DevReady Podcast

DevReady Podcast E37 - Growing Your Business with CX with Brendan Tremble

On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew and Anthony talk to Brendan Tremble, founder and director of CX consulting at FT Executive. Brendan explains the concept of CX and how it relates to growing your business and customer base. Brendan also shares some of the things startups should expect when structuring their culture, processes, and products around the values that are informed by best customer experience. Brendan leads one of the top consulting firms in Australia.
Topics Covered:
● CX (Customer Experience) Consulting.
● Working with startups.
● The core competencies of customer experience.
● Culture as a driver of customer satisfaction.
● How do you measure customer focus?
● Avoiding transactional relationships in your customer base.
● Attracting and keeping customers with CX-based values.
● Understanding the different life cycles of the customer.
● Collecting data to improve customer processes.
● You need to know WHO your customer is.
Key Quotes:
❏ “Customer needs change every day.” (3:25)
❏ “You need your team around you to be about it.” (6:45)
❏ “It’s a lot cheaper to keep a customer than to go out and get a new one.” (12:00)
❏ “You need to actually have customer-centric values.” (14:45)
❏ “Product development people understand the life cycle of the product.” (20:55)
❏ “It’s not just collecting metrics — it’s how you’re using them.” (22:30)
❏ “Process improvement people make the best CX people.” (25:05)
❏ “Customer experience is really process improvement for customers.” (32:40)
❏ “Trying to do everything doesn’t really serve anyone.” (39:10)
❏ “You have to know which questions to ask.” (43:58)
Contact Brendan:
Check out Brendan’s company: www.ftexecutive.com.au
Find Brendan on LinkedIn.
The Books Brendan Mentions:
● Design Thinking
● Sprint by Jake Knapp
● Outside In by Harley Manning and Kerry Bodine
● Chief Customer Officer 2.0 by Jeanne Bliss

DevReady Podcast E36 - Making Crowdfunding Work for Your Business with Matt Vitale

Summary:
Our guest on this episode of the DevReady podcast is Matt Vitale, Co-founder of Birchal equity crowdfunding. Matt and the other co-founders combined their knowledge from their different industries to create Birchal with the goal of making the site mainly focused on the companies and facilitating a seamless process for the transaction from beginning to end.
Birchal was an integral part of the lifting of the Australian government’s restrictions on equity crowdfunding several years ago, and they continue to impact related legislation as the company and the industry continue to grow in popularity and scope. The Birchal team has a very specific process for reviewing companies who are interested in posting campaigns on the site which includes both objective and subjective filters to ensure that the idea is viable before it is presented to potential investors. Through the expression of interest process, companies are able to gauge interest and receive pledges before ultimately launching their campaigns.
Birchal is Australia’s leading crowdfunding platform, accounting for more than half of the monies invested through crowdfunding last year. For more information about hosting a campaign on Birchal or if you have further questions for Matt, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Topics Covered:
● How Birchal was formed
● Equity crowdfunding
● How government regulation has impacted and continues to impact the industry
● The process that companies go through in order to post campaigns on Birchal
● Which businesses should pursue crowdfunding
● Getting feedback from interested investors
● Guiding companies to appropriate valuations
● Crowdfunding as a vehicle for fundraising
● Which campaigns are successful during COVID
● How to handle investors who are ready to cash out their investments
● The healthy tension between the company and their investors
Key Quotes
❏ “It took about 5 years for the government to realize it wanted to do this and then pass the legislation to do it.” (2:55)
❏ “Looking back, it was a very effective execution of building technology for what is often a fairly complicated process.” (4:39)
❏ “It’s all about finding the relevant audience for each company and treating each campaign as a discrete project.” (9:47)
❏ “It’s all about momentum.” (15:16)
❏ “When we started the platform, we decided to quite deliberately describe the businesses that we want to work with as those that have a strong consumer proposition.” (18:58)
❏ “It’s about finding an audience that will derive benefit from your success.” (20:58)
❏ “Things are worth what people are willing to pay for them.” (22:38)
❏ “You want to give them enough information so they’re interested in you and then have this opportunity for engagement.” (26:29)
❏ “Every campaign that we host has at least a handful of investors that are investing over $10,000.” (31:27)
❏ “Crowdfunding is still open for business.” (37:24)
❏ “The trouble that we have is with the law.” (44:54)
Contact Matt:
https://www.birchal.com/
matt@birchal.com

