WFLS Podcast

23/05/2024

WFLS is BACK with Mahesh Muralidhar 💥
New Zealand. You too can change the WORLD! 🌏

Mahesh Muralidhar has done it all.

From helping to take ⁠Canva⁠ globally as employee number 25, launching ⁠Phase One Ventures⁠ in New Zealand and even running for Auckland Central in politics.

We talk with Mahesh to learn how he has been helping founders to take on the world from NZ and listen to his sage advice from being so early at Canva and now sharing this with his home in NZ.

Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify with 🔗 in the comments below👇🏻

Brought to you by:
🎙: Troy Hammond
🎥: Jono Tucker
💰: Talent Army

17/04/2024

𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞: 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐕𝐈𝐓𝐀𝐋 🚑

Healthcare is broken. We all know it….

Though too many were scared to take on the behemoths who have owned this space forever.

Enter ⁠Vital.io the product built by kiwi ⁠Te Riu Warren as their founding CTO.

Hear how Te and Founder & CEO ⁠Aaron Patzer⁠ formally of Mint.com got together and Decided to take on the United States healthcare tech industry from New Zealand 🇳🇿

Our new merch is launching soon 👀
Tag a friend below to go into the draw to win our first full set of merch 🚀

Watch the full episode on YouTube or listen on Spotify with 🔗 in the comments below👇🏻

Brought to you by:
🎙: Troy Hammond
🎥: Empire Films
💰: Oxygen Advisors

15/04/2024

"𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧"

This was the sage advice Erika Palmer gave when we asked her:

"𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 Cupla 𝘰𝘧𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥?"

What advice would you give people in the pit of despair right now?
Comment below 👇🏻

Watch the full episode 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/g6DU6buT

28/02/2024

𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧 4 guests are booked for the first four episodes. 🎉

1. : Founder & CO-CEO,
2. .amoore: Founder of .app
3. Tim Boyle: Co-Founder of
4. : Founding CTO, Vital.io

Hosted by
Produced by
Sponsored by

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https://lnkd.in/gx3KFqEx

22/11/2023

Episode #60, Samantha Wong, "The compounding snowball of the NZ tech ecosystem!"

🔔 𝐀𝐫𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐮𝐬? 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞.

Sam is a Partner at ⁠Blackbird⁠.
Originally from Australia, she now heads up the office in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland), where she raised its inaugural $60M New Zealand fund in 2020 and is continuing Blackbird’s Kiwi adventure!

Sam has broad investment interests,z including digital healthcare, robotics, IoT, and B2B software. Sam sits on the boards of Halter, First AML, Foundry Lab, Partly, Harrison.ai, and Workyard.

Sam is passionate about diversity in technology and venture capital and spear-headed the release of the Model Code of Conduct for the Startup Community as well as a venture capital internship program for women.

Prior to joining Blackbird she was a legaltech startup founder, an e-commerce product and strategy manager, and practiced in corporate and litigation teams at Minter Ellison before career-pivoting into startups in 2010.

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰:

WFLS Podcast 🎙️👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/g_EsCY2J
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Apple 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/g8Ae8czg
Google 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gSjwA-J8

Brought to you by:
🎙: Troy Hammond
🎥: Jono Tucker
💰: Talent Army

25/10/2023

Episode #56, Cameron Adams, "We built a $39B company in Canva, but we are only 1% of the way there!"

In this episode of the WFLS podcast, we chat with ⁠⁠Cameron Adams

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Cameron Adams is co-founder and Chief Product Officer of Canva, the only all-in-one visual communication and collaboration platform with a mission to empower the world to design.
Since launching in 2013, Canva’s global community has grown to over 135 million monthly users in over 190 countries who have collectively created more than 15 billion designs.

Cameron is responsible for heading up the design and product teams, playing a key role in future product directions and innovations.

Prior to Canva, he ran his own design consultancy before joining Google, where he worked closely with Lars and Jens Rasmussen (co-founders of Google Maps) to develop Google Wave.
He then moved on to build email startup Fluent, before meeting Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht and deciding to bring Canva to the world.

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15/08/2023

Episode #51, Constant Meiring, “We exist within the world you’ve created”

In this episode of the WFLS podcast, we chat with ⁠Constant Meiring⁠.

🔔 Are you subscribed to us? Only half of our regular listeners are subscribing and we are hoping all of you will subscribe.

