Ariya Chittasy

FOUNDER pitching has begun at Super Founder (SFGN). 1 MILLION founders and 1 MILLION investors on SFGN is the plan. Today we have five founders pitching in the video here as a small preview of what is to come. Part 2 of the announcement is at the end of this post…but first let’s finish Part 1. Today we have founders that have partners / team members from Deloitte, NFL, Solana, SHL, Google, Salesforce, Fortune 100 and more. I’m honored to feature these five (of many more in the network to come). They are phenomenal humans. Crystal Kendzior Brett Butler  Zoya Lehrer Katja Kempe  Leong Cheah Connect to and follow these amazing founders today :-) Ask them about what they're working on :-) Generally in regards to founder pitches... Amazing humans + long term relationships + long term visions (5-15 yrs) means being able to spot "seed traits" of great leaders/humans early. - No trauma - Communication with word precision, numbers and dates - Extreme brevity - Ability to have difficult conversations with craft & kindness (not avoid) - Consistent daily habits - "Gravity Ball" effects (pulling in employees, partners, customers, investors - stemming from no trauma and good communication and a good vision with good human values) - A/B testing science/math - and MUCH more. To see beyond the now and beyond the pivots. Easy to say...hard to do. A skill for many to practice building. PART TWO of the announcement is that we will launch a form on sf-gn.com in the next few weeks for all founders around the world to list themselves to get access to SFGN investors. No more investors and founders struggling to connect (or needing outreach training/services or getting “Keep us updated” rejected)…we’ll connect everyone…algorithmically (where there is fit) in an unprecedented way. The short term goal is 1 million investors, 1 million founders/execs and 1 million service partners. I hope you enjoy these five amazing founders pitching today! SFGN Podcast launched on YouTube and Spotify this week. P.S. We will be hosting a 10,000 - 30,000 attendee Super Founder Conference in Las Vegas or London in 2025 (or both locations)…and we’ll have digital events (pitching and digital conferences leading up to it/those). The world will not be the same when we are done with it. Let’s have some fun! 

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🌟 Australian Startups 2023: A Year of Strategic Shifts and Emerging Opportunities 🚀 In 2023, the Australian startup landscape navigated a cautious investment climate, recording a total of 413 deals with an overall investment value of $3.5 billion. Despite a significant drop in deal value from previous years, there was a notable shift towards robust activity in the early stages of investment. Angel and Pre-Seed rounds not only resisted the broader downturn but actually increased, highlighting a vibrant seed funding environment that underpins a dynamic market for emerging technologies. This heightened competition at the entry-level indicates a strategic pivot within our ecosystem, investing in the foundational potential of new ventures. Such insights are crucial as we steer towards nurturing a resilient and innovative startup community ready to tackle future challenges. Dive deeper into the full analysis and explore how these shifts are shaping the future of Australian innovation. https://lnkd.in/gc4gNtGc #AustralianStartups #VentureCapital #StartupEcosystem #Innovation

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UPDATE: For anybody who hasn't received the link: https://bit.ly/3yTnAc7 VCs are pouring money into bootstrapped startups. The conventional wisdom was that venture capital and bootstrapping are mutually exclusive. But increasingly, we're seeing VCs invest in startups that have avoided taking on external funding - at least in the early stages. Take Atlassian, the Australian software giant now valued at $46.84 billion. It funded its growth entirely through bootstrapping, never taking any primary capital investments. Only later did it raise $100 million in secondary funding. So, what's driving this VC mindset shift? **Proven Traction and Profitability** 📈 Bootstrapped startups have had to focus on building a sustainable business model from the start. This means they've achieved real traction and profitability - two metrics that VCs find increasingly attractive, especially in uncertain economic times. **Efficient Capital Use** 💸 Founders who have grown their companies without VC funding have demonstrated an ability to extract maximum value from limited resources. VCs see this as a competitive advantage, knowing their investment will be put to good use to accelerate growth, not just burn cash. **Founder Alignment** 🤝 Bootstrapped entrepreneurs have "skin in the game" in a way that founders who've taken on VC funding often don't. This closer alignment of incentives appeals to investors looking to back teams truly invested for the long haul. Founders who've built profitable, capital-efficient businesses through bootstrapping possess the entrepreneurial qualities and bottom lines worth backing. Wondering which bootstrapped startups will be the next big investments? If you’re hunting for deals, don't miss your chance - get the list of 99+ bootstrapped startups to watch 👇 Source: dealroom #VCfunding #startupfunding #bootstrapping PS 🔔 Follow me for strategies and resources for startups and VCs! Looking to raise capital? 💸https://fundingstack.com/ for VCs and investors 💸https://foundersuite.com/ for startups At only $250/month: Fundingstack gets you access to 227K+ global investors. Or you can send me a direct message with "FREETRIAL," and I'll give you a secret access link.

