time for you to grow. But I think looking at your career and the growth, and we have a lot of young listeners, a lot of young entrepreneurs that are just starting off, and it feels like I think the level that you're at might feel unattainable when you're just starting off as well. So I really appreciate that you said you have to, you know, wait for these moments. You have to look at what the market's doing. How do you sort of foster that literacy about yourself when it comes to what you're doing as well? Because you didn't come from that tech background, but then you've gone on to do these amazing things in that space. So yeah, how does that— how did that come about for you? 9:32 Sasha Baranikov: I guess I think there's some traits that probably help with that. And, you know, everyone's different. I think every founder is different. And so you don't need to be like this in a box. But there are some important things that help, I think. And it's this just intrinsic curiosity. Yeah. And you can't, you can't not like learn and know. So just always wanting to learn. I think confidence. is, you know, necessary. Yeah. 'Cause you kind of need to abandon some anxieties around, you know, can I do this? And then it's like just giving it, giving things a go. Having people around you that support that is important. So, you know, you probably will have moments where you're like, eh, like, I don't know what I'm doing. Most people don't. 10:26 Sav Perera: Yeah. 10:27 Sasha Baranikov: And but having people that encourage you and go, you know, just keep trying because it's always a question to ask, what's the worst that can happen? Like, you know, if I tried something, I knew I could always find a different job and no one really cares except me. So things like that. 10:46 Sav Perera: Yeah. I also appreciate that you said, you know, there's that anxiety and I think when you are a woman, somehow that feels worse because there is a lot of energy around you that says, well, no, you can't do this, it's not going to work. And then like overcoming that, I think I resonate with that quite a bit because I quit the corporate world to go into working for myself full-time. And there was that constant thing of like, am I allowed to do this? Yeah. Am I allowed to just say, nah, I'm just going 11:22 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah, 11:23 Sav Perera: just full tilt into what I'm doing. And I think it's really valuable to hear you say that. Now, just reflecting back on the actual growth of Unity and the fact that you sold the company for billions of dollars, essentially, what can you tell us about like the strategic decisions that were made to actually get you to that point? 11:45 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah, and it's a good question because I think, you know, customer focus is like, cannot, you know, it's, it's just a necessity. Yeah. And that was at the heart of what we did. You don't grow unless you have something that people need, want, care about, or feel that cares about them. So, and I think the media background and coming from a place where, you know, I was a Black Thunder driver and it was all about making sure the listeners were getting like this fantastic experience that You know, that was so important. And I think plan, like strategic planning, like essentially, um, we had a destination that we thought we could achieve. Um, and sometimes that was like, again, that naivety that like, yeah, we can do that. But, you know, we kind of mapped it out and went, the maths and science of this says this could be, if we gave it a good nudge, Mm-hmm. a billion-dollar company. And there were things at play that meant that that could be a reality if we like put in the hard work. This is just a whole lot of hard work and luck at the same time. But when you go, we're going to try and get there, you can like destination map it backwards and go, well, what's possible? Now, the fact is, when you set goals, like they will invariably never be the exact outcome. You won't achieve the exact same thing, but it will be within a you know, bandwidth of that reality. 13:19 Sav Perera: Yep. 13:20 Sasha Baranikov: Because you said, let's try and do this. 13:22 Sav Perera: I also actually want to touch on about your experience because you studied at the University of Adelaide and, you know, we're part of the Think Lab, we're part of Think Her. What sort of advice do you have for people that are starting out that are looking at doing, you know, what you're doing, not necessarily in the same sector, but, you know, becoming a founder, become like going to a point where you can now invest back into the industry. Like, yeah, give us a bit of wisdom. 