Barry is the founder of the property companies Socius and Populate. In this first part of our chat, he talks about being uninspired by the town where he grew up until he discovered punk and alcohol; getting pinned against a factory wall by an unambitious foreman; inventing his own fantasy football game before the rest of the country caught on; having his eyes opened by an incredible Australian boss; working on the Bluewater shopping centre development; being thrust into a demanding operations role; risk-taking and backing one's judgement; and getting a taste for that start-up mentality.