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What’s happening in healthtech? 💊🎉 💪 Hapana raised US$17M led by OIF & Bailador to grow its SaaS for fitness bizes 🩺 Australian Medical Angels bagged $300k from LaunchVic to launch a new VC fund for early-stage health startups 🧬 Proto Axiom got $20M for its incubator to invest in early-stage biotech ventures 🧠 Kinoxis Therapeutics Pty Ltd Therapeutics, raised a $14.5M Series B for Phase 2 trials of its drug candidate 👁️ Eyeonic closed $2.6M for its AI-enabled home glaucoma tests 🔨 Bunnings is trialling blood pressure stations in 30 stores 🚀 Startmate announced their Winter ’24 Accelerator cohort, ft. 3 of our amazing Private WTH community members: PREVE, Tendl & Trova Health 💧 Aussie hospitals face an emergency as IV saline drip shortages force fluid rations 🏥 Medibank announced plans to acquire Pinnacle Health Group, a leading corporate health & wellbeing provider 🩺 nib Group launched hubPass for Business, a subscription service by Midnight Health 🍬 Breathe Life Sciences (BXN:ASX) is Aus’s first manufacturer of pharmaceutical-grade THC gummies with TGA approval 🦠 Long covid, affecting 10–20% of recovered patients, cost the Aus economy nearly $10B in 2022 🧪 The Senate's doing an inquiry into "forever chemicals" (PFAS) over health & environmental concerns 👂 Gold Coast Health partnered with Lyrebird Health to trial an AI-powered ambient listening solution to automate clinical docs 🏛️ The Fed Gov passed the NDIS reform bill amidst controversy 🏅 Aussies are Winning the Longevity Game? 🏅 Researchers found Aussies live 1-4 years longer than those in 6 English-speaking countries. This edge is supposedly driven by lower death rates from treatable diseases, healthier lifestyles, & a high migrant population, with the biggest gains seen between ages 45-84. Keen for the links & delicious deets?? 🍩🙌 Take a gander at last week's newsletter in the comments below👇😊 --- PS - if you liked this and are keen to join >8200 legends getting the latest in health tech and innovation dropped direct to your inbox, subscribe to my newsletter, What The Health linked in the comments below! 💜 📩 #healthtech  #health  #healthcare  #digitalhealth  #medtech  #biotech

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There's a glaring irony among NFPs in the Australian startup ecosystem... They preach "know your customer" but often fail to practice it. Want to see how? Let's break it down... 👇🏾 What NFPs preach: "Always talk to your customers." What NFPs practice: Making assumptions about customer needs. What NFPs preach: "Use data to drive decisions." What NFPs practice: Relying on gut feelings and outdated information. What NFPs preach: "Build for diversity and inclusion." What NFPs practice: Creating one-size-fits-all solutions. Remember... NFPs in the startup ecosystem give great advice to founders. But the real winners are those who don't just preach, but actually practice customer-centricity. Have you noticed this disconnect in the startup ecosystem? Share your observations in the comments. ---------------------------------------------- Found this useful? Repost for your NFP startup ecosystem to "know their customer". ♻️

