Founder Journey
The personal side — mindset, resilience, failure and the long road.
Most of the founder story happens off the pitch deck — the doubt, the resilience, the failures and the long stretches where nothing works. It's the part founders rarely talk about publicly and most want to hear about.
These are the honest conversations: mindset, burnout, failure, pivots and what it actually takes, personally, to keep going from day one.
“You're both the accelerator and the handbrake at the same time.”
What founders want to know
Answers are drawn live from the network's conversations by Ask the Network.
Shows covering Founder Journey
The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series
21 episodes on Founder Journey
Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo
16 episodes on Founder Journey
Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui
13 episodes on Founder Journey
Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist
11 episodes on Founder Journey
Fintechfun with Chris Titley
10 episodes on Founder Journey
ThincHer — You’re in Charge
9 episodes on Founder Journey
Pick My Brain with Alan Jones
7 episodes on Founder Journey
Unfunded with Joan Westenberg
6 episodes on Founder Journey
Oversubscribed with Brendan Hill
5 episodes on Founder Journey
The New Script with Frances Goh & Makenzie Thomas
4 episodes on Founder Journey
The Mix with Mick Liubinskas
4 episodes on Founder Journey
Engineering in the Hunter
4 episodes on Founder Journey
Diaspora NZ with David Booth
3 episodes on Founder Journey
Welcome to Day One with Adam Spencer
3 episodes on Founder Journey
What The Health with Emily Casey
2 episodes on Founder Journey
Investment Thesis with Kali Norman
2 episodes on Founder Journey
First Cheque with Cheryl Mack & Maxine Minter
2 episodes on Founder Journey
122 episodes on Founder Journey
▶ ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 12 October 2026
Sheree Sullivan on failing fast, knowing your numbers and letting go
▶ What The Health with Emily Casey · 8 October 2026
The Everlab Journey and Building Preventative Health
▶ ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 22 September 2026
Andrea Michaels: The Migrant Kid Who Became a Minister
▶ ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 8 September 2026
Poppy Nichaloff on boundaries, burnout, and building Generation Rise
▶ Investment Thesis with Kali Norman · 28 August 2026
Katharine Giles of Brandon Capital - The Investment Thesis Behind Backing Life Sciences
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 27 August 2026
AI Insurance Brokerage: 80 Marathons, Uninsured | Sean Stuart, Rosella
▶ What The Health with Emily Casey · 27 August 2026
The Psychedelic Resurgence: From Counterculture to Clinical Breakthrough with Dr Michael Winlo
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 20 August 2026
Basketball Stats From One Phone Video: Their $3.5M AI Pivot | Cordelia King, Superstat
▶ Oversubscribed with Brendan Hill · 20 August 2026
Building with Atoms and Bits: 5 Founders Making Hard Tech in Australia | HEO, Alloy, Vexev, Zabidou, Antares
▶ ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 18 August 2026
Taryn Brumfitt on doubt, self-compassion, and building a global movement
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 31 July 2026
Why AI Can't Fix Your Business and Why Raising Less Beats Raising More | Lee Lagdameo, Shikii Labs
▶ Pick My Brain with Alan Jones · 29 July 2026
How Do You Sell Software to an Industry That Won't Change? Mitchell Baker on Claimstack
▶ ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 28 July 2026
Leading Australia's Biggest University Merger | Nicola Phillips on People, Power & Self-Doubt
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 23 July 2026
Impact Investing at $10: The Fund He Built | Arjun Agarwal, inaam
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 16 July 2026
From a Secondhand Desk to a $120M Exit: Mark Samlal's Story
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 9 July 2026
Passive Investing Australia: Get Rich Slow, The Fintech That Tells You to Trade Less | Hayden Smith, Pearler
▶ Pick My Brain with Alan Jones · 8 July 2026
What's Your Moat When AI Can Copy Your Product in 48 Hours? | Dilip Jacob from Pitchberry
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 3 July 2026
Taryn Williams: Building 6 Companies — and the Cost No One Talks About
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 25 June 2026
Battery Storage Founder: 8 Months of Rejection, One Term Sheet He Refused | Rakhesh Martyn, Hachiko Energy
▶ Pick My Brain with Alan Jones · 25 June 2026
The Four-Quadrant Framework Every Solo Founder Needs | Neel Bhattacharya from LeadTrackAI
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 19 June 2026
