Sprint Hard, Iterate Fast

James Fuller: Get ready to be tested

The work landscape in the tech industry is broad and challenging. The ability to succeed in it requires a resilient mindset and the willingness to learn new skills. Everyone, all the way up to the CEOs of the biggest tech companies need to be able to learn from their mistakes and hold their hands up when they happen. This is the only way to create a positive culture.
 
In this episode James Fuller, the Co-Founder and CEO of Hnry, discusses how he and his wife Claire created Hnry after being self-employed. He gives insight into what it takes to make it in the tech industry, from your first role up to becoming a CEO. He shares his own mistakes on this journey and the importance of showing contrition as a CEO. He also tells us about the successes of his own team and the perks of working for Hnry.
 
“It's as much about learning from your failures, as it is about celebrating even the tiniest win that happens.” – James Fuller
 
Timestamps
 
1:15 - What is Hnry and where did the idea come from?
6:42 - How did you get started in software development?
13:30 - The importance of having a broad range of skills.
16:22 - Be ready to have your resilience tested.
19:03 – Why showing contrition creates a positive culture.
21:31 – The contribution of the Hnry team
24:04 - Unique or unconventional perks at Hnry.
 
Connect with James Fuller:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwfuller/?originalSubdomain=nz
Hnry on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/hnry/
Hnry Website - https://hnry.co/au/
Hnry Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/hnryau/
Hnry Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hnryau/
 
Connect with Reggie James:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldljames/     
Beaker & Flint Website - https://www.beakerandflint.com/
Beaker & Flint on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/beaker-flint/
 
Resources:
 
Order The Resilient Scaleup by Reggie James - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR3CBFQK?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
 
Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment and review if you got something out of this episode!

Mickael Roger: The journey to becoming a tech founder

Taking the leap from employee to founder is no easy feat. Mickael Roger’s path to becoming a tech founder was one he felt he was always meant to take. His winding journey from employee to consultant led him to create the tech company PropHero.
 
In this episode Mickael discusses the experiences that brought him to this point as well as what it takes to maintain positive and productive cultures in tech. He also gives insight to everyone looking to become employees at PropHero.
 
Mickael Roger is co-founder and co-CEO of PropHero, a data-driven digital platform for property investment. PropHero helps you find, buy and manage the best investment properties. Before founding PropHero, Mickael was an Associate Partner at McKinsey & Company, where he was leading the Data & Artificial Intelligence practice, serving clients in the Telco/Media/Tech, Private Equity and Financial Services industries.
 
“Everything that I have learned had a meaning and is helpful to me today.” – Mickael Roger
 
Timestamps
 
1:44 - What is PropHero?
4:10 - Product data, global data, and products
6:18 - Experimentation in product development?
8:52 - Mickael’s journey to becoming a tech founder?
14:13 - Mickael’s advice to his younger self?
17:00 - How to maintain a positive and productive culture
19:22 - How the team shapes company culture
22:24 - Benefits Mickael offers his employees?
24:19 – Advice for those who want to work at PropHero
 
Connect with Mickael Roger:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mickaelyroger/
PropHero on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/propheroinvestment/
PropHero Website - https://prophero.com.au/
PropHero YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChfQGfuICAOyTpu2JsDOR0A
PropHero Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/PropHeroInvestment/
PropHero Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/prophero.investments/
 
Connect with Reggie James:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldljames/     
Beaker & Flint Website - https://www.beakerandflint.com/
Beaker & Flint on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/beaker-flint/
 
Resources:
 
Order The Resilient Scaleup by Reggie James - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR3CBFQK?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
 
Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment and review if you got something out of this episode!

Saad Irfani: The challenges of creating a tech start-up

Ideas are powerful things that can bring people together to create something greater than any individual could. Having people around you that you can trust to be able to test ideas with that may fail before you succeed is crucial. Saad Ifrani went through exactly this while setting up the tech company Eclipse AI, so is the perfect guest to talk you through the challenges of creating a tech start up.
 
Saad Ifrani is the co-founder of Eclipse AI, a plug-and-play AI platform that helps SMEs predict and prevent churn. Prior to Eclipse AI, he was a management consultant and investment banker.
 
“The challenges you're going to face together as a team, it's going to test everything.” – Saad Irfani
 
Timestamps
 
01:38 - How did Saad get into the tech space?
06:59 - The best advice he’s received in his career
10:04 - Coming together as a team around an idea
14:41 - How Eclipse AI came to be?
17:09 - What is the biggest player in the market?
21:54 - Lean principles don’t fit with the lean startup
24:14 - Where’s the line between wild and bold claims?
31:58 - Three pieces of advice for aspiring employees.
 
Connect with Saad Irfani:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/saad-irfani-84588a88/
Eclipse AI Website - https://eclipse-ai.com/
Eclipse AI on LinkedIn - https://au.linkedin.com/company/the-eclipse-ai
Eclipse AI on Twitter - https://twitter.com/TryEclipseAI
 
Connect with Reggie James:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldljames/     
Beaker & Flint Website - https://www.beakerandflint.com/
Beaker & Flint on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/beaker-flint/
 
Resources:
 
Order The Resilient Scaleup by Reggie James - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR3CBFQK?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
 
Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment and review if you got something out of this episode!

Thomas Walkley: Building a team full of passion

Building the right team of people is important to the success of any company. But how do you know who the right people are? Erin Living Technologies CEO Thomas Walkley shares his insights on how to get it right and create a team full of belief in the company goals.
 
Thomas Walkley is pioneering the future of multi-residential living through his work as CEO of Erin Living Technologies. Thomas has now built 4 companies from the ground up with over 15 years in the property and real estate sector. He is all about creating cultures where people flourish.
 