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What’s happening in healthtech? 💊🎉 💰The Vic Gov will invest $7.5M to fund researchers to create 50 new startups  run by Breakthrough Victoria 💻 Safewill, bagged $17M to expand services like digital wills, power of attorney, & probate assistance 🧘‍♀️ Pronto Pilates snagged $1.6M in crowdfunding, to disrupt reformer pilates with affordable, trainer-free classes 💼 Hostplus committed $125M to VC, backing startups through IP Group plc Innovation Fund 📜 Private companies will now have to upload health data to My Health Record thanks to the Health Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 🧪 Aussie women will soon have access to at-home chlamydia & gonorrhoea tests 🤖 Baymatob won ‘AI Innovator - Healthcare’ at the Aus AI Awards for its maternal health tech providing early warnings for complications 🧬 The Fed Gov launched Genomics Australia, a national body to lead & coordinate genomic research, with a $30M commitment over 4 years 💼 Aus's $15B National Reconstruction Fund begins investing in deep tech, allocating $300M to boost quantum, robotics, & clean energy innovation ~~~🌎 US & Beyond the Borders 🌎~~~ 💍 ŌURA raised $75M, reaching a US$5B+ valuation, partnering with Dexcom to integrate glucose monitoring data into its platform 🧠 Headspace laid off 13% of its staff & is transitioning all therapists from employed roles 📈 WHOOP adds psychedelics tracking to its Journal feature, letting users log ketamine, LSD, & psilocybin use ⚽ David Beckham codeveloped longevity supplement brand IM8 Health with biotech company Prenetics, launching a longevity drink 💻 Eli Lilly & Company, the global pharma, invests S$42M in Singapore to launch a Digital Health Innovation Hub 🛠️ Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers trained a surgical robot using imitation learning from surgery videos Keen for the links & delicious deets?? 🍩🙌 Take a gander at last week's newsletter in the comments below👇😊 --- PS - if you liked this and are keen to join >8700 legends getting health tech and innovation news dropped direct to your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter, What the Health, linked in the comments below! 💜 📩 #healthtech  #health  #healthcare  #digitalhealth  #medtech  #biotech

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Why is taking grant money from the Australian goverment detrimental to lean startups? #AskGPT #FatBureaucraticStartup #ObeseStartups #FakeEconomy #AustralianStartup #LeanStartup #DeathByForms #WasteOfTime #LeanStartup Taking grant money from the Australian government can be seen as detrimental to lean startups for several reasons: 1. **Loss of Agility**: Lean startups thrive on agility and the ability to pivot quickly based on market feedback. Grant funding often comes with specific conditions and reporting requirements, which can slow down decision-making and hinder flexibility. 2. **Dependency on Funding**: Relying on government grants can create a dependency that detracts from the startup’s motivation to achieve sustainable revenue. Startups may focus on meeting grant criteria instead of building a viable business model. 3. **Misalignment with Lean Principles**: Lean startups emphasize customer discovery and validation. Government grants may incentivize startups to focus on meeting funding milestones rather than directly addressing customer needs. 4. **Increased Bureaucracy**: Navigating the application process for grants can be time-consuming and bureaucratic, taking time away from core business activities. This can be especially challenging for startups with limited resources. 5. **Limited Market Signals**: Grants can distort market signals. If a startup is funded by a grant, it may not be compelled to seek market validation as aggressively as a self-funded startup, potentially leading to a misalignment with actual market demand. 6. **Expectations and Pressure**: Grant funding often comes with expectations from the government for job creation or technological advancement, which can pressure startups to scale prematurely or in directions that may not align with their strategic goals. While government grants can provide valuable support, it's essential for lean startups to carefully consider the implications and ensure that any funding aligns with their long-term business objectives and lean methodologies.