DevReady Podcast E35 - Understanding the Market for Your Startup Idea with Ahron Young

On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew and Anthony speak with Ahron Young, the founder and CEO of Ticker TV, a Melbourne-based news streaming service.
Just out of high school, Ahron got a job at a local newspaper. There he got his toes wet in journalism. This continued with a job at a local TV station, and the Russian news service, RT then Sky News.
Ahron chose the name Ticker because it scrolls at the bottom of the screen, but it’s also our heart. He describes his time building Ticker as an alternative to morning cable news, targeted directly at millennials. Ahron gives advice for breaking into the field, building value and discovering the market for your idea. He runs a successful TV service with just over 30 people on his team. He intends to grow Ticker into a global company.
He also advises us to look out for our mental health, especially in the tech world. “Don’t expect yourself to be a winner,” he says, “but it’s just as important to learn to forget as it is to learn.”
Topics Covered:
● Ahron’s background in commercial TV.
● The importance of marketing.
● Working at RT and how it was the best and the worst experience.
● Be wary of who you bring in for equity because it’s difficult to get rid of people.
● We really don’t have long attention spans anymore — too many are fighting for it.
● Where Ahron got the idea for Ticker TV.
● Ticker TV is a news service that looks to answer “what do people want from the news?”
● Working in a corporate environment, and how it hurts your individuality.
● As long as you deliver what people want, the rest doesn’t matter.
● You need to understand who you are, and establish your identity.
● The average age of a startup founder in Australia is 54.
● What you forget is just as important as what you learn.
● Structuring the business in its early stages.
● Working in a culture where people take ownership of their work.
● Get bigger, and faster, and better — or someone else will.
● COVID has been difficult, but Ticker’s business has not struggled.
● Identify your brand and really pump it out.
Key Quotes:
❏ “Journalism is a lifestyle choice, and it basically owns you.” (03:30)
❏ “The floor manager at RT pulled out a gun.” (07:55)
❏ “We are members of the business communities to which we are a part of.” (10:05)
❏ “It’s never been an open opportunity: it’s always been something you’ve had to fight for and strive for.” (12:25)
❏ “You can’t fight a fleeing customer base in court.” (16:50)
❏ “It’s all about looking for gaps in the marketplace.” (21:30)
❏ “Every time talent meets the corporate world, something gives: and it’s usually the talent.” (25:35)
❏ “When you love what you do, it’s hard to realize when you need to ask for help.” (28:45)
❏ “In the end, TV is your graphics package, your audio, your presenters, and your studios: nothing else matters.” (37:55)
❏ “It’s up to you to know the time to forget and the time to remember.” (47:10)
❏ “It doesn’t matter how you structure it, you’re not starting a business on your own. You need a team around you. (54:30)
❏ “Don’t ever create a barrier to entry for yourself.” (1:02:05)
❏ “We want to start Ticker in 10 other countries.” (1:14:00)

DevReady Podcast E34 - Writing with Your Audience and Your Purpose in Mind with Adam Turner

