Scale Up

A new show about startups in Melbourne scaling to global success. In this first series we'll meet Culture Amp, founded in 2012 by Didier Elzinga, Doug English, Rod Hamilton and Jon Williams. Since then it's gone from strength to strength winning clients from the Valley, opening offices across three continents and raising capital from some of the most reputable VCs. What can founders, teams, investors and fellow Melbourne entrepreneurs learn from their success and failures? Find out on Scale Up by LaunchVic. More information go to www.launchvic.org  LaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. It’s role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in Victoria. Thanks to Blackbird Ventures and The Sunrise Conference for allowing us to use some of Didier's presentation More information about either - www.blackbird.vc  Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Didier Elzinga, CEO and founder of Culture Amp, writes the "world's simplest business plan", finds some cofounders and launches Culture Amp in a small co-working space.Welcome to the first episode of Scale Up, an 8 part series focused on startup companies scaling in Victoria, Australia.This series is all about Culture Amp. Started back in 2012 with four co-founders in a small co-working space. They're now venture capital funded with their global headquarters still in Melbourne.More information about the series and LaunchVic - www.launchvic.orgLaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. Our role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in Victoria. Thanks to Blackbird Ventures and The Sunrise Conference for allowing us to use some of Didier's presentation  Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What do you do when a giant global software firm contact your through your website? If you're Culture Amp chat with them from a friend's bedroom, spend $800 on a plane ticket and work like crazy.The co-founders didn't come together to scale in bits, they want leaps and bounds.More information about the series and LaunchVic - www.launchvic.orgLaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. Our role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in Victoria.Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Going from 1 to 20 to now over 180 employees Culture Amp has paid close attention to what sort of company it will be to the people working there. We hear from three employees who've all joined at very different times of scale and significant growth.The very first employee Dr Jason McPhearson, two and a half year Culture Amp veteran designer Nicole Dominic and one of the most recent hires visiting the Melbourne office from the US, Stephanie Sutton. More information about the series and LaunchVic - www.launchvic.org LaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. Our role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in Victoria.Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Product market fit, an urge to grow and a meeting with an Atlassian co-founder. What happens next? It's the first of three raises that'll get Culture Amp in with big VC players - locally and in the Valley. More information about the series and LaunchVic - www.launchvic.org LaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. Our role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in Victoria.Building a company whose core business is telling other companies about their culture means looking after your own.Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

While growing at lightning speed we catch some snapshots of how that growth has altered the working lives of the founders and what they've learned from the experience.   And, inevitably, the company's first competitior appears.   More information about the series and LaunchVic - www.launchvic.org LaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency.   Our role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in Victoria.Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Culture Amp still calls the world's most liveable city home. Scale Up takes stock of the growing startup scene here and why big fast growth companies are choosing to stay. More information about the series and LaunchVic - www.launchvic.org LaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. Our role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in Victoria.Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's in store for Culture Amp's future? Plenty it seems. With the increasing momentum we catch moments with the founders to hit at the possibilities and what keeps them going. More information about the series and LaunchVic - www.launchvic.org   LaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. Our role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in Victoria.  Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin Hosking, co-founder of Redbubble, from when we spoke to him on Scale Up.  Like Culture Amp, Redbubble has their global head office in Melbourne, does the majority of it's business internationally and has scaled enormously.   Don't forget to leave a review where you're listening, and please let a friend know about Scale Up.   More information about the series and LaunchVic - www.launchvic.org LaunchVic is Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. Our role is to help build the infrastructure for entrepreneurs and startups in VictoriaSupport the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Redbubble was founded in Fitzroy, Victoria in 2006 when Peter, Martin and Paul sat around to talk about an idea. It's since become a global three-sided creative marketplace for artists to upload their work and it reproduced on-demand for customers. In 2018 Redbubble, still based in Melbourne, has been through it all; leadership changes, the Global Financial Crisis, a down-round, legal controversy and Initial Public Offering and more. Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic, supporting the startup ecosystem here in Victoria. Find out more information by visiting LaunchVic.org   Follow LaunchVic Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Medium Instagram Youtube   Listen to Scale Up wherever you find podcasts. Review, rate and share.   Music by Ilya Marfin and Denis Stelmach from Fugue.Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A two year old Redbubble was also reeling from the Global Financial Crisis. Shocked faces of Wall Street traders and the phrase "we don't know where the bottom is" beomes commonplace on the TV news. The GFC sets in and Redbubble's expansion plans are rapidly rolled back. A "Down Round" becomes necessary.   Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic.  LaunchVic here to support the startup ecosystem in Victoria. www.launchvic.org Facebook LaunchVic Twitter LaunchVic   Scale Up is presented by Courtney Carthy Music in this episode by Dmitriy Diomores, Acedis, Acedis, Yung Ferry and Max Sergeev. Sourced from Fugue.  Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The concept is mapped out by Peter, Paul and Martin. Then the pivot. Redbubble company raises $2 million from a business plan and an office is rented, but it's not an office. With enthusiasm and a vision they set about getting the company off the ground. Redbubble is chosen as the name. The early days of Redbubble are in full swing and it seems that someone swinging from the rafters of their first 'office' wouldn't have been out of place. Server in the boot - https://imgur.com/a/VJi3P3n See the website change - https://blog.redbubble.com/2014/02/redbubble-celebrates-7-years/"   Redbubble profiles Martin Hosking Russell Greenwood Paul Vanzella   Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic.  LaunchVic here to support the startup ecosystem in Victoria. www.launchvic.org Facebook LaunchVic Twitter LaunchVic   Scale Up is presented by Courtney Carthy.Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Martin had drawn a small circle on a bit of paper, then a bigger circle around the small circle. It's the bigger circle that would become and still is the backbone, the mission and the life of Redbubble - the community, both inside the company and on the website. This early strategy, focus and passion for Redbubble remains consistent, nourished and exists far greater that the sum of its parts. For the platform as a marketplace it's invaluable, passionate and fierce.   Links mentioned in the episode Welcome Our Newest Artist-In-Residence: Alle C Instagram: Little Luxuries Loft Redbubble Blog: Mr Baxter asks   Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic.  LaunchVic here to support the startup ecosystem in Victoria. www.launchvic.org Facebook LaunchVic Twitter LaunchVicSupport the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Behind the website is an immense logistics network that Redbubble initiates, drives yet barely owns. We drive to Horsham and meet the very first supplier still printing stickers and artwork to this day. It's just one of 15 suppliers globally that prints the creative on the products shipped to individual customers.   Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic.  LaunchVic here to support the startup ecosystem in Victoria. www.launchvic.org Facebook LaunchVic Twitter LaunchVicSupport the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Drifting from crisis to crisis in an uncontrolled environment created by yourself, entrepreneurship is hard. And there's a good chance you'll waste a lot of time and hopefully develop some coping mechanisms. Is there a way out if you need it? Martin Hosking, founder and CEO of Redbubble, opens up about disassociation, the hard Mondays, and where he's come from over a decade a go to now.   Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic.  LaunchVic here to support the startup ecosystem in Victoria. www.launchvic.org Facebook LaunchVic Twitter LaunchVicSupport the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After a threat in the media, a vote in Federal Parliament and movie partnerships. Redbubble has managed to significantly lessen the chances it will be in court over copyright infringement through a couple of moves and Martin's hard time in the public eye driven by the mission.   Links mentioned in the episode Ground Hog Day brand partnership State Library Victoria competition Hipster Hitler   Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic.  LaunchVic here to support the startup ecosystem in Victoria. www.launchvic.org Facebook LaunchVic Twitter LaunchVicSupport the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From about day 1 Redbubble's market was the world while it's base has always, except for a brief moment of consideration, remained Melbourne. It's rare for Australian companies to do this immediately for the global market, and even rarer for them to succeed to the level Redbubble has. But they've pulled it off, with a few lessons along the way.   Links mentioned in the episode - A review of Melbourne's digital marketplaces - Melbourne Startup Ecosystem Report   Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic.  LaunchVic here to support the startup ecosystem in Victoria. www.launchvic.org Facebook LaunchVic Twitter LaunchVicSupport the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Redbubble's First XI travel to Sydney. It's been a 10 year slog to get here. Chairman and CEO stand in front of the gathered crowd at the Australian Securities Exchange while the brass bell waits patiently on the wall behind the lectern. But Redbubble didn't have to put itself through the scrutiny of the market, even though it chose to. Links mentioned in the episode - A review of Melbourne's digital marketplaces - Schrodinger’s Cat t-shirt - Redbubble IPO video YouTube - Mr Baxter   Scale Up is brought to you by LaunchVic.  LaunchVic here to support the startup ecosystem in Victoria. www.launchvic.org Facebook LaunchVic Twitter LaunchVicSupport the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This season we look into a Victorian company that's best described as a spaceship. Experiencing Envato from within makes the world outside that's not on either side of the marketplace almost irrelevant. Though it's in Envato's powerful and human focused values that keep it familiar, give it a conscience and inspire those who work for or with the incredibly successful digital marketplace. Actually it's many marketplaces. And more. Over 50 interviews with employees of all levels, past and present, reveal what a lightning strike this company is and how it'll have a hand in so much of what we see, hear, watch and experience online. Scale Up is a podcast by LaunchVic, Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. For more information on the series or anything happening in Victoria's startup scene visit launchvic.org Subscribe where you're listening or on your favourite podcast app. Please leave a review of the series and let us know what you think. Check out LaunchVic.org for more information.Support the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What's it like to join Envato? The process from the outside to inside reveals some telling characteristics of Envato’s culture and values. People from around the world are landing in Melbourne to start work on King Street. Scale Up is a podcast by LaunchVic, Victoria's startup ecosystem development agency. For more information on the series or anything happening in Victoria's startup scene visit launchvic.org. CREDITS Hosted by Courtney Carthy Thanks to the following people in this episode Nick Rasmussen Amber Johnson Lindsay Andrew Gus Gollings Annie Denton Mario Visic Jay Hyett Adam Noonan Michelle Ridsdale Collis Ta'eed Xavier Russo Ben Leong Mario Cuba Music in this episode was supplied through Envato Elements. Tracks included;  Experimental Piano Flickering Lights Dreamy Big Show Opener Relaxin' Jazz Loop Fun Indie Pop AdventureSupport the show: http://www.launchvic.orgSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.