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It’s a great time to be a Queensland startup founder. In case you missed the news, QIC has established the QVCDF with $130 million in commitments from the Queensland Government. So what does this mean for you as a founder? 💰💰 Investment capital: To date, QVCDF has invested in Antler, Five V Capital, Main Sequence, Mandalay Venture Partners, and Salus Ventures. These firms are obligated to deploy the capital to back Queensland startups. 🚀 📈 Accelerators and programs: EnergyLab, Farmers2Founders, Cohort Innovation Space, UQ Ventures, and 77 Partners will run programs supporting exclusively Queensland founders. Be sure to connect with these firms and programs; they want to hear from you. Nicola Wightman, Stefan Knight, Ed Bigazzi, Alezeia Brown, Mark Gustowski, Timothy Hui, Philippe Ceulen, Dan Bennett, Marten Peck, Megan Fisher, Dren Xërxa, Nimrod Klayman, Tyson Jennings, Brent Watts #founder #entrepreneur #startup #venturecapital #vc"

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Antler Australia is investing $1M into early-stage Australia-based startups by the end of July. 📣 That’s right Antler is launching a fast-tracked funding pathway in Australia for pre-revenue, early-stage startups. Apply now to secure Pre-Seed investment from a VC in just 5 weeks. That means if you, or someone you know, is building a startup at the MVP or idea stage, you could secure VC funding from Antler in just five weeks! What’s the criteria? 🇦🇺 Australia-based 💡 Idea or MVP stage 💪 Pitch ready 🌱 Less than 12 months old More here: https://lnkd.in/dVURCHdz Want to know more and hear from founders who have done it? Join our AMA next Tuesday, 12pm: https://lnkd.in/d7-sZWJU

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There are only 7 reliable ways to get your first 1,000 users. (as a consumer company) Getting the first 1,000 is not easy. But it's extremely rewarding. You'll learn a lot about what works and doesn't. And it will pave the way for doing things at scale. Here are 7 strategies to get your first 1,000 users. (for real examples check the article below) 1️⃣ Reach out to friends and colleagues ↳ Ideal for: Products that most people will find useful (e.g. Reddit, Facebook, Lyft) ↳ Key: Your friends are close to your ICP definition 2️⃣ Reach out to targeted strangers ↳ Ideal for: Marketplaces and platforms ↳ Key: Each new user should be highly valuable 3️⃣ Go where they already hang out, online/offline ↳ Ideal for: Products, where a community point exists ↳ Key: Provide real value to people (vs. just spamming) 4️⃣ Enlist influencers, paid or organically ↳ Ideal for: Founders who know influencers ↳ Key: Getting the influencer genuinely excited about what you’re building 5️⃣ Get press ↳ Ideal for: Products (or founders) with a great story and a drumbeat of news (e.g. multiple city launches) ↳ Key: Having the skill and connections to get a reporter interested 6️⃣ Create viral content ↳ Ideal for: Founders with an existing audience ↳ Key: Being able to write/film/build something remarkable 7️⃣ Get physical placement ↳ Ideal for: Products that require customers to be local (e.g. food delivery, dating) ↳ Key: Hustle To get the ball rolling do things that don’t scale. This post is based on an awesome comprehensive article by Lenny Rachitsky. Find the full piece in my first comment below. P.S. How did you get your first users? Share your tips in the comments. ⬇️

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Mark "Z" Zmarzly 🦄 substack brings all the startups to his yard. And the startups are like, it's better than yours. And Mark's like "Damn right it's better than yours ... I can teach you, but I have to charge." Good thing he's got access to plenty Amazon Web Services (AWS) credits. See you in Melbourne at Intersekt next Wednesday and the AWS Financial Services Symposium in Sydney on Thursday. #AWSStartups #CloudInnovation #StartupEcosystem #AWSActivate #ScalableSolutions #TechForStartups #CloudForStartups #AWSGrowth #BuildOnAWS #StartupSuccess #AWSPartners #CloudFirst #FounderSupport #StartupJourney #TechInnovation #AWSCloud #ScaleWithAWS #StartupResources #AWSFunding #EntrepreneurSupport #AWSStartupsAccelerator

