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Colin Kinner

Founder and CEO at Startup Onramp

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Colin Kinner

About Colin Kinner

Colin Kinner is founder and chief executive of Startup Onramp, which runs courses, coaching, AI tools and a community for early-stage founders. Since 2017 it has worked with more than 2,000 founders.

Kinner has coached start-up founders for more than two decades. His career began in 1993 at UniQuest at the University of Queensland, and he later ran the start-up investment fund at Imperial College London. He has also run a technology incubator, been program director of Slingshot's Horizons accelerator, led a Startup Catalyst mission to Silicon Valley, written the StartupAUS Crossroads report and directed the consulting firm Spike Innovation.

On Day One's History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem interview series, he discussed the mistakes first-time founders most often make.

In conversation.

4 episodes

Start hereColin Kinner discusses the key missteps first time founders often makeHis full interview on the mistakes first-time founders make.

Documentary: The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem

The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem - Part 3

With Michael Batko, Wayne Gerard, Petr Adámek, Peter Devine, Rohit Bhargava, Terry Hilsberg, Peter Bradd, Zrinka Tokic, Rachael Neumann, Zoe Piper, Susan Oliver, Silvia Pfeiffer, Murray Hurps, Rachel Yang, Yolanda Redrup, Peta Ellis, Sarah Pearson, Niki Scevak, Mark Pesce, Colette Grgic, Ian Gardiner, Lauren Capelin, Matt Barrie, Melissa Widner, Cameron Adams, Georgie Turner, Baden U'Ren, Evan Thornley, Alan Noble, Kate Jones, Kate Cornick, James Alexander, Dharmica Mistry, Emily Rich, Lars Rasmussen

Documentary: The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem

The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem - Part 5

With Mark Pesce, Steve Grace, Eloise Hall, Isobel Marshall, Darryl Lyons, Megan Sebben, Phil Ireland, Wayne Gerard, Sam Jockel, Samantha Finnegan, Arthur Sinodinos, Peter Devine, Tim Fung, Peter Tippett, Trevor Folsom, Dean McEvoy, Moira Were, Kate Jones, Daniel Flynn, Mick Liubinskas, Peter Bradd, Rachael Neumann, Chad Renando, Annie Parker, Aaron Birkby, Rachel Yang, Melissa Widner, Sarah Pearson, Lauren Capelin, Bruce Tulloch, Matt Barrie, Kate Cornick, Cheryl Mack, Andrea Gardiner, Niki Scevak

Documentary: The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem

The History Of The Australian Startup Ecosystem - Part 6

With Leslie Delaforce, Darryl Lyons, Megan Sebben, Wayne Gerard, Nicole O'Brien, Alex Carpenter, Evan Thornley, Baden U'Ren, Tim Fung, Trevor Folsom, Peter Davison, Craig Swann, Moira Were, Colette Grgic, Allan O'Connor, Rachael Neumann, Chad Renando, Annie Parker, Brendan Hill, Aaron Birkby, Malcolm Turnbull, Jodie Fox, Susan Oliver, Silvia Pfeiffer, Yolanda Redrup, Andrew Nunn, Melissa Widner, Alfred Lo, Sarah Pearson, Phil Hayes-St Clair, Lauren Capelin, Matt Barrie, Kate Cornick, Cheryl Mack, Andrea Gardiner, Niki Scevak

Go straight to the good bits.

Key moments from Colin Kinner discusses the key missteps first time founders often make.

  1. 0:29Meet Colin Kinner
  2. 0:31Overview of Startup OnRamp
  3. 0:57Common Missteps Among Startup Founders
  4. 2:05The Importance of Testing Assumptions
  5. 2:14Founders and Non-Technical Backgrounds
  6. 3:17Colin's Involvement in the Startup Ecosystem
  7. 4:26Catalysts for the Australian Startup Ecosystem
  8. 6:20Key Actions from the StartupOz Crossroads Report
  9. 7:42Investment in Startup Ecosystems
  10. 8:17Building a Technology-Driven Economy

In their own words.

“You can actually build really big companies really quickly, but you have to set out to build something really big.”
Colin Kinner — Colin Kinner discusses the key missteps first time founders often makeThe History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 1 March 2022

The path so far.

  1. Now

    Founder and CEO · Startup Onramp

  2. Earlier

    CEO · ilab Incubator

  3. Earlier

    Head of Funds Management · Imperial College London Seed Fund

  4. Earlier

    Investment Manager · CEA Startup Fund

Sources: dynamicbusiness.com

Startup Onramp on Day One

Startup Onramp runs training, coaching and peer-support programs for early-stage startup founders across Australia.

1 person · 4 episodes
Startup Onramp

An offer for the community.

From Friends of Day One.

Startup Onramp
Partner

50% off the AI Founder Coach

A coaching session and strategy report with Startup Onramp's AI voice agent, built on Colin Kinner's work with more than 2,000 founders. Any founder from pre-launch to Series A can claim it.

From Startup Onramp

Across the network.

Spot something wrong? Suggest a correctionUpdated 29 October 2026

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