Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Late Payments, Big Problems: Stephen Neli on Fixing Small Biz Cash Flow with Zellus
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Late Payments, Big Problems: Stephen Neli on Fixing Small Biz Cash Flow with Zellus
Episode Summary
Stephen Neli is only six weeks into building Zellus, but he’s already going after one of small business’ biggest problems—late payments. In this episode, he shares the origin story behind Zellus, how he’s pitching investors and customers, and what it’s like starting up solo (with a lot of heart and a little help from Figma). Alan breaks down his pitch, offers advice on finding a tech co-founder, and chats about that sneaky startup sidekick: imposter syndrome. If you’re an early-stage founder, this one’s packed with gold.
Time Stamps1:27 – Stephen’s startup story and the birth of Zellus
2:20 – The pitch: how Zellus helps small businesses get paid faster
5:30 – Alan’s feedback: strong structure, clear gestures, great storytelling
8:18 – Who Stephen needs on the team (CTO wanted!)
12:13 – Building in public and what Instagram has taught him
14:52 – Partnerships, pilots, and early traction
17:32 – Customer interviews, pivots, and prototyping with Figma
25:06 – Imposter syndrome and learning to share the lowlights
27:27 – Why sharing the lowlights helps others (and you)
29:49 – Mailout mishaps and the power of founder vulnerabilit
Resources⚡️ Zellus on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/zellus-au/
🙋🏻♂️ Stephen’s Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sneli/
🛳️ Stephen’s Startup Voyage on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stephen.startupvoyage
🎙️ TEDx Talk: Mike Cannon-Brookes on Imposter Syndrome - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwEquW_Yij0
Sponsors:Pick My Brain is supported by our wonderful sponsors:🦙 Vanta automates up to 90% compliance, getting you audit-ready quickly and saving you up to 85% of associated costs. Join 10,000 global companies like Cipherstash, Handle and Indebted that use Vanta to build trust and prove security in real-time.
Get 10% off - http://dayone.fm/vanta/brain
💰 Standard Ledger is your all-in-one finance team for startups. From bookkeeping and payroll to R&D claims and fractional CFO support, they help founders stay on top of their numbers and make smarter decisions. Ready to scale?
Book your free chat at https://dayone.fm/standard
The Day One NetworkPick My Brain is part of Day One, the podcast network dedicated to founders, operators & investors.To learn more, join our newsletter to be notified of new and upcoming shows. The only content we create is content that will help Australian founders.
Mentioned in this episode:
Vanta PMB Ad_March 2025_02
Vanta PMB Ad_March 2025_02
View all episodes
By DayOne.FMEpisode Summary
Stephen Neli is only six weeks into building Zellus, but he’s already going after one of small business’ biggest problems—late payments. In this episode, he shares the origin story behind Zellus, how he’s pitching investors and customers, and what it’s like starting up solo (with a lot of heart and a little help from Figma). Alan breaks down his pitch, offers advice on finding a tech co-founder, and chats about that sneaky startup sidekick: imposter syndrome. If you’re an early-stage founder, this one’s packed with gold.
Time Stamps1:27 – Stephen’s startup story and the birth of Zellus
2:20 – The pitch: how Zellus helps small businesses get paid faster
5:30 – Alan’s feedback: strong structure, clear gestures, great storytelling
8:18 – Who Stephen needs on the team (CTO wanted!)
12:13 – Building in public and what Instagram has taught him
14:52 – Partnerships, pilots, and early traction
17:32 – Customer interviews, pivots, and prototyping with Figma
25:06 – Imposter syndrome and learning to share the lowlights
27:27 – Why sharing the lowlights helps others (and you)
29:49 – Mailout mishaps and the power of founder vulnerabilit
Resources⚡️ Zellus on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/zellus-au/
🙋🏻♂️ Stephen’s Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sneli/
🛳️ Stephen’s Startup Voyage on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stephen.startupvoyage
🎙️ TEDx Talk: Mike Cannon-Brookes on Imposter Syndrome - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwEquW_Yij0
Sponsors:Pick My Brain is supported by our wonderful sponsors:🦙 Vanta automates up to 90% compliance, getting you audit-ready quickly and saving you up to 85% of associated costs. Join 10,000 global companies like Cipherstash, Handle and Indebted that use Vanta to build trust and prove security in real-time.
Get 10% off - http://dayone.fm/vanta/brain
💰 Standard Ledger is your all-in-one finance team for startups. From bookkeeping and payroll to R&D claims and fractional CFO support, they help founders stay on top of their numbers and make smarter decisions. Ready to scale?
Book your free chat at https://dayone.fm/standard
The Day One NetworkPick My Brain is part of Day One, the podcast network dedicated to founders, operators & investors.To learn more, join our newsletter to be notified of new and upcoming shows. The only content we create is content that will help Australian founders.
Mentioned in this episode:
Vanta PMB Ad_March 2025_02
Vanta PMB Ad_March 2025_02