13:55 Sasha Baranikov: Sure. I guess the thing that I— it really depends on what you want to do. Um, look, nobody, not everyone is going to be the founder. Um, you know, there are roles that kind of support, you know, and you can't do things without a team. So you— what you're good at, you could be a specialist and really good at, you know, product. But I think what's important when you kind of think you want to go in a direction is knowing that it might— that might not be your only destination. Like, I think it's been talked about that people, instead of having one career their whole life now, Mm-hmm. These days people are going to have at least, you know, 5 different versions of what, you know, what they could do. And so it's be— it's about being able to learn quickly, pick up things, and being interested in learning something quickly. I think what I— when I look back, because everything's always in retrospect, and you know, what was good about this? So I worked for an entrepreneur So it was, you know, moments of learning where you go, okay, that's what you could do. Also what maybe not to do. And then I worked with someone who had been an entrepreneur. So, you know, these different environments that kind of give you information that can prepare you for your own, you know, mind if you want to be a, you know, founder of your own business. 15:24 Sav Perera: Yeah. And just coming back to what you said about the team, because throughout this podcast and the pleasure that I've had speaking to all these amazing women, I think that's a common theme that has come up about the team that surrounds you. What does that look like for you in terms of like when, especially when you had Unity and you had the team, how did you ensure that, you know, your value system was carried out? What was the value system that permeated, you know, what you were doing? 15:52 Sasha Baranikov: And, you know, it's interesting because we grew so quickly. It's, it's, I think finding good people to execute is not easy ever. And I think everyone would tell you that. But cultivating that talent and that environment where people can choose to be high performers, and high performers are people that deliver but are also, you know, high performance in behavior. 16:19 Sav Perera: Yeah. 16:20 Sasha Baranikov: We went through so many different versions of the company. And it was a lot about people growing very quickly into that next stage, which, you know, not everyone can, and that's fine. Um, I think the thing that's most important is understanding, you know, your abilities and what's best for the company, because it's not personal really at the end of the day. Um, growing a business is like growing a child, and you're kind of giving it everything it needs at the different moments. So sometimes, you know, you need to kind of go, this isn't for us or me anymore and move on. But sometimes people just have the appetite to continue learning and developing and going at that pace. So I think it was really interesting to, for myself to learn quickly about how to develop people as well. I don't feel like I've got it right. And, you know, sometimes I would say it's like adult daycare. 17:22 Sav Perera: Yeah. 17:22 Sasha Baranikov: But it's the most important thing. You cannot get anything done without other people. And, you know, I think there's also an element of going, what are you good at, strong at? What do you— what brings you joy? And then taking that hats off that are not, you know, not conducive. And because other people can— that can be their joy and that's what they can be good at. 17:48 Sav Perera: Yeah. 17:48 Sasha Baranikov: And there's a bit of a letting go as you grow a business. 17:51 Sav Perera: Yeah. Yeah, yeah, I really like that you mentioned that, the letting go piece, because I reflect on the previous episodes that we've done as well, and I think that's just a valuable message that comes across from a lot of people in roles of leadership like yourself, where I think when you are starting out, you feel compelled to control everything because it is your baby. Like you said, it is a child and it is this thing that you're so protective over, how do you sort of— or like, and your company grew in a very short space of time. So what was it like for you fostering that confidence as going, yep, I need to leave that and this is what I need to put my— this is the basket that I need to put my eggs in. So what was that experience like for you? 18:35 Sasha Baranikov: Oh, it was, you know, there's a bit of whiplash there. But yeah, yeah. Look, at a point in time, things aren't sustainable. So you kind of go, okay, Um, but it's a process and you just know that you, you can't carry everything. Um, but I think, you know, instilling in people what, like, what quality is, like, what outcomes are needed is so important. Mm-hmm. That's why I think having, you know, a strategic plan that helps to bring transparency to the rest of the team so they know where like you're going. Yeah. And so then you can, they can be focused on the things that they can do really well. And so particularly also when you're growing so fast and things can change in an instant, then they can appreciate like the decisions that you're making when there's that level of transparency. But yeah, as I said, I don't think I'm, you know, I know everything and it's a constant learning thing about, you know, cultivating people. 