- with Sally Warlow from Baasistech
Earlier this month, Sally Warlow - founder of Baasistech and part of Startup Dunedin’s Distiller incubator - had the pleasure of getting along to the Ministry of Awesome’s Electrify Aotearoa 2025 in Wellington.
A quick recap in case you missed it - Electrify is a two-day event designed to bring women founders, investors, and supporters into one place to share ideas, learn from each other, and build connections across Aotearoa’s startup community.
Sally and her team at Baasistech are a local startup creating intuitive tools to help organisations find volunteers to assist with projects, so Electrify really was the perfect opportunity for her to nab a bit of inspiration, wisdom, and fuel for the journey. She came back to us with an awesome stack of insights worth sharing from startups around the country, and we’ve pulled together a few highlights that other founders might find useful too!
1. Make Your Message Repeatable
One theme that kept coming up was the power of clarity. If your core message isn’t easy to repeat, it won’t spread. Whether you’re pitching to investors or explaining what you do at the school gates, your story needs to be defined so well that someone else can share it without losing the essence. - Simon Pound of Previously Unavailable
2. Brand Is How You Show Up
Several speakers reminded us that a brand isn’t a logo or a typeface. It’s how you show up every day - the way you talk to customers, deliver on promises, and embody your values. Authenticity has never been more valuable, so it pays to look beyond the visuals and focus on building trust through action - Simon Pound of Previously Unavailable
3. Start With the Funnel Stage
Before you fire off a campaign, think about where your audience sits in your marketing funnel. A cold audience needs a different approach to those ready to buy. When you match your delivery to their stage, your message has a better chance of sticking - Lucy Sorensen of AF Drinks
4. ‘No’ Is a Strategy
It’s tempting to say yes to every opportunity, especially when you’re growing fast. But one of the strongest messages on day two was that ‘no’ can be a smart strategy. Only say yes to the things that genuinely serve your mission or support your team. Everything else can wait - Ronel Schodt of Kai’s Education.
5. Talk to Your Customers - Daily!
This one might sound obvious, but it came through loud and clear: the most successful founders never stop talking to their customers!
Whether you’re validating an idea or refining your product, those daily conversations are a reality check and a source of inspiration - Nicole Retter of PAM.
Ministry of Awesome are also the force behind Startup Aotearoa, making sure everyone in New Zealand can access startup support.
So, if you have something you’re working on and you want to connect, get in touch with them or book a free check in with us if you’re based in Dunedin!