Founding cohost Kayla Medica is stepping away from the show because of work commitments and Simon Thomsen is devastated.
But edge-of-millennial Kayla’s not sure if she’s heard Mental As Anything’s song, If