19:43 Sav Perera: In your position now that, you know, you've sold the company, you've gone into, you know, the investment side of things and actually fostering other up-and-coming startups, what have you. How's that now changed? Because you said, you know, you may not have gotten it perfect in terms of, you know, really cultivating that in your team, like you're learning as well. How has the learning aspect changed for you? Has it changed, or what does it look like now in terms of what you're doing currently? 20:12 Sasha Baranikov: Oh, I just, I love learning. Like, I'm obsessed with it. It's just like reading things, listening to things, and, you know, it brings me excitement. Mm-hmm. And then being able to share things with others. I think when you shift into a place where you're helping people more from an advisory perspective or an investment perspective, it's an easier place to be in. It's, it's super easy to give advice, but, you know, it's kind of picking things from different people and going, ah, and then you might share that with others and kind of keep leveraging yourself. And it's that constant self-awareness and self-development that helps with that as well. 20:57 Sav Perera: Yeah. And just to sort of touch on what you said in terms of like going into that space of like picking things from different people, there's obviously a lot of highs and lows that has had to happen to get to the point where you sold the company. And I think that's obviously the reality of being a founder, being in leadership. You also can't predict what the economy is doing. You can't predict what the market's doing. So going through that accelerated growth, how do you sort of manage those like things that are essentially out of your control? And then, yeah, it is a broad question that I'm asking you, but what was that like for you knowing that there's so many things that you can't control that is actually tied to your revenue and how your business is doing? 21:51 Sasha Baranikov: Yes. 21:51 Sav Perera: Um, yeah, and in such a short space as well, because it wasn't like 30 years of you doing this. So yeah. 21:57 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah, I think external forces are interesting because they're like, as you say, they you can't control them, but there are certain things you can control. Uh, one thing is, you know, fortunately we picked an industry that was pretty resilient. Yeah. Like, it's a necessity, like food and water, to have internet. So, you know, sometimes it comes down to the subject matter where people need it. So it, you know, rode straight through COVID, things like that, particularly probably even grew through that. So That's something, I mean, if you can choose something that is a necessity, that helps. But I think it's again having that plan. And then if something is kind of coming at you externally, that you've got the ability to think of, you know, how do you get around it or move quickly to get, you know, or recalibrate and go down a different path. There's like so many movements of having to pivot. Mm-hmm. We didn't necessarily have to, but it's, it's a thing. And at the same time, there's a whole lot of luck in these things. So I just know so many people who are smart, clever, you know, had amazing businesses, but just a moment happened where a sliding door like just shut before they got through. Yeah. And so, you know, I'm just so grateful that, you know, things rolled out, you know, in different ways. 23:23 Sav Perera: Yeah. And in those moments, and I understand that necessarily you may not have had to go through anything severe and, you know, you have— you are in the industry, like you said, pretty resilient, pretty stable. But how do you foster resilience? Like, how does that— what does that look like for you? 23:42 Sasha Baranikov: I guess, you know, you have to experience things to learn how to deal with them. So I have, you know, had some pretty significant bumps along the way. And, you know, I— there were moments where I'd see a psychologist and they help you get in the right mindset. 23:58 Sav Perera: Yeah. 23:58 Sasha Baranikov: Because everything has been driven by your mind. So it's really in moments how you choose to be. And, you know, that's the thing that's in control. How you choose to deal with the situation is in your mind. Yeah. And I look, I had moments where Post-listing, I didn't get to stay with the company. 24:20 Sav Perera: Right. 24:20 Sasha Baranikov: That kind of came out of nowhere. So like, how do you deal with that? You can have diplomatic conversations until the point that they're really not going anywhere. And then what do you choose to do? Hold onto that thing and get bitter and twisted? Or do you choose to go, okay, this is opportunity. Like, oh my goodness, there's a whole world out there. And then, you know, suddenly I'm working at a space company. It's about embracing moments and going, you know what, there's always blue sky. And I don't know how you teach that. I think there's sometimes you go through things and you learn how to bounce back quicker. 