Constant is the Co-founder and Chief AI Wrangler at In Game Collectables⁠.

Having been introduced to computers at age four, he was hooked and has been geeking out on technology ever since.
He's spent the past 15 years shipping successful technology products as a software engineer and product manager in startups as well as public companies.

IGC’s generative AI brings your game characters to life with the wave of your wand- or rather, a click of a button.

No leaving the game, no third parties, no mounds of unpurchased, premade collectables sitting in a warehouse or landfill.

𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐰:

Full episode:

WFLS Podcast 🎙️ 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/g_EsCY2J
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Google 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gSjwA-J8

Brought to you by:
🎙: Troy Hammond
🎥: Jono Tucker
💰: Talent Army

18/07/2023

Episode #47, Claudia Batten, "Think like a robot, act like a human"

In this episode of the WFLS podcast, we chat with Claudia Batten.

Claudia is currently is Chairperson of NZX and ASX listed digital travel company Serko Ltd. and a Director of NZX and ASX listed Vista Group and NZX listed Air New Zealand.

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We talk on this podcast about a lot of topics, from Claudia’s roots in commercial law to how she has been a founding member of two highly successful entrepreneurial ventures. As part of the founding team of Massive Incorporated, a network for advertising in video games, she helped pioneer “digital” as a media buy.
Massive was sold to Microsoft in 2006, where Claudia then spent 3 years scaling the in-game network. In 2009 she co-founded Victors & Spoils, the first advertising agency built on the principles of crowdsourcing.
After two years in market, V&S was acquired by French holding company Havas Worldwide. Claudia also spent three years running North American operations for NZTE, supporting disruptive thinking for the growth of NZ exports in North America.

Let's share the love for this amazing podcast guest by commenting, liking, and or sharing.

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Brought to you by:
🎙: Troy Hammond
🎥: Jono Tucker
💰: Talent Army

21/05/2023

12/05/2023

Introducing 𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 💃🏾🕺🏻

We are now showcasing a few startups in New Zealand that we think you should check out by shining the
𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 🔦 on them.

Like, share, and comment to help these businesses in Aotearoa 🇳🇿

𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌 𝒘𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒂𝒎𝒂𝒛𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒑𝒔.

1. Bike Matrix 🚲

😤 Buying replacement parts for your bicycle is difficult. Unlike most industries, online cycling stores don't provide an option to enter your bike's brand and model and display compatible parts.
👉 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐁𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱!
😩 Customer confusion and frustration ultimately affect dealers in sales, returns, loyalty, and the costs of providing support.
👨‍💻 Bike Matrix is building software that will enable the entire bicycle industry to determine which parts fit a chosen bike.
🛍️ Bike Matrix APIs instantly filter and display only compatible products when a customer selects their bike and shops online, a salesperson selects a bike through their POS system, or the mechanic searches through their workshop portal.
📅 They'll be testing their MVP in July and they hope to flesh it out by the end of the year ready for a '24 launch.
💰 They have secured $50k in funding, and are looking for another $50k right now if you like what you see.

2. Loaded Reports 📊

🏔 Queenstown's SaaS scene is starting to take off.
👉 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬!
🍽️ They've built a pretty kick-ass platform for managing a hospitality business after building their own nationwide hospitality group.
🍸 If you've been out for a drink or a bite to eat in Auckland, Christchurch, Queenstown, or Dunedin in the last couple of years, chances are you did it in one of their venues.
🤔 Queenstown may not be the first place that comes to mind for the next great SAAS business, but Loaded has a full engineering, product, and Go To Market team based in their head office down there.
☕️ If you're heading to Queenstown for a ski or a bike ride, look up Loaded's CEO Richard McLeod for a coffee or beer to discuss future opportunities.

3. Magic Beans App 🫘

🌎 The world has been looking for education and inspiration for people to grow their own food at home.
👉 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐌𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐬!
🌱Magic Beans does exactly this and also facilitates the swapping and sharing of surplus homegrown produce between locals.
📱 They're about to launch an app NZ-wide in approximately 6 weeks, and they have global ambitions.
👭 Magic Beans is two women who love community, gardening, and homegrown food, and they just so happen to have super complementary skills.
💰 We hear a house was sold to fund the app build.
🌍 While their website is being built, you can find them on Facebook 👉🏻 https://rb.gy/ua5j0

Get in touch with Troy if you want to be featured on the......
𝐅𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 🔦

03/04/2023

Episode #26, Mary Haddock-Staniland "A mana enhancing wahine"

Mary is the SVP of Global DEIB & People APAC EMEA at EverCommerce⁠ a global software company.

