the power of genuine inquiry

Last December I met an ecommerce co-founder named Genevieve who started a conversation that changed my life – at least in the immediate term. Gen has a long career in retail and in recent years became co-founder of an ecommerce startup, she’s what some might describe as a non-technical founder. Following some early success and a couple of pre-seed funding rounds the momentum was beginning to wean; not through lack of consumer or investor interest, but because it was becoming hard work.

Until this conversation in December, I’d been privileged to work with several Aussie unicorns on their international growth and transformation journeys, but after meeting Gen (and some January holiday reflection) I completely altered my approach to 2022. It’s now May and so, following four months immersed in founder and investor land, I want to offer a sincere thank you to the Aussie scaleup ecosystem.

Seeking connection without an agenda – the power of genuine enquiry.

“I’m new to the startup space and I’m seeking to learn about you, your platform, and life as a founder. I have nothing to sell. May I have 30mins of your time?”

When asked, almost everyone answered ‘yes’. There’s something about startups and scaleups that’s different to the big end of town - approachability.  Even ex-corporate founders seem far more accessible than they might have been in their old world. Everyone is so passionate about their current thing that they’re happy to make time to share. And, unlike the corporate world, nobody’s shying away talking about from their mistakes or challenges. It seems that, if you seek to learn without an agenda, scaleup folks are generous with their time and experience.

I am immensely grateful for the generosity of those who offered their time. I have learned a lot about the various paths to becoming a founder, early-stage momentum, the funding cycle, and scaleup challenges. I also have a kit bag of emerging platforms to consider for clients ;)

So how did this encounter change my life?

Through some experimentation with a couple of brave founders I’ve adapted my methodology for platform strategy to fit scaleups. That means that although I can still help unicorns to break into international markets, I can now help founders push through their growing pains and unlock scale – adopting the right solutions to grow the business alongside the product. It’s super exciting to work directly with the folks who live the business. Being a trusted advisor making a material impact brings me a lot of energy each day.

If you feel like you are or might soon be ready to talk about scaling up then I’d love to talk to you, learn about your challenges, and get your feedback on my new scaleup roadmap program.

Until next time, stay safe.