24:58 Sav Perera: Yep. And speaking about the mindset, that just leads me perfectly into what you call the founder mindset. And for our listeners that may not be familiar, what is it? What does that look like for you? What does it entail? What's the headspace that you're in and what do you champion? 25:17 Sasha Baranikov: Well, I think, you know, every founder is different, every business is different, but there are some kind of common traits that you can see. And I guess from an investor perspective, the things that I'm looking for, because at the end of the day, anyone could— like, 3 people can have the same idea, but someone will get, you know, get it done. There's that level of resilience. People that kind of embrace challenge. You know, I'm somebody that I'm just drawn to challenge, like almost, you know, I'm not drawn to drama, but I'm drawn to— Yeah. Drawn to the hard thing. Then I think curiosity, like I said, you just wanna learn and explore and go, how could we do that better or differently? And then people that take action, just that just keep moving. Like, you know, you don't need to be the smartest person. You don't need to be the most creative person. You just need to do something. And then I think those that can bring others around them, you know, there's a magnetism that can help compel. Like, as I said, you can't get stuff done without other people, you know, compel other people to, you know, blindly follow you. over there. So yeah, so that's some of it. 26:38 Sav Perera: Yeah, I really like that you said that, you know, you do have to sort of like fail at certain things. And you— because I think there's this huge fear of failure when you are going into something new, and I think it puts a lot of people off. And I also really like that you said it's— you don't have to be the smartest person in the room, you don't have to be the most creative. And I think I'm just relating this to my personal experience. Often I feel like, oh my God, why can't I be doing like, like, why can't I be working at 1,000 miles an hour? Yeah. But it's— I think it's hard. And I think women especially do put the pressure on themselves and play that comparison game. So I think it's really valuable for our listeners as well to hear you say no, as long as you just have to put in the hard work. 27:25 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. 27:26 Sav Perera: Like, not necessarily because there's wasted talent as well. Like, people can have all the talent in the world and if you don't do anything, Exactly. 27:33 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. Like, yes. 27:35 Sav Perera: Yes. 27:35 Sasha Baranikov: There's so many people that are just born with God-given, like, you know, amazing talents and they almost get into a state of, oh, where I don't know. The other element I didn't mention is ambition. Like, I can't tell you, like, I just can't help myself. Like, I need to do things. I'm compelled. And so I was in my 20s and I was like, so hard on myself. because I hadn't done enough yet. Yeah. And I don't know where that comes from, but I just was like, I need to do this. And, you know, maybe there's some childhood issue there, but— 28:09 Sav Perera: I really know I relate to that because I have this thing where I can't sit still. Yeah, I'm, I'm like nowhere at that, at the level of like growing a whole company like you've done. But I relate to what you said because I have this thing like, okay, well, I've done that, but now let's do something else and do something new. And I really appreciate that throughout because you said, you know, there's been bumps. And I do actually want to ask you about that as well. But you've got this overarching positivity about, you know, let's not hold on to things that, you know, don't serve me anymore, which is what you said. And like learning to walk away, not letting it make you bitter and resentful. Yeah. I think that's really valuable to hear because people can get caught in that sort of headspace of, oh, I deserve this. because I worked really hard for this and why am I not getting this and so on and so forth. So yeah, I do actually want to bring it back to, you said, you know, you've been through a few bumps and had a few bruises. Yeah. Yeah. If you're comfortable telling us, you know, what was that like? What if you could tell us what happened? How you moved on from it or, you know, your group asked it. 29:19 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. I think, you know, it's kind of that Um, realization that, you know, you get to a place where you kind of get into self-actualization mode and they're like, who am I? What am I in the world? But it's like realizing that we only