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This is your best pitching weapon! 👇 It's your deeper "WHY". But founders don't use it well. They start pitching their startup. And can spend hours on nonsense. My favorite question to bring them back is: WHY build a startup? I hear things like: - “I want to build stuff” - “I like the team sport” - “There is a market need” - “I want to create cool products” Then I start digging deeper with “WHY?”. Until they can’t come up with more answers. 9/10 times the final answer will be similar to: - “I want to have an impact” - “...make a dent in that industry” - “...improve my customers’ lives” - “...fix Y so it helps more people to Z.” Building a startup has a lot to do with EGO. It also has to do a lot with impacting others. The sooner you speak your “WHY”... …the sooner you will excel with users, customers, investors. Need some inspiration? Find below the WHY’s of 20 companies, who used to be startups. P.S. What's your company’s WHY? What’s your personal WHY? Share it with me in the comments. ⬇️

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🐨 Queensland founders: I’m offering limited free office hours on a first-come, first-served basis. 📅 Book a 30-minute, one-on-one session—I’m here to chat and assist with whatever matters most to you. Sign up using the link in the comments below. ⬇️ #founder #entrepreneur #startup #venturecapital #vc #ycombinator

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I've talked to hundreds of community founders and researched thousands (and acquired 15+). Many have reached 8-figures of revenue - profitably! There are five things that the best community business founders get right from the start. 1. Deep love for their members. The best community founders really want to make their members' lives better. They love meeting with them, learning from them, and serving them. There's a respect there that you can't fake 2. Hustle. Community founders do it all in the early days - product, marketing, sales, member support, events - it's exhausting! But the best community founders realize that it's the right way to learn about their members and optimize for profitability before they scale the team 3. Member-product-monetization alignment. It's easy to get seduced by the $10k/year membership model of YPO, Hampton, Chief, etc. But that model isn't right for most communities. I've seen great community businesses built around sponsorship, events, courses, products, and, yes, membership. All of these models can produce great business if the alignment is there. 4. Small team and disciplined approach to expenses. Most of the best communities were started and scaled by teams of one or two - for a long time. The best community founders grow slowly, relying on outside contractors and doing most of the work themselves until the business is big enough to support a small team. Community businesses can, and should, be profitable. 5. Focus on organic growth. The most successful community founders rely on referrals, SEO, and owned content channels (newsletters, podcasts) instead of paid growth. The beauty of these channels is that you can provide value to your existing members at the same time as you're attracting new ones. Win win! Building a great community business isn't easy, but it's absolutely possible - and can be tons of fun along the way. Plus, how many other businesses can you start with just your laptop and zero technical skills and scale to an 8- or 9-figure exit?

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Looking to scale your business or raise investment? I ask the Better Founder Walid Daniel Dib the most common mistake he sees entrepreneurs make, advice on raising investment, and the best advice he can give a founder looking to scale their revenue. "I'd avoid the mantra of growth at any cost, and I would make sure that the basis of the unit economics makes sense." Book a tailored 1:1 mentorship session with Walid on Callmi here: https://lnkd.in/d2XnjZKY #mentors #investor #venturecapital #vc #callmi Brinc

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Going head first talking to investors early on is not a good idea. Don’t get me wrong. Feedback from investors is valuable. But you need to do some ground work first. 𝟭.𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 ↳ Key roles shouldn’t be empty ↳ Balance business and product people 𝟮. 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 ↳ Don’t be delusional about their problem ↳ Get some key statements about their pain 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 ↳ You should know more than the investor ↳ Understand your competitors 𝟰. 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 ↳ Make sure you cover the main parts ↳ Discuss with founders and iterate on it 𝟱. 𝗛𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 ↳ Don’t let questions surprise you ↳ Prepare your investor FAQ Use investor meetings as a learning opportunity. But put a good foundation beforehand. Prepare as for meeting the final boss in Super Mario. 😉 P.S. What else would you do to prepare? Drop a line below.

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