The Bootstrap - Building Startups from Scratch

When you hear the word crowdfunding you might think about that Kickstarter you backed for that groovy new gadget that you may or may not have ever received, or the GoFundMe that you donated to help someone going through something terrible, but until recently you may not think of it as viable option for funding your startup.

One person who done much more than think about it is Kane Jackson, Kane is the cofounder and CEO of Maslow. A new fintech that is aiming to create a majority customer owned financial instution that serves and represents customers rather than profiting from them, and Maslow has just completed a very successful crowdfunding campaign. 

So, how does crowdfunding for startups work, who should try it, and what should you watch out for? We discuss this and more.

You can find Kane Jackson on LinkedIn and Maslow at Maslow.com.au 

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At the start, every business is a bootstrapped business. Founders inject their own capital and/or sweat to get things rolling, and then work out what funding model or models is most likely to work for their idea.

It’s easy to want to skip through the hard bits and get to the moment where cash is raining down from the sky, but there are things about bootstrapping that give you insights into building businesses that you don’t get anywhere else.

To talk about the ways that bootstrapping can make you a better founder, we're joined by Yaniv Bernstein. Yaniv has had long tenures at Google and Airtasker  and is  co-host of The Startup Podcast which focuses on building Silicon-Valley style startups.

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bootstrapping a startup is not for the faint of heart. If you really commit to the journey, there are plenty of lows and setbacks to face before you reach a high - if you ever do.

We know the success stories, but not always the pivots and failures that came before them. So what is building a startup really like in 2024?

Our guest for this episode is right in the thick of it. Jo Agresta is the CEO and Founder of Abodey, the Ultimate AI Home Buyer's agent. 

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Software as a service, or SaaS, has been responsible for much of the explosive growth of tech as we know it. What is it like to found and build in the world of SaaS startups? How does your approach as a founder have to change if you know you’re going to be entering the world of Software as a Service?

To help us unpack this we're joined by Kirk Drage, tech veteran and founder and CEO of LeapSheep. 

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You may have heard the term "Impact Startup" and wondered what it really means. In broad terms, an impact startup is a business that is designed to solve major societal problems, But what does that look like in reality? What are some examples of impact startups and how do you start?

To help us unpack this, we're joined by Annette Rose, founder of the Impact Startup

Kids Get Money is a fun, easy to use online program that gives kids money skills for life. Annette joins us to share her journey and what impact startups mean in general.

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Getting a startup up and running seems to come with an endless to do list, and while some things are exciting, others are just plain necessary. 

Knowing when you need to formalise the legal structure of your business, what to choose and how to do it can be overwhelming, so we’ve invited Talt Anast from Allied Legal to help us work out w2hat is what

Allied Legal is a Melbourne-base firm that focuses legal solutions and advice to innovative businesses and entrepreneurial minds.

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There's no end to the list of things a founder needs to think about at the start of the startup journey. Operations  might be seen as something that comes later, but laying the groundwork in the early days, without overdoing it, can lead to a much easier path to scale.

Tiffany Ashdown, experienced Operations Manager and Co-Founder / COO of The Product Bus, joins us to discuss.

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Do Startups have an Ageism Problem?

We recorded our discussion with Kirstin Hunter prior to the WGEA gender pay gap report release, but the discussion couldn’t be more timely.

One element of the WGEA report showed that the pay gap for women increases by age range. While you might look at that stat and say it shows the gap is closing generationally, it’s a stark reminder of the additional barriers that older women face in the workforce. 

Kirstin Hunter the Managing Director (NSW) at Techstars - a longtime mentor for Black bird giants and Startmate, and one of the creators of Grapevine, the platform created earlier this year that empowers individuals in Australia's tech scene by spotlighting personal stories and insights. 

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Building the right team is an essential part of early stage startups. Finding a balance of skills, experience, and personalities can truly be a make or break factor.

To discuss the best ways to approach talent acquisition when you’re bootstrapping, I’m joined by Steve Grace, founder and CEO of The Nudge Group, a specialist recruitment company focusing on the startup space.

The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Original sound design by Rob Clarke. Executive Producers are Tiffany Ashdown and Scotty Allen for Hieland Road.

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From the outside, achieving investment in your startup feels like a peak achievement, but the reality is its the start of a much steeper climb that has its upsides and its downs. Someone who knows this journey very well is Nick Chang, who has founded and successfully exited more than one company, and this episode he joins us to help shed some light on what you mightn't know about being funded,. 

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The Bootstrap is a production of Swivol Media and The Product Bus. It was developed by Scotty Allen, and Declan Magee. This episode was produced and written by Declan Magee and edited by Sammy Perryman. Sound design and mix by Rob Clarke

If you’re an early stage founder looking for resources and practical help, check out theproductbus.com and get in touch

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.