Mahesh Muralidhar is a New Zealand-based entrepreneur and startup ecosystem builder who gained prominence as the Head of People Operations at Canva during its explosive growth phase to now having a $42 billion valuation.

Mahesh founded Phase One, a venture firm focused on nurturing early-stage New Zealand founders, though he's currently paused that to focus on a broader mission of accelerating New Zealand's economic growth.

🎙️ In this brutally honest conversation, Mahesh reveals:

• Why his own startup failed despite Tim Tam bribes to Uber's country manager

• The one customer obsession that separated Canva from every other startup

• Why 18 months of "not winning" is mandatory for unicorn success

• The exact wealth calculation every 40+ entrepreneur needs to do TODAY

• Why New Zealand's "safety first" culture is killing our economic potential

Episode Partner ⁠@academyex https://lnkd.in/gumX_FAd

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⏱ Timestamps
00:22 - The "product love" test that predicts startup success
02:16 - Why focusing on ONE customer beats 200 every time
04:21 - How obsessing over 5 customers trains your scaling muscles
06:09 - Mahesh's startup failure story (Tim Tam hustle included)
07:01 - The fastest way to test problem vs solution focus
09:18 - Why he chose Canva over his own startup
11:23 - The one shift Kiwi founders need to think global
13:08 - Why building Canva requires "going through fire"
16:10 - How to figure out what you actually want from life
19:08 - Why saying no is harder than picking your goal
22:59 - Inside Canva's $42 billion valuation story
24:01 - What being Head of People at Canva actually means
29:46 - Master of Technology Futures course for professionals
31:04 - The 6 Kiwi unicorns by 2030 prediction
31:55 - B2B vs B2C: The 70/30 rule that determines exit value
35:15 - The unicorn formula: 18 months of no building
38:04 - Role play: Building a $100 million company blueprint
42:14 - The reverse engineering approach to business planning
45:22 - What really keeps entrepreneurs on track (not community)
49:10 - Canva's Sunday desk move that changed everything
51:22 - Why AI opportunities don't matter (do this instead)
52:02 - Making New Zealand happier: The last chapter mission
54:30 - The best advice that keeps him grounded

#NewZealandBusiness #CanvaStory #EntrepreneurshipNZ #StartupReality #WealthBuilding #KiwiFounders

🎯 Perfect for: Kiwi & Aussie professionals 40+ considering their next career move, established business owners wanting to scale globally, anyone curious about the real story behind billion-dollar companies