3 top tools to help prioritise your time and give you more headspace when starting a business.
The first thing to remember is that the best way to reduce your time money and resources is to focus on validation.
Validation can be seen as three parts of a Venn diagram; where all three parts overlap is the “sweet spot” that indicates the best chance of a successful business. The three parts of the Venn diagram are Desirability, Viability, and Feasibility.
Kia ora to our vibrant and ever-growing Startup Dunedin community! You might have noticed a little bit of change around the Startup Dunedin space lately. As our General Manager Rachel Butler has begun her parental leave, we’ve welcomed some friendly new faces to the team.
So, as we prepare to say goodbye to 2023 at the end of this month, we reckon this is a great time to introduce (and reintroduce) the dedicated individuals you’ll meet with - or run into at Strictly Coffee - behind the scenes at Startup Dunedin.
One of Startup Dunedin’s core values is that innovation requires success and failure.
That failure part? Turns out it’s pretty important. In fact, failure can be just as much of a success as, well, success. The lessons you learn, the skills you pick up, and the connections you make can be the spark that ignites the next big flame.
For Cameron Templer, who founded the npw-closed startup Yezmac, the journey has just begun.
We sat down with Cam for a quick Q&A on the ups and down that came with his entrepreneurial journey and the decision to close Yezmac.
Perspectives and learnings from local female founders at the second ever Electrify conference.
Recently, three women currently in Startup Dunedin’s Distiller Incubator had the unique opportunity to attend Electrify Aotearoa, presented by the good folks at Ministry of Awesome. Conferences like Electrify are a part of that solution. Just as a series of amazing wāhine took the national stage to share their wisdom, we’re excited to see how our local startups take that knowledge and turn it into real and tangible progress here in Ōtepoti.
Let’s recap some of that wisdom!
We’re really proud of the way that Ōtepoti, Dunedin has blossomed into a thriving hub for all things entrepreneurial and startups (for more on that, make sure you have a read of our previous blog!), as well as impactful community and creative arts projects. Here’s a roundup of some of the entrepreneurial programmes and awards you might not be as familiar with.
With Semester 2 of Audacious 2020 drawn to a close, we’d like to take a moment to congratulate our amazing Audacious prizewinners. We were gutted that our tech failure meant we weren’t able to video or live-stream this semester’s showcase, so we’ve decided to make a break-down of the evening for you in blog format.
Tenisha was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) at just seventeen years old. She was told that she was probably going to be miserable, struggle to get pregnant and should lose some weight if she wanted to get close to living a happy, normal life.
After using "Dr. Google" and finding dozens of stories from other women struggling with PCOS she decided that she could make a difference.
Thomas Weidling - Audacious
Thomas studied at the International School of Geneva and has enjoyed a recent career change from banking to managing Audacious, the Otago programme for student startups.
Audacious is a two round business programme run for Otago Polytechnic and University of Otago students.
Round One is about exploring business problems and solutions. It involves putting together a team, analysing ideas and beginning to communicate your story.
Round Two has workshops covering topics including business plans, finding finance, and legal issues. Challengers submit a detailed business plan and pitch their idea to the judges in the Dragon's Den.
"Audacious is about being brave enough to take the path less travelled. It is about starting a business, being your own boss, taking a risk, doing what you love and just maybe leaving your mark on the world." - Audacious Website
How did you come across The Distiller and how long have you been a part of the space?
My first visit was to join Varsha and Stephanie, my wife, in the second floor meeting room. It was a good place to meet and discuss business in a discrete place.
How do you start your day when you arrive at The Distiller?
I say Hello to everyone first of all. I start rather late every morning so there are always people there ahead of me. After that I'll unlock my office and get onto work.
What 3 Audacious businesses have you talked to others about the most?
PocketSmith, Jason Leong (2008); Education Perfect, Craig Smith (2007) and Gobelet, Ryan Everton (2012).
The first two show how far you can go on an idea started in Audacious, and Ryan to prove you can win with an idea many would naively consider “basic”.
What is the weirdest/most absurd idea to come through Audacious?
I don’t know about all ideas ever presented to Audacious but the weirdest winner was Louise Corcoran who in 2010 won Audacious with the idea of constructing the first Southern Hemisphere bob sleigh track! Unfortunately, it was never realised.
Whos is your ideal guest speaker for Audacious? You get to have them over for dinner after.
Elon Musk, the remarkable inventor and creator of Tesla, SpaceX and numerous other StartUps.
What makes you feel most relieved after a day's work?
It depends on the season! Now it’s such a pleasure to get outside and enjoy the good weather. In winter getting home to my dogs relieves the daily pressure.
What is something you consider absurd that you love to do?
I touch rocks at the end of the St Clair/St Kilda beach when I go for walks and I touch the enormous Macrocarpa tree at the top of Ross Creek.
Finally, If you could put anything on a billboard that could be seen by thousands of people, what would you choose?
Live and Let live.
