Future² - Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship

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 pursui...

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 ha...

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 mecha...

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...

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 th...

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 ind...

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 influen...

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 c...

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 in...

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 perspe...

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...

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...

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 bus...

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 h...

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 chal...

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...

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...

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 B...

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 bef...

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...

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...

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 D...

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: WIsdo...

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 r...

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...