On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew and Anthony speak with Adam Turner, freelance technology journalist who writes for the Sydney Morning Herald.
Starting out working for The Age, he developed a passion for tech and decided to go freelance – writing consumer tech for magazines like PC Authority and MacWorld, along with biztech for publications like the AFR and CRN. He also has his own tech news podcast called Vertical Hold.
Adam dives deep into the world of freelance writing and explains some of the nuances in building credibility. He spends a bulk of the episode breaking down helpful tips as well as scathingly criticizing the cumbersome tech writing of today. His main points here are that writing needs to be concise and engaging. There are tricks, but ultimately it’s a skill.
Topics Covered:
● How to start selling your name and your business in press releases.
● The importance of the brief on a press release.
● Understanding what you want for the outcome.
● It’s all about the hook, for journalism and everything else.
● General advice for making your writing better.
● Why reading a lot makes you a better, more engaging writer.
● You need to understand the style you want to capture.
● It’s all about writing concisely and engagingly.
● The move now is away from academic language to tight, engaging writing.
● You must have something to say — it’s the most important thing.
Key Quotes:
❏ “If you’re writing a thought leadership post, you’re helping them know stuff.” - (12:20)
❏ “If they see your press release and it reads like an ad: swipe.” - (14:10)
❏ “It’s not easy to write about yourself and not about yourself at the same time.” - (15:46)
❏ “When you’re talking to a journalist, you’re talking to them in 5 second increments, if you’re lucky.” (18:20)
❏ “Sometimes you have to throw out the line you worked really hard for.” (21:16)
❏ “Don’t get too bogged down in it.” (24:10)
❏ “Have a look at what your competitors are doing as well.” (28:25)
❏ “Every word and every paragraph needs to be doing a job -- if it’s not, get rid of it.” (34:10)
❏ “I always find more mistakes on a printed page than I do on a screen.” (39:00)
❏ “If I get stuck, I go back to the beginning.” (40:25)

DevReady Podcast E33 - Knowing the Product, the Problem, and the Portability with Mark Milanese

On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew and Anthony speak with Mark Milanese, founder at OneLenz, a tech platform that connects startups to VCs and investors.
Over the course of the episode, the guys speak with Mark about how companies should approach investors, what things young startups should consider, and how to avoid common pitfalls when seeking funding.
The main takeaways here are that it’s very hard to build a successful product on a weak platform. Spend the time (and money) hammering out all the details first and you’ll be much more likely to find success when it comes time to seek investment rounds.
If you know the value that your product brings to the market and to your customers, it’ll be much easier to grow. Learn the tech, know the problem that your product solves for your base, and figure out how to fail. Investors will be impressed with your tenacity.
Topics Covered:
Startups need to chase clients, not funding.
Where to start if a founder comes to OneLenz for investment.
People need guidance in getting the requirements right.
Your first version doesn’t need to be perfect, but it needs to be good enough to get feedback on.
Founders should definitely bring in a tech consultor to save money in the long run.
Global founders are ambitious and relentless.
You need to know what your value is to your customer.
The best thing to do is to fail fast.
Don’t try to be everything to everyone.
If someone hands you a big check, they’re going to run right through you.
Building a product is a full-time job.
People are understanding the value of meeting digitally through Zoom now.
Key Quotes:
“Where you start depends on your tech.” (10:50)
“You need to know how to link what you want to what you can deliver.” (13:30)
“What’s your business, what’s your business model…how big do you want to go?” (18:40)
“You’re still on the phone 24/7.” (20:15)
“You gotta learn how to fail fast…and move on.” (23:20)
“You’ll want to be on the VC’s radar at least six months out.” (27:15)
“I’d rather chase sales than chase investor’s money.” (31:00)
“Keep your job as long as you can.” (44:00)
“It’s all about the kind of business you want.” (48:00)