have now. 29:37 Sav Perera: Yeah. 29:38 Sasha Baranikov: And whatever's happened is kind of just gone. It's not real anymore. And there's only what's in front of you, which could be anything. And that's kind of exciting. So it's kind of getting into that place. But you're right, there are things that happen and you kind of go, this is my life. It's not anybody who cares or is maybe, um, like talking about your life or anything. And I guess maybe having been in, you know, the spotlight, you could, you know, there's people that talk about who you are and what you're doing and stuff. It's like, it's actually just your life. And so it's yours to kind of construct and decide what happens next. So things I went through, I don't want to dwell on them too much. As I said, they're kind of— they're gone. Yeah. But, you know, I am in a better place. I have a new partner and a beautiful little boy. I did found the business with my partner, and that kind of dissolved just pre-IPO, and it wasn't a very good experience. And I needed to keep coming back into work and nobody knew. And so, yeah, I had to like my mum and dad, like, peel me up and get me going. 30:57 Sav Perera: Yeah. 30:57 Sasha Baranikov: And like put on the brave face. But that was intense and that was an 8-year relationship. 31:03 Sav Perera: Wow. 31:04 Sasha Baranikov: And so I'm like, what have I got to focus on? The IPO. And so just get there. And it was like this moment of letting go and like, because there's memories and things and, you know, all of the stuff that we'd done and we'd built, but it's in the past. And there's this moment of letting go and, and going, I haven't felt this much me in a long time. And it was liberating. 31:28 Sav Perera: Mm. 31:28 Sasha Baranikov: And then, you know, within a matter of months, I meet my partner. And it was just, you know, you, you let go of something and something presents itself. Um, look, same with, with the business. And as I said, didn't continue on into the listed environment, but it was in pretty capable hands. These guys are shrewd businessmen. It was, I would describe as like their third rodeo. So, you know, they're very good at M&A and it's not something you can put in a prospectus really that you're going to go and do M&A, which is mergers and acquisitions. So buying other companies so your business gets bigger and kind of, you know, I might use words like financially accretive, like— So they knew what they were doing and they kind of wanted to, you know, have their team in there getting it done and they executed. You got to trust in that. But, you know, the universe went, hey, what about this and what about that? And I'm like, let's go that way rather than getting caught up in, you know, something that's completely out of my control now. 32:32 Sav Perera: And thank you for sharing that. That's, I think, really valuable to hear because It's one thing to throw yourself into what you're doing, be an entrepreneur, be a founder, but the personal life never leaves you. And often it is either like, you know, you go into a place of like neglecting a bit, or it becomes a thing that becomes your sole stressor. So I think it's so valuable that you shared that because we, we're not like singular people with this one facet to us. There's so many I think I hate using— I don't hate using the cooking term, but there's so many pots on the go and you're constantly like, 33:11 Sasha Baranikov: yeah, 33:11 Sav Perera: moving them around. 33:12 Sasha Baranikov: That one's burning. 33:13 Sav Perera: Yeah, that's like, yeah, pretty much. So I think it's so valuable, especially for our young listeners, people that are at university, at like high school, at that level who are possibly feeling a sense of overwhelm, like, how do I manage having a life and having all of this and where I want to go? So thank you. I really appreciate that you did actually share share that. Coming to the future, you've been in these amazing dynamic environments, and it's always been in the— in these amazing industries of growth. And we touched on the fact that, you know, AI is now the thing. Everyone's all over it. It's everywhere. 33:55 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. 33:56 Sav Perera: What, like, what are— is that something that excites you, or what's sort of currently happening that you're keeping your sharp eyes on and going, I'm interested in that? 34:05 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah, look, there's lots of things, but I think the AI one is interesting because it has been around for a while. And I think when you've come from that environment, you, you know, I'm quite familiar with it. So it's like, okay, now it's becoming mainstream. So there's these moments where things mainstream and you're like, okay, where does this go? I think There's a long way for it to, to, to go. I see it as a tool that should really increase productivity. And, you know, I think there's always elements of like, will this be used for good or bad? And that's human. Yeah. And it's up to us how we, we manage that. But look, yeah, it's interesting, but I do see it as being a tool that businesses can use. What's cool, like what I get excited about, is actually the brain. 