Closing a Company With Integrity: Yas Grigaliunas (Part 2)
▶ Oversubscribed with Brendan Hill · 18 June 2026
Inside HEO: Australia’s Secret Space Camera Company | Hiranya Jayakody, Steve Baxter, Jessy Wu
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 18 June 2026
Ketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression: The Doctor Who Left Medicine to Build a Clinic Network | Lauren Barker, Good Mind Therapeutics
▶ Pick My Brain with Alan Jones · 10 June 2026
The App Built to Stop Image-Based Abuse | Chris Fresle from Just Us
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 8 June 2026
The Part No One Tells - WBGS Yas Grigaliunas (Part 1)
Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 4 June 2026
$15M ARR Fintech Founder: I Found My First Customer on Facebook | Caroline Tran, Hello Clever
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 21 May 2026
The D1 Athlete Who Built a $100M Voice AI Company | Will Bodewes, Phonely (YC S24)
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 14 May 2026
From Police Officer to AI Pioneer to Psychedelics: Dr. Catriona Wallace’s Unfiltered Story (Part Two)
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 8 May 2026
$40M FinTech Founder on Raising Millions Before He Had a Business Idea | Shakeel Lala, Marloo
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 30 April 2026
From Police Officer to AI Pioneer to Psychedelics: Dr. Catriona Wallace’s Unfiltered Story (Part One)
▶ Pick My Brain with Alan Jones · 29 April 2026
Why Investors Keep Saying No (And What to Do About It) | Justin Wastnage from Vloggi
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 23 April 2026
He Turned Falling Socks into an Eight Figure Global Brand | Nathan Yun, Paire
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 9 April 2026
This Stanford Dropout Wants to Help You Fall in Love | Celeste Amadon, Known
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 27 March 2026
How He Turned 3 YC Rejections into a $25M AI Governance Company | Nam Nguyen, TruthSystems (YC S25)
▶ Engineering in the Hunter · 3 March 2026
Lex Forsyth: Founder & COO at Janus Electric
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 12 February 2026
What Harvard Didn't Know: I Was Already Building an 8-Figure Startup | Stephen Turban, Lumiere Education
▶ Investment Thesis with Kali Norman · 10 February 2026
Jodie Imam's Investment Thesis
▶ Engineering in the Hunter · 3 February 2026
Bret Barton: HunterNet Senior Business Advisor
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 29 January 2026
He Ran One of Australia's Biggest Athleisure Brands - Then Built Software to Fix Its Biggest Flaw | Jevon Le Roux, Keeyu
▶ Pick My Brain with Alan Jones · 21 January 2026
How to Prove Impact in Mental Health Without Medical Data | Clement Baissat from Hope Stage
▶ Founders in Motion with Thea Ngo · 8 January 2026
He Quit a Six-Figure Consulting Job to Sell Chilli Oil | Ethan Yong, Umami Papi
▶ Oversubscribed with Brendan Hill · 12 December 2025
Pain is a Moat: How Australia’s Top AI Founders Are Building Global Giants
▶ Engineering in the Hunter · 3 December 2025
Neil Hunt: Managing Director Mineral Systems at McLanahan
▶ Oversubscribed with Brendan Hill · 20 November 2025
Inside the Minds Behind Australia’s Robotics Revolution
▶ Oversubscribed with Brendan Hill · 29 October 2025
Inside the Playbooks of Australia’s Million-Dollar Founders
▶ The New Script with Frances Goh & Makenzie Thomas · 23 October 2025
Why Male Fertility Matters More Than You Think | Ashwin Ramachandran
▶ Engineering in the Hunter · 21 October 2025
Steve Heaton: Founder at Xetla Consulting
▶ The New Script with Frances Goh & Makenzie Thomas · 9 October 2025
How Hormony Is Helping Women Decode Perimenopause | Mayra Hurtado
▶ The New Script with Frances Goh & Makenzie Thomas · 2 October 2025
How Ovum is Closing the Gender Health Gap | Dr. Ariella Heffernan-Marks
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 24 September 2025
Episode 124: No More Boring Conferences: The Ripple Festival Revolution
▶ The New Script with Frances Goh & Makenzie Thomas · 18 September 2025
Exposing the Gaps in Women’s Healthcare | Sally Hasler
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 17 September 2025
Episode 123: Marketing Inclusion: Authentically Representing Disability with Simone Eyles
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 12 September 2025
Episode 122: Balancing the Load: Equality at Home and Work with Emma Walsh
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 8 September 2025
Episode 121: Startup Realness: Branding Balance & Bold Moves
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 4 August 2025
Dr. Prash on Building a $100M+ Crypto Brokerage and Pioneering Psychedelic Therapy