DevReady Podcast E32 - Transforming Business for the Future with Saleem Qureshi

On this episode of the DevReady Podcast, Andrew and Anthony speak with Saleem Qureshi, investor and CEO of Assessment Fund, based in London. They talk about the need for digital transformation in the wake of COVID, the very apparent digital divide, and the tools (and rationale) for successful digital transformation.
COVID has pushed virtually all companies to consider a work-from-home model, and this is necessarily changing the way we do business. Saleem suggests that companies that want to survive need to lean into those changes and really understand how they can transform digitally. Ultimately, the companies that fail to do this will be left behind.
Saleem also talks about how education is tied intimately to the problems businesses are facing in digital transformation, but there may be tools around the corner. The world is digitizing — and that doesn’t just mean going online — and it’s up to the young companies to have the hard conversations they need to transform.
A new economy is being created, even though we don’t know what it will look like. To best prepare and future-proof ourselves, businesses need to have conversations about who they are, and who they will be going forward. The digital divide will eventually shrink, but only when companies successfully transform into the digital age.
Topics Covered:
● The problems in trying to digitize the world.
● Bringing education up to digital speed.
● The importance of digital transformation in staying alive.
● Focus on the value you deliver to your customers.
● Preparing pre-IPO companies prepare for their IPOs.
● Educating the boardroom on the financial impact of tech.
● Work-from-home models changing the world.
● Unemployment in the future.
● The new economy that is being created.
● Problems in the developing world.
● Some of the issues that work-from-home is bringing to the table.
● Demand to move to the bigger cities.
● The main concerns for digital transformation.
● Volkswagen is transforming itself into a software company.
● Digital transformation is transforming the business model.
Key Quotes:
❏ “We wanted to understand ‘what is intelligence?’” (01:35)
❏ “The people are still analog.” (2:40)
❏ “Turn your data into dollars.” (10:00)
❏ “Digital transformation actually increases your value.” (12:25)
❏ “The boardroom is not tech savvy.” (15:20)
❏ “It’s the vendor’s responsibility to sell the board on the tech.” (18:00)
❏ “We need to talk to people in the same language that they use.” (21:00)
❏ “The stock prices of companies are going up.” (25:25)
❏ “Work-from-home is going to test people’s ability to upskill themselves.” (26:30)
❏ “You can either stay relevant or you can not be counted.” (28:08)
❏ “You don’t really need a four-year degree anymore because the education sector is so far behind.” (28:50)
❏ “It’s easy for small companies to transform; it’s difficult for large companies to transform.” (39:45)
❏ “The real value is in giving the customer the life they want, and the car is just a tool to get there.” (41:10)
❏ “Everybody must be transforming the way they do business.” (44:00)

DevReady Podcast E31 - Product Design, From Prototype to Profit with Hamed Ghajarnia

On this episode of DevReady Podcast, Andrew and Anthony speak with Hamed Ghajarnia, Managing Director and polymer engineer at DreamLaunch, a company that helps people bring hardware visions to life.
During the conversation, Hamed speaks to the processes surrounding idea generation and execution for hardware needs. He also breaks down what it’s like for a new company to wrestle with their software and hardware development needs. They discuss the value of investing in research early on in the design process, and the difficulty in trying to bring a new idea to market rather than capitalizing on the existing competition. Hamed also breaks down the nature of prototypes and how businesses can best use them to develop great products.
The key takeaway from their conversation with Hamed is that, like many others they’ve had on the show, listening to the customer is paramount. There is no skill more valuable than being able to hear what a customer’s needs are and allowing that information to inform your processes at every step. That’s how you can guarantee success.