35:02 Sav Perera: Hmm. 35:02 Sasha Baranikov: And so I think of the fact that the brain is, you know, one of the biggest supercomputers and it's untapped. And, you know, meanwhile we're working on all this AI. I think, you know, neuroscience and the intersection of that and technologies, you know, how can we really level ourselves up and better understand our brain and how to use it better and more. So that's one area that I'm interested in exploring. 35:33 Sav Perera: It just shows that you spoke about like being curious and you've, you know, just proven that with what you just said. You're like, oh, I'm like exploring this whole new other thing that's completely— 35:44 Sasha Baranikov: I also love cooking and like my partner used to be a chef. And so like there's things that are not like so geeky that I get into. 35:55 Sav Perera: Yeah. 35:56 Sasha Baranikov: You know, we're doing some distilling and things. 35:58 Sav Perera: I love that. 35:58 Sasha Baranikov: I just, you know, 36:00 Sav Perera: like gin or like spirits 36:02 Sasha Baranikov: or— Spirits. Yes. Yeah. But we're kind of in stealth on that. But, you know, just simple things that are fun and, you know. 36:13 Sav Perera: Yeah. And I think it's sort of having that kind of thing, little passion projects, if you will, is what keeps you going for everything else. I want to talk about just sort of like not necessarily what's next, because I mean, I'm sure you've got 50,000 things about what's next. 36:31 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. 36:32 Sav Perera: But yeah, what excites you? What do you hope to see? What do you hope to foster now that you're in a place where you can cultivate people doing what you did? 36:42 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah, well, I guess, you know, it's where I'm at right now is kind of, I think, an era, if you like, where I've got a little guy who's preschool, and it's really important to me, number one, to spend time with him. But my brain doesn't stop, so I need to do some things but not go full tilt. And what I found a lot of joy in is helping others to, you know, really, um, grow their vision. Um, and it, you know, it gives— it's a bit of a kick to be able to help people and go like share stuff with them that can help them do it quicker or, you know, jump over that hurdle that they might not have if I didn't say something. Mm-hmm. So I think, you know, South Australian businesses, I'd like to see us thrive. It's such an amazing place here. And the Eastern Seaboard, like, they're way ahead, but it's different. They've got different population, different dynamics. And so this— it's about making it our own. But I think it's got a way to go and some, you know, maturation, if you like. And I'd love to see more companies realize an outcome that they want to achieve. When I say that, it doesn't need to be like IPO and being bought out. Like, whatever you dream is your dream. And it, you know, it doesn't have to be some like rocket thing, but those outcomes, then more young people can kind of go, oh, wow. Yeah. we can do this and that. And so that's interesting. I guess, you know, what's in the future, I don't know. And I think I'm always about putting myself in the path of opportunity. Yeah. And I'm always someone that will just have a conversation and who knows where it goes. 38:24 Sav Perera: Just about where you are now, fostering people, people that are new to the game, being a founder, when you sort of mesh with someone and you know you've meshed with them and you know that there is a real opportunity to actually do something special and exciting with this particular person. How do you know? Is it about their pitch? Is it the energy? Is it the actual project? Is it a combination of all these things? Or what really stands out to you? 38:56 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah, I think the kind of ingredients that I look for, like, you know, People can be introverts, they can be extroverts. So it's not so much about a presence or, you know, whether I'm getting along with someone, because I can get along with anyone. But, um, the— I think it's understanding what problem are they trying to solve and the, the focus. So if they have a focus and it's just super clear and they really understand what their customer whatever that is, needs or wants? And maybe are they looking at something from a different, you know, from a different perspective? And, and, you know, if I'm thinking of it from an investment point of view, it needs to have scale potential. Are they, are they seeing that opportunity? It's interesting. Sometimes though, I do need to hold myself back from projecting my own thoughts onto the— Mm-hmm. situation and really, you know, understand what they think it could be and why. Because, you know, that needs to be intrinsic and not, you know, projected what I think it could be. So I think, yeah, focus and what the— what they're doing for the customer and why. And are they seeing something that's traditional in a, you know, a different way? 40:18 Sav Perera: This It's a broad question, but for people that are actually looking at being founders themselves, growing within an entrepreneurial space, what sort of key things do you think are valuable to have within yourself to foster, especially if you are young and you're starting out young? What's worked for you? A couple of things, or even like, you know, what's not worked? 