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 31 July 2025
Mastering Money Management: Jason Leong on Bootstrapping PocketSmith and Empowering the Home CFO
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 11 July 2025
Episode 119: Systems, Sanity & School Pickups: Mumbition with Korryn Haines
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 7 July 2025
The Hidden Criteria Behind a YC Yes: Yotam on Founder Signals, and the Real Work Behind a Yes
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 30 June 2025
Episode 118: No More Playing Small: Owning Your Business with Katharine Crane
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 23 June 2025
Episode 117: Turning Fear into Agency: How Sarah Cummings Helps Kids Understand Healthcare
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 23 June 2025
What It Really Takes to Scale to $100M: Ricky Sevta on Burnout, Breakthroughs, and Building Again
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 21 June 2025
Ep 116 Connecting Carers: Tatum Steers on Building Hirey Balancing Business & Motherhood
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 19 June 2025
Ep 115: Solving the Mental Load Crisis: Claire Waring’s Bold Vision for Working Parents
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 9 June 2025
How Paul Stovell Built Octopus Deploy to $100M by Ignoring Silicon Valley’s Rules
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 28 May 2025
Forensic Finance to Empowering Women with Julie Garis
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 26 May 2025
Bryony Cole on Sex Tech, Self-Discovery, and the Future of Intimacy
ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 22 May 2025
Sasha Baranikov on Founders Mindset and What She Looks for as an Investor
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 12 May 2025
Eden Shirley on Disrupting Yourself, Surviving Crisis, and Building a Culture of Warriors
▶ Perspective X with Pauline Fetaui · 5 May 2025
Introducing Perspective X | Hosted by Pauline Fetaui
▶ ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 24 April 2025
Alisa Fraser on the Realities of Business and When to Say Yes
▶ Pick My Brain with Alan Jones · 23 April 2025
Late Payments, Big Problems: Stephen Neli on Fixing Small Biz Cash Flow with Zellus
▶ Mumbition with Carrie Kwan & Lucy Kippist · 22 April 2025
From Coffee Van to Tech Innovator Emily Zaborski's Entrepreneurial Journey
▶ ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 10 April 2025
Brooke Upton on Authenticity and the Dangers of Scarcity Mindset
▶ ThincHer — You’re in Charge · 10 April 2025
Janine Allis on Boost Juice and the Importance of Choice
▶ Diaspora NZ with David Booth · 4 April 2025
S3 | E5 - From Law School to Leading the Future of Creator Platforms: How Georgia Rippin (Kold Open) Is Building the Next Wave of Mid-Form Video, and Sneaking Into Hollywood
▶ Diaspora NZ with David Booth · 21 March 2025
S3 | E3 - Joel Little (Grammy-winning producer) on making Royals with Lorde, creative collaboration, and why startups are like hit songs
▶ Diaspora NZ with David Booth · 14 March 2025
S3 | E2 - Kathryn Zealand (Skip) on robotic exoskeletons, mobility for life, and spinning out of Google X
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 29 January 2025
Diminishing Wealth Inequality: Michael Ragavan on Transforming Home Ownership with Our Leg Up
▶ The Mix with Mick Liubinskas · 27 January 2025
Powering the Future of EVs: How Alchemy Charge is Making EV Charging Smarter
▶ The Mix with Mick Liubinskas · 12 January 2025
Building Big Batteries and a Climate-Positive Future: Thomas Nann on Allegro’s Energy Solutions
▶ The Mix with Mick Liubinskas · 29 December 2024
Innovating Sustainable Textile Dyes: A Conversation with Newera Bio's Co-Founder Lucie Semenec
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 12 November 2024
From Coffee Shop to Global Fintech: The Airwallex Journey with Matthew Sek
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 29 October 2024
From Idea to Market Leader: The Easy Crypto Journey with Janine Grainger
▶ First Cheque with Cheryl Mack & Maxine Minter · 7 October 2024
From Zero to One: Why Founders Make Exceptional Early Stage Investors with Matthew Browne
▶ Unfunded with Joan Westenberg · 29 August 2024
Cole Cornford Discusses Bootstrapping and Balancing Business with Family Life
▶ Unfunded with Joan Westenberg · 15 August 2024
Resilience & Reinvention: Jess Ruhfus on Bootstrapping, Fundraising, and Navigating Modern Marketing
▶ Unfunded with Joan Westenberg · 18 July 2024
Optimising Crop Quality: Steve Scheding on Green Atlas, Automation, and Bootstrapping Success
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 16 July 2024
Fintech founder discusses launching Instantia and managing FX market risks