DevReady Podcast E30 - ’Sweat Equity’ and Real Value with Paul Lange

On this episode of DevReady Podcast, Andrew and Anthony speak with Paul Lange, “Business Growth Accelerant”, about working in private equity, the life of buying companies to scale, and the importance of understanding how to grow your business.
When looking to draw investors, what you really need to be able to do is demonstrate that you can sell what you want to sell. “Sweat-equity” is great but investors care about real valuation.
Paul lays out a 9-point strategy for growing your business and prepare for success from the perspective of an investor:
1. Figure out ways to minimize your risks.
a. Find out what’s in it for you.
b. “Where’s the exit?”
c. “Show me the money”: demonstrate the capital-building potential.
2. Taking money (because you cannot really “make” money).
a. Structures: get the structures of your company right.
b. Systems: the balance of formalized and personable.
c. Scalability: so you can grow beyond your local market.
3. Making it happen: all about people.
a. Who’s on the team?
b. Where’s your niche? (The target market.)
c. Traction: Why, what, and how you do what you do
Some tips from Paul:
1. Spend one day writing out your plan, and get it on paper.
2. Iterate, iterate, iterate.
3. It has to be good enough to start — and then start!
The strategy for implementing all nine of his points: ask yourself the question, answer the question, and question the answer. Rinse and repeat until you really like what you have.
Topics Covered:
● Private equity firms.
● Managing buyouts.
● The dizziness associated with taking on a multi-million dollar portfolio.
● Money should be the last thing that’s “in it for you” in your business.
● Your vision needs to extend beyond your business.
● The effectiveness of collaborative campaigns.
● How to minimize the risks in your business.
● The importance of understanding the marketplace.
● Folding a business into yours to mutually grow.
● Understanding how much it costs to scale even a small business.
● Sweat-equity is not nearly as valuable as real valuation.
● There’s no right or wrong about structures: just put some thought into it.
● The result of systems is that they put the focus on your values.
● Small business owners need to divide and conquer.
● Hire based on values not skills.
● Think about who you really want on your board.
● Define very clearly who you add value to.
● Measuring traction.
● The experience is what keeps people coming back.
Key Quotes (Time Stamps):
❏ “I don’t want to fly C-130s: I want to be Top Gun!” - (6:30)
❏ “Before you get into anything, you need to have your exit strategy nailed down.” (8:00)
❏ “I tell most people: ‘how about you try selling your way out of your funding issues.’” (9:45)
❏ “Business is not built to last -- think about where your exit is gonna be.” (15:15)
❏ “At the end of the day, an investor and an business owner are looking to put money into their wealth account.” (19:00)
❏ “Whenever possible, we will put the smallest amount of money on the table.” (22:45)
❏ “I know people who have bootstrapped a business on a grand.” (30:15)
❏ “To really be random and fluid, you need a solid structure underneath you.” (36:40)
❏ “You cannot effectively scale without the systems in place.” (43:45)
❏ “There are different levels of exit.” (47:10)
❏ “Passion is teachable.” (49:50)
❏ “Even the Catholic Church doesn’t have 100% of the religious market.” (55:10)
❏ “If you can’t measure it, you can’t demonstrate it.” (1:02:35)
❏ “A restaurant is only as good as its last meal.” (1:07:45)
❏ “Perfection is procrastination.” (1:10:50)

DevReady Podcast E29 - Suits and Sneakers: Strategy and Technology Combined with Anne Miles

In this episode, startup founder Anne Miles talks about her journey with her company, Suits and Sneakers — where she started, what has worked and what hasn’t, and where she’s headed in the future. The name “Suits and Sneakers” comes from the essence of her business: the combination of strategic people like project managers (suits) and the technology, creative, and production people (sneakers).
Suits and Sneakers was birthed so that advertising and marketing specialists don’t get lost in the shuffle and was, at the beginning, intended to be a directory. Through a series of events, Anne ended up setting up a format so that people could tell her directly what they need and she has been doing manual matching since then. Anne talks about where her company fits in the market; somewhere between a directory and a PR agency with hands-on services.
The three discuss the advantages and disadvantages of investors and Anne shares why she hesitates to have them and is instead leaning toward an advisory board. They also talk about the pros and cons of Wordpress, how to use technology in light of your customers, beta testing, and IP rules.
At the end, Andrew and Anthony ask Anne what advice she would give herself two years ago and they provide a bit of their own advice as well.

DevReady Podcast E28 - The Journey from Idea to Product with Philip Nowell

In this episode Andrew and Anthony get to know Philip Nowell of Ontogo. Philip shares his knowledge of entering the medical device industry.
With his experience as a surgeon and passion for medical devices, Philip began working in the private sector. In 2003 he led and developed Cook Medical, a medical device company based in the United States. Once he retired and moved to Australia, Philip saw a demand for guiding others through the regulatory world of medical devices or along the journey of creating new commercial products. That’s how Ontogo came into being.
Ontogo is a network of professionals who have practiced their knowledge base, not theorized it. And with their expertise, they give real guidance to clients struggling to see their product ideas realized.
Philip tells Andrew and Anthony how to start off right, when creating a new product. From testing your product idea, evaluating the market, and preparing for investors, Philip gives detailed steps to save you time, money, and help you avoid common mistakes.
The best take away from this episode: understand your market acceptance. Is there a market for your product? Is there a problem and have you solved it? If not, you are only investing in an idea not a product.