In this thought-provoking episode, we sit down with Nic Jones, a former executive who made the bold decision to step away from a high-powered career in media to drive buses. Jones, whose past roles spanned influential positions at Moshcam, Pureprofile, Nine, Yahoo, News Corp, Publisis, and Vevo, shares the experiences and reflections that led him to question the corporate world’s relentless pursuit of more. Together, we unpack the value of living in alignment with one’s true nature versus societ...
Oct 30, 2024•1 hr
Introduction: In this episode, we dive into the world of Lean Startup, 13 years on from its inception, and explore the challenges and nuances of applying it within large corporations. While Lean Startup principles are widely taught, executing them in established corporate environments often leads to failure. Our guest, Ben Hafele from Lean Startup Corp, shares his firsthand insights on why this happens and how leaders can overcome these challenges to foster innovation within their organizations....
Oct 22, 2024•54 min
Kevin Novak is the Founder of Rackhouse Venture Capital, a global venture capital firm purpose-built to support early-stage founders and firms at the intersection of AI/ML and the real world. Previously, he served as Uber’s first Head of Data Science, its first Head of Data Science Platform, and invented its surge pricing model. We covered a lot of topics, including: Kevin's time at UBER The mechanics of investing in startups The proliferation of deep fakes and what it means for the world Why we...
Sep 18, 2024•1 hr 7 min
Steve Hughes is an internationally renowned stand up comedian who tells it like it is, refusing to shy away from the confonting and what is often interpreted as controversial. Steve is incredibly observant, bringing with him worldly insights into the bleeding obvious and comes armed with what he says is more issues than an Occupy movement. Steve spent the first half of his career as a heavy metal drummer for bands such as Mortal Sin before burning up the international comedy circuit, which he ha...
Jul 24, 2024•2 hr 6 min
My guest today is Preston Troutt, the founder of the innovative crowdfunding platform, Crowdsurf. Preston is a dynamic entrepreneur aiming to transform how we invest in creators, turning the conventional investor model on its head. In this episode, we'll explore how Crowdsurf allows fans and followers to invest directly in their favorite creators, the origin of this groundbreaking idea, and how the model works. We'll dive into the platform's progress, the types of creators raising funds, and sha...
Jul 18, 2024•58 min
Today, we’re diving into the fascinating and complex world of modern weight loss with Lucas Aoun, an expert in health and performance. In 1980, 15% of Americans were obese; today, it's 42%, with over 70% either overweight or obese. England has seen similar trends. We’ll explore why this epidemic has escalated, focusing on the role of the modern food supply, historical influences like the sugar industry’s impact, and groundbreaking treatments such as Ozempic. What is Ozempic, and how does it work...
Jul 16, 2024•1 hr 6 min
My guest today is Alex Roslaniec , hes a co-founder of fast-growing skincare company, Hey Bud . Hey Bud was founded just 4.5 years ago, and is today available in 130 countries, boasts 200,000 customers, and is stocked in 400 Priceline stores across Australia. We discussed: How Hey Bud differentiated itself in a saturated cosmetics and skincare market The power of online reviews The role of influencer marketing How being beholden to algorithms and pay-per-click ads can be the undoing of a busines...
Jul 09, 2024•51 min
Jason Fried thinks deeply about collaboration, productivity and the nature of work. He's the co-founder of project management platform Basecamp. Founded in 1999, Basecamp has been recognised by Forbes as one of America’s best small businesses. His 2010 TED talk on ‘Why Work Doesn’t Happen At Work’ has been viewed over 5 million times. He’s also the co-author of Rework, which is about new ways to conceptualize working and creating, as well as the brand new ‘It Doesn’t Have To Be Crazy At Work’, i...
Jul 05, 2024•1 hr 2 min
Julia Krieger is the managing partner of Pari Passu Venture Partners, a network of founders supporting founders. She has been both an operator and a venture investor and so has unique perspectives on all things startups and VCs. In this conversation, we explore: Julia’s time investing over $100M for Insight Partners Her experience building sharing economy marketplace, VillageLuxe How Pari Passu invests on an SPV model instead of a fund model, and the benefits of this Operator-led VC firms v non-...
Jun 26, 2024•57 min
My guest today is Chris Saad, he’s a seasoned product and startup builder, co-host of The Startup Podcast, and former Head of Product at Uber's Developer Platform. He’s been at the forefront of building companies since graduating high school the turn of the millennium, and has spent considerable time in both Australia’s and the United State’s tech and startup ecosystems, giving him a unique perspective on the differences between the two. We discussed: the apparent catch 22 of Australia’s social ...