40:45 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. 40:45 Sav Perera: A little bit of wisdom. If you will. 40:47 Sasha Baranikov: I guess like something I've not talked about is persistence. It's just like dogged persistence, like just trying something and keep going, keep going, you know, reaching out to people, like not being afraid to ask questions or find the person you need to talk to. Um, that, you know, that comes with a bit of confidence, but it's just the need to explore Persistence and understand that sometimes it's not right. So, you know, let it go and keep moving. Like, don't worry about it, that it didn't work, because there's anyone that's ever been some, like, level of successful has been through that where many things haven't worked. You just got to keep trying. I think of like some Olympians And they, you know, the times that they get a gold medal is like the 1 in 1,000 moment that they've just persisted and kept going. And no matter, like, no matter what the setbacks to just get, you know, the moment that you see has all of these other moments behind them where it didn't work, but they just kept going. 41:59 Sav Perera: Yeah. Yeah. And I think especially with people that are starting out, like there is that element of fear as well. Not just fear of failure, but just like the anxiety around how do I ask for these things? Like, I need these things. Do you have any insight into how you feel like comfortable actually, like not necessarily making demands, but it is demands and boundaries that you need to set? 42:27 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. 42:27 Sav Perera: Yeah. Is there, is there something that worked for you or is it still kind of like that? I still feel uncomfortable, but I do it anyway. 42:34 Sasha Baranikov: I see. I'm probably not a good example because I'm somebody that has no— 42:39 Sav Perera: Just saying. Yes. 42:42 Sasha Baranikov: I mean, I was a 2-year-old that would just walk around and talk to everyone in the restaurant and because I wanted to know about them. Yeah. So I think building that, I mean, if you're not coming from a place of that natural confidence is setting yourself maybe a goal to kind of, okay, do that and then see that it wasn't so scary. And then this week I'm going to do 2 of those things. And it is a matter of, you know, building up towards it. And the more you do something, the less it is scary. Yeah. So I think being gentle on yourself and, you know, maybe there's someone else around you or someone you work with that can— that is that person and you can kind of observe them and build your confidence up that way. But You know, if that's not just you, then, you know, it's also important not to make yourself be something that you're not as well. 43:39 Sav Perera: Yeah. So I think that can come across as inauthentic as well, which is really hard. I just want to touch on, because you said, you know, you've had to take a bit of a step back because you've got your son. In terms of how that filters actually into what you do now, has it sort of impacted like the opportunities that you look at as well now that you've got him? Like, I'm sure like kids definitely impact what you do. But has it sort of maybe opened up a new, like a few new areas of like opportunity and business and you've gone, oh, I haven't really thought about that? Or like, how has that changed? 44:10 Sasha Baranikov: I don't think so. No, no. 44:14 Sav Perera: Yeah. Well, I mean, because like it's, it's one on the one hand, like it's stopping you to sort of like slow down. 44:20 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. 