“I don't think we've made a bad hire in our business, which is a testament to our instinct with people.” – Thomas Walkley
 
Timestamps
 
7.08 – Differences between local and international competitors
10.14 – How has the market reacted to what you are doing?
12.45 – Balancing experimentation with product delivery
15.36 – How to build a talented team full of belief
20.35 – How to find passionate people
23.23 – The importance of a team mentality
 
Connect with Thomas Walkley:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomaswalkley/?originalSubdomain=au
Erin Living Technologies Website - https://www.erinliving.com/
Erin Living Technologies on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/erinliving/
Erin Living Technologies on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erin__living/
Erin Living Technologies on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erinapp.com.au
 
Connect with Reggie James:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldljames/     
Beaker & Flint Website - https://www.beakerandflint.com/
Beaker & Flint on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/beaker-flint/  
 
Resources:
 
Order The Resilient Scaleup by Reggie James - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR3CBFQK?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420  
 
Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment and review if you got something out of this episode!

Anthony Stevens: Tech innovation without the shackles

The key thing for any company is to recognise the problems that exist in a market then be able to create solutions to fix them. 6clicks have created innovative solutions using AI to do just that. Anthony Stevens discusses how to balance innovation and customer demand as well as advice to people looking to join 6clicks.
 
Anthony Stevens is the CEO & Co-founder of 6clicks. With a mission to build truly great software to help communities of partners and customers with risk and compliance. Anthony is also the author of Chasing Digital: A Playbook for the New Economy and co-founder of several start-ups.
 
“We wanted to build something really fast and contemporary” – Anthony Stevens
 
Timestamps
 
6.27 – Discover the origins of 6clicks
8.54 – Why Hub & Spoke architecture is appealing to large enterprises
13.41 – How 6clicks got started with AI
19.55 – Find out how to balance customer demands with innovation needs
24.02 – Advice for people wanting to join 6clicks
 
Connect with Anthony Stevens:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/antpstevens/?originalSubdomain=au
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtIt5JmBpzqgHCUWQbGnHzA
6clicks Website - https://www.6clicks.com/
6clicks on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/6clicks/
 
Connect with Reggie James:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldljames/     
Beaker & Flint Website - https://www.beakerandflint.com/
Beaker & Flint on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/beaker-flint/  
 
Resources:
 
Order The Resilient Scaleup by Reggie James - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR3CBFQK?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
 
Read Anthony Steven’s book Chasing Digital: A Playbook for the New Economy - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Chasing-Digital-Playbook-New-Economy/dp/0730358631
 
Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment and review if you got something out of this episode!

Tom Dreyfus: Don’t Take No for an Answer

Hearing “No” to your ideas is something that all start-up Founders go through. In this episode you will discover how moving forward despite hearing “No” is what makes or breaks a Founder and that making fast decisions can set you up for success. Tom also reveals how it’s possible to progress to senior roles without experience.
 
Tom Dreyfus is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder at Josef and leads the company strategy and global relationships with customers and technology partners. Tom has worked as a solicitor, served as an associate at the High Court of Australia and was also a founding member of the Columbia Law School Legal Technology Association.
 
“Building a successful start-up is all about taking risk” – Tom Dreyfus
 
Timestamps
 
6.11 - Don’t take no for an answer.
 
13.37 - Balancing careful planning and bold decisions.
 
19.18 - The shift from hyper-growth to sustainable growth.
 
26.48 - How employees and teams can drive growth in their own ways.
 
31.22 - How to progress without experience
 
34.34 - Tom’s advice for people applying to work at Josef.
 
Connect with Tom Dreyfus:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-dreyfus/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/joseflegal
Josef Website - https://joseflegal.com/
Josef on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/joseflegal/
 
Connect with Reggie James:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldljames/ 
Beaker & Flint Website - https://www.beakerandflint.com/ 
Beaker & Flint on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/beaker-flint/  
 
Resources:
 
Order The Resilient Scaleup by Reggie James - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR3CBFQK?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420
 
Before you go, don’t forget to leave a comment and review if you got something out of this episode!

Sprint Hard Iterate Fast - Trailer

Welcome to the Sprint Hard, Iterate Fast Podcast, where we look inside the most innovative companies creating exciting new jobs.
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I'm your host, Reggie James. And I've worked with many startups, three I Co-Founded and two that scaled to employ hundreds of people. I'm currently the CEO of a digital product resource consultancy Beaker & Flint, based in Melbourne, Australia.
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You know, I believe time and chance are life's sweetest gifts. You never know what person or project will come along and change everything. Hang with me for your own stroke of good luck. We're getting candid stories and trusted advice from CEOs, CTOs, and Product Leaders who have been there, done that and learned a thing or two along the way. I'm talking everything from product, team, and culture.
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On the Sprint Hard, Iterate Fast Podcast, I'm going to introduce you to companies hiring top talent like you and give you actionable tips to stand out. As a bonus for the first 100 people to subscribe and leave a review. I'm giving away copies of my new book ScaleUp culture. ScaleUp culture will give you a leg up in your career by showing you how fast-growing tech companies are building their teams.
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Stay tuned for upcoming episodes, including a special series entitled Melbourne's tech Mavericks. Ten companies shaking up their industries in 2023.
 
Connect with Reggie James:
 
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/reginaldljames/
Beaker & Flint Website - https://www.beakerandflint.com/ 
Beaker & Flint on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/beaker-flint/ 
 
Resources:
 
Pre Order Scale Up Culture by Reggie James - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BR3CBFQK?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420