Jun 18, 2024•1 hr 2 min
This man needs no introduction but I’m going to give him one anyway. Robert Greene is the author of the New York Times bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, The 33 Strategies of War, The 50th Law and Mastery. His highly anticipated sixth book, The Laws of Human Nature, explores people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. Knowing why people do what they do is the most important tool we can possess, without which our other talents can only ...
Jun 12, 2024•1 hr 9 min
In this episode, I sit down with international touring comedian Joe Avati, known for his hilarious takes on Italian-Australian life and its cultural quirks. Joe is currently in the midst of his When I Was Your Age world tour, and I had the pleasure of catching him perform in front of a sold out crowd of 450 people in Melbourne. Joe shares insights on early life, pursuing the arts, how he has dealt with the adversity of bombing, the grit needed to make it in any profession, why comedians shouldn’...
Jun 06, 2024•1 hr 1 min
In this episode of Future Squared , we're joined by Allan Dib , bestselling author of The 1-Page Marketing Plan, to discuss his latest book, Lean Marketing. Allan shares his insights on common marketing mistakes, the power of three force multipliers, and how businesses can leverage tools and tactics to achieve success. We also delve into the world of AI marketing, the seven core commodities of business, and key objections every marketer needs to overcome. Tune in for an enlightening conversation...
Jun 04, 2024•57 min
I was thrilled to welcome back Scott H. Young, a renowned writer, programmer, and avid learner. Scott is here to discuss his latest book, "Get Better at Anything: 12 Maxims for Mastery." This book dives deep into the principles of mastering new skills and achieving continuous improvement in any field. Key Topics Discussed : Introduction to "Get Better at Anything" : Scott provides an overview of his new book and its structure, highlighting the three main parts: Learning from others (See), Learni...
May 29, 2024•1 hr 1 min
In this episode, we delve into the complexities of social media influence, authentic leadership, and the pursuit of happiness in entrepreneurship. Today's guest is the remarkable Taryn Williams, a veteran entrepreneur who founded Wink Models, The Right Fit (exited), The Influencer Agency (exited), and the innovative gifting service, #Gifted. In a candid discussion, Taryn talks about the challenges and successes she faced building businesses in her 20s and stepping back into a leadership role, an...
May 08, 2024•58 min
Michael Thomsen is a freelancer writer, author, and UFC tragic from New York. He is the author of Cage Kings: How an Unlikely Group of Moguls, Champions & Hustlers Transformed the UFC into a $10 Billion Industry, which unpacks the rapid rise of the UFC an mixed martial arts, the UFC’s business model and economics, the one man tour de force that is longtime UFC president Dana White, the role of the UFC’s owners over time - SEG, Zuffa and Ari Emanuel, and the organization’s anti-competitive be...
Sep 27, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Originally published: 2017 Jason Calacanis is a tech entrepreneur, wildly successful angel investor, and the host of the popular weekly podcast This Week in Startups. He's the founder of a series of conferences that bring entrepreneurs together with potential investors. As a “scout” for top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firm Sequoia Capital and later as an angel investor, Jason has invested in 150 early-stage startups including four that have achieved billion-dollar valuations (so far) suc...
Jun 08, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Oliver Burkeman is a British author and journalist who has written for The Guardian and other publications. He was born in 1975 and has authored several books on topics such as time management, productivity, happiness, and self-help culture. His works include "Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals," "The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking,", "Help! How to Become Slightly Happier and Get a Bit More Done", and his most recent book, "Four Thousand Weeks," is...
Jun 07, 2023•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 428
Niki Scevak is co-founder of Startmate, and founder and partner at Blackbird VC, Australia’s largest venture capital fund, with its 5th fund having raised AUD$1B (US$640M). Blackbird was an early investor in Canva, SafetyCulture, CultureAmp, BugCrowd, RedBubble, and many more, and has to date generated a net internal rate of return of 56%. Niki joined me today to discuss: His life before Blackbird Successfully raising his first fund back in 2012, without having a network or any startup successes...
May 25, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Mick Wall has spent over four decades interviewing rockstars and chronicling their amazing stories, and today, we're turning the tables on Mick Wall and unpacking his story in this marathon 3-hour and 40-minute, Joe Rogan-esque interview. Our conversation focuses on the early years, taking in Mick’s childhood all the way through to Sounds magazine, Heavy Publicity, and the inception of the world-famous magazine Kerrang! magazine. We touch on ghostwriting, his feud with Axl Rose, and revelations ...
May 18, 2023•3 hr 22 min
Dennis Savic is a pioneering entrepreneur and innovative thinker in the fields of electric vehicles and sustainable transportation. As the founder and CEO of SAVIC Motorcycles, he has introduced high-performance, eco-friendly models that cater to a wide range of consumers. Born in Sarajevo in the former Yugoslavia, and raised in Australia, Dennis holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering and has always been passionate about the intersection of technology, design, and environmental responsibility....
May 11, 2023•1 hr 11 min
Torsten Hoffmann is a media entrepreneur, filmmaker, and technology investor. He has produced and directed several documentaries, including "Bitcoin: The End of Money As We Know It" and the award-winning "Cryptopia: Bitcoin, Blockchains and the Future of the Internet" Torsten joins me today to talk about his forthcoming feature documentary, FORTITUDE: Forging the Trillion Dollar Space Economy, which uncovers how a few influential individuals with utopian ideas and vast fortunes are forging a tri...
May 04, 2023•47 min
Kevin Kelly is a renowned technology writer, futurist, and entrepreneur who co-founded Wired magazine in 1993. He has authored several books on the impact of technology on society, including "The Inevitable" and "What Technology Wants." He is also a sought-after speaker and advisor on emerging technologies and their social and economic implications. His new book, Excellent Advice for Living: WIsdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier, distils Kelly’s timeless advice on everything from right living to setti...
Apr 27, 2023•58 min
My guest today is Mike Todasco, former director of innovation at PayPal, and current self-imposed AI-researcher, and co-author of numerous AI-generated books under the pseudonym Alex Irons. We covered a lot of ground in this conversation, including: Generative AI use cases The impact of AI on startups and the venture capital ecosystem AutoGPT The threat of misaligned goals and existential risks posed by AI The 6-month development ban proposal Regulatory considerations Intellectual property chall...
Apr 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min
Rebroadcast: This episode originally appeared in 2019. --- James Clear is an author and speaker focused on habits, decision-making, and continuous improvement. A freak baseball accident put James in a desperate place, fighting to recover from brain damage. The debilitating brain injury forced him to discover a new way of living. Recovery took James to a new understanding of habits and the power of stacking simple, easy habits, one on top of the other, to create momentum and change. His book, Ato...
Apr 13, 2023•1 hr
This episode originally appeared in episode 318, Feb 2019. --- Dr Michael Shermer is an American science writer, historian of science, founder of The Skeptics Society, and editor-in-chief of its magazine Skeptic. Shermer engages in debates on topics pertaining to pseudoscience and religion in which he emphasizes scientific skepticism. He’s also a monthly columnist for Scientific American, and a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University where he teaches Skepticism 101. He is the author of Why Peo...
Apr 06, 2023•1 hr 7 min
My guest today is Daniel Cannizzaro, founder of fintech company Parpera. I invited Dan back on to discuss the difficult landscape that startups find themselves in, and how Parpera has been navigating both macroeconomic challenges, and some very unique technical setbacks. If you’ve ever found yourself or currently find yourself navigating uncertainty and staring at the proverbial abyss, then this conversation serves as a reminder that when we find ourselves going through difficult times, only by ...
Mar 30, 2023•1 hr 5 min
Chris Themelco is a founding member, singer, songwriter, and guitarist for Australian metal band Orpheus Omega, founder and chief engineer at Monolith Studios, and producer for numerous heavy rock acts. Whether you’re a fan of heavy music or not, this conversation is an absolute must-listen for anybody wanting to make it in a competitive or creative pursuit - be it as a musician, entrepreneur, comedian, content creator, artist, athlete, or ‘influencer’. We unpacked numerous topics that get to th...
Mar 23, 2023•1 hr 17 min
Gloria Mark is a Chancellor’s Professor of Informatics at the University of California, Irvine. She’s been a visiting senior researcher at Microsoft Research since 2012 and is a recipient of the Google Research Award and the NSF Career award. She’s the author of the new book, Attention Span: Finding Focus for a Fulfilling Life, which unpacks how our brains operate in the digital world, why we can’t focus, and how we can take back control to find more success in our careers but also more health a...
Mar 16, 2023•1 hr 2 min
Theo Cox is Head of Life Itself Labs, a multidisciplinary research institute and consultancy that works across economics, governance, strategy and technology, and innovates systemic solutions to complex global challenges. Life Itself recently published its web3 and crypto guide - a multi-month project of research and analysis to "make sense" of crypto and web3 and to evaluate the various claims being made for and against. In this conversation, we unpacked the reports findings, and engage in an h...
Mar 09, 2023•1 hr 3 min