In this episode, Troy and Mary talk about Mary's journey, transitioning into one of the most remarkable and mana-enhancing wahine we have ever had the privilege of talking with.

They cover Mary's personal story, what it is like being a trans woman in New Zealand and now sitting at the exec table of a global software company.
Mary has garnered an impressive reputation for championing change and advocating for a more equitable world, sparking positive change, in the corporate world as a highly regarded thought leader and in social spheres as a committed advocate.

She joined EverCommerce after Timely was acquired by us back in 2021; Mary held the role of Chief People & Inclusion Officer at Timely, the first people and inclusion role at an executive level to exist in New Zealand.

We absolutely loved our chat with Mary and believe that if the world was as empathetic, curious, and kind as this chat...
Everything would be so much better.

Please subscribe to help us. About 60% of our audience does not subscribe and the numbers help us greatly.

Subscribe here 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gGZ4GNEM

Sponsored by Talent Army
Produced by Jono Tucker
Hosted by Troy Hammond

26/03/2023

Episode #23, Lee Timutimu, "Ka mua, ka muri"

"𝘒𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘢, 𝘬𝘢 𝘮𝘶𝘳𝘪" is a whakatauki that many will know means "𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘶𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦"

The idea we should look to the past to inform the future.

We felt that this podcast with Lee really embodies "walking backwards into the future" as Lee helps the next generation of young Māori and Pasifika understand that the things, they need to be innovators are all told in the stories of their ancestors.

In this episode Troy Hammond chats with Lee Timutimu.

We chat about Lee's mission to increase both representation and participation of Māori in tech. His personal background
kōrero of how he personally got into STEM and what he is doing to help young Māori and Pasifika to enter STEM.

Lee is CEO of Arataki Systems - a Māori owned, whānau (family) owned tech company that he founded in 2016.

He has 20+ years working in IT and is a Founder & Co-Founder of multiple community initiatives that seek to empower Māori communities in the tech and digital space.

Born and raised in Whakatāne, Lee now lives with his whānau in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton).

Troy and Lee had a wonderful chat about the great work that Lee is doing and we hope you enjoy this podcast as much as we did shooting it.

Please like, share and subscribe to help us continue sharing the stories of remarkable people like Lee.

Subscribe here 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gGZ4GNEM

Sponsored by Talent Army
Produced by Jono Tucker
Hosted by Troy Hammond

17/03/2023

👀 Episode #21 with Vaughan Fergusson drops soon.

🎞 Here’s a teaser where he mentions how he and Zoe Timbrell write what they want to achieve each year on a blank bit of paper.

🏷 After the $484m sale of Vend, Vaughan decides to shoot for the stars and *write "Get on the We F* Love StartUps Podcast with Troy Hammond and drink whiskey.

😉 *May or may not be 100% accurate.

Please like, share this post, follow, and subscribe so that we can get this story out to everyone in the community as this podcast is 🔥

15/03/2023

It’s pretty wild that a niche podcast about startups, can be listened to more than a major radio show.

Thanks so much for listening 👏🏻

We’re starting to look at sponsorship to help get guests into the studio from all over now, so please subscribe to help us 🙏🏻

12/03/2023

Episode #19, Danny Smith
“The Collapse of Silicon Valley Bank” 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏾‍♂️🏦

In this episode, Troy Hammond speaks with Danny Smith on the fall of Silicon Valley bank due to the bank run.

They go deep into what has happened, why it happened, and what could happen in the future.

Danny breaks down the information in an eloquent non-financial talk conversation so that everyone can understand the reasoning behind the 18th largest bank in the US falling down.

Please like, follow, and subscribe to the podcast so we can continue to keep bringing you content.

Sponsored by Talent Army 🙏🏻

Podcast link in bio 🎙️🎧

11/03/2023

“When organisations have such a lead, it’s difficult to do innovation“

Full episode available on our podcast
Link in bio

09/03/2023

Joel Lieser was at Netflix before and during the move from DVD rentals to online streaming.

He and Troy talk about culture and Joel gives his take on the famous Netflix “Culture Deck”

Why it was developed to stop people coming to Netflix and not actually a marketing tool for joining.

Do you agree or disagree? 🤔