▶ Unfunded with Joan Westenberg · 4 July 2024
Bootstrapped founder overcomes challenges to grow successful retail SaaS company with Aaron Cowper
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 2 July 2024
Anson Parker discusses the innovative journey of Upbank's products
▶ Unfunded with Joan Westenberg · 20 June 2024
Sheree Rubinstein on Bootstrapping, Pivoting, and Building One Roof
▶ Unfunded with Joan Westenberg · 20 June 2024
Unlocking Startup Success: Lucy Lloyd founder of Mentorloop on Bootstrapping & VC Funding Challenges
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 18 June 2024
Hutly: Solving Real Estate Challenges with Smart Contracts with Jeremy Hastings
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 4 June 2024
Co-Operty Co-Founder Lynda Coker Discusses Co-Ownership and Housing Affordability
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 21 May 2024
Daniel Kniaz, Founder of Weel, Discusses the Journey and Future of the Fintech Startup
▶ Fintechfun with Chris Titley · 7 May 2024
Volt: Connecting Real-Time Payments Around the World in One Integration with Jordan Lawrence
▶ First Cheque with Cheryl Mack & Maxine Minter · 17 March 2024
Elicia McDonald discusses resilience and founder empathy in venture investing
▶ The Mix with Mick Liubinskas · 2 July 2023
Growing Solutions: Empowering Farmers and Scaling Climate Tech with Anastasia, Founder of Regrow
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 22 November 2022
Lars Rasmussen discusses the key ingredients for successful founders
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 25 October 2022
Eloise Hall and Isobel Marshall discuss how social enterprises fit within the startup community
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 16 October 2022
Pauline Fetaui discusses the difference between the corporate and startup worlds
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 7 August 2022
Evan Thornley discusses the evolution of the startup ecosystem
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 31 July 2022
Lana Weal highlights the mental health challenges faced by founders
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 2 June 2022
Kylie Frazer discusses some common causes co-founders separate
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 24 May 2022
Pete Lead: “You have permission to be awesome and complete freedom to fail”
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 10 May 2022
Leslie Delaforce highlights the unique challenges facing Indigenous founders
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 1 May 2022
Phil Hayes-St Clair: “Take care of yourself”
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 19 April 2022
Anna Wright: why “fail fast” is the greatest advice
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 10 April 2022
Lucinda Hartley discusses the barriers she overcame when starting out
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 5 April 2022
Daniel Flynn explains why leaders are learners
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 27 March 2022
Jodie Fox highlights the contrasts between the Australian and US Ecosystems
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 22 March 2022
Susan Oliver discusses what investors look for in a founder
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 17 March 2022
Silvia Pfeiffer discusses her first startup and the lessons it taught her
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 6 March 2022
Dean McEvoy on egos and startups
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 1 March 2022
Colin Kinner discusses the key missteps first time founders often make
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 24 February 2022
Paul Bassat examines the evolution of the ecosystem
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 17 February 2022
Peta Ellis on the importance of innovation
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 1 February 2022
Cameron Adams on the importance of community and connection
▶ The History of the Australian Startup Ecosystem - Interview Series · 23 January 2022
Kate Cornick on ways to support Australians to begin their startup journey
▶ Welcome to Day One with Adam Spencer · 16 May 2021
Antony Martin from Hone
▶ Welcome to Day One with Adam Spencer · 2 May 2021
Mike McKiernan from Deckee
▶ Welcome to Day One with Adam Spencer · 25 April 2021
Colin Goudie from Social Pinpoint
The Founder Journey glossary
Default alive / default dead
Whether your current growth and burn get you to profitability before the cash runs out (alive) or not (dead).
Pivot
A deliberate change of direction — product, market or model — while keeping what you've learned.
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