44:21 Sav Perera: But it's like I was just a period. Purely, I'm curious whether it's sort of like led you to go, hey, I see a gap in the market there and that's something I want to explore. Yeah. What does that look like for you? What do you want to do? 44:33 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah, mastery of— I think there's always a few things I had always wanted to, and I've not gone back to it just yet. I think it's a timing thing, but I've always wanted to fly. 44:48 Sav Perera: Oh, okay. 44:49 Sasha Baranikov: I did my a helicopter training flight like in my 20s, and I didn't kind of keep pursuing it because it was super expensive. But it's kind of one of those— I just love flying, so I really enjoyed that. Um, I'm doing some art, and I've made time for it because I've never made time for it. Yeah. And I've committed to, um, trying to create a series. So I was doing some portraits, so someone had asked me to do their portrait I post it, someone else had asked me, I'm like, this is nice, but it's not my thing. And so I'm in development of a series. So that's, yeah, I don't know if what's in my head will come out, but I mean, yeah, I'm hoping it does. Yeah. And I can kind of do that. So mastering that. 45:38 Sav Perera: That's really cool. If I may ask, like, is it like acrylics, oil, or what are you doing? 45:43 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. So I was doing acrylic portraits. Yep. I've just started playing around with oils because my mum and brother have been doing stuff. I'm like, ah, do it. I'm like, oh, this isn't as hard as I thought it was. But this series is essentially because I used to fly a lot. I love sitting in the window seat and seeing the earth from above and just that moment to kind of reflect and see things from a different perspective. And I was like, how do I capture that? And back then we didn't have the technology that we do now. But so I've gone and bought myself a drone. 46:15 Sav Perera: I love that. 46:16 Sasha Baranikov: Yes. The idea is I can take my own aerial photography, so I'm just testing that out and it's so scary. Like, I've been flying the thing over water and I'm like, oh, but yeah. So mixed media, drone photography, and then sculpture on top. Oh, and then painting it. So the effect that I'd like to achieve is the landscape coming out towards you. Well, the terrain. Yeah. And so, yeah, aerial landscape, just seeing landscapes from a different perspective. 46:45 Sav Perera: That's so cool. And I love that you've tied that like thing that you wanted to do, which is learning how to fly. 46:50 Sasha Baranikov: Yeah. 46:51 Sav Perera: And then you've tied your wealth of experience in the world of technology and then got yourself a drone and gone, yep, I know, I know how it works. I know what to do with it for the most part. Yeah, I love that. Sasha, it's been amazing having you here. I There's so much with what you do that I have absolutely no clue about because I'm, I'm so deeply in the world of food. Yeah. But I appreciate this so much because I think there was a lot to learn in terms of how you've conducted yourself, how you've overcome the challenges that you've had. And also I think the thing that stuck out to me most was just this absolute positive energy that you have, just this warmth. So Thank you. I appreciate it. And I'm sure that our listeners will have a lot to take away from this chat. There was a lot of valuable things that Sasha touched on today. For me, it was really focusing on her role now as a mentor who is fostering other founders and fostering other people in places of entrepreneurship and seeing, you know, what it really takes to actually get investors attracted, get people actually looking into, you know, possibly putting money into your business. It was really interesting seeing how she thought and seeing what she sees as valuable, scalable, and what's worthwhile in terms of putting energy into, because I think it gives a lot of guidelines to a lot of people that do want to scale up their business that are just starting up that are thinking about, okay, how do I get a bigger team involved? How do I grow to a bigger scale? What do I need to do to get investors attracted? I think there was a lot of nuggets of wisdom that Sasha gave us in terms of the direction that people that are starting off can go in. So I found that quite valuable, and I think that's going to be quite valuable for a lot of our listeners as well. But here at You're in Charge, we are all about you and your business journey. So if Sasha's conversation with us has inspired you, tell us. Search for ThinkLab, that's T-H-I-N-C Lab, on all the socials and leave us a comment or email us at [email protected] . All the links and info you need are in our show notes. Make sure you hit follow and share this show with your friends because next episode is Tanya Hosh. She is the Executive General Manager of Inclusion and Social Policy at the AFL. Keep inspiring, keep striving, and always remember, you're in charge of your business journey. You're in Charge is brought to you by ThinkHER, an initiative of ThinkLab at the University of Adelaide. Google ThinkHER, that's T-H-I-N-C-H-E-R, to join our empowering community of like-minded women in business. You're in Charge was recorded on Kaurna land. We acknowledge the Kaurna people, the original custodians of the Adelaide Plains and the land on which the University of Adelaide's campuses at North Terrace, Waite and Roseworthy are built. No transcript lines match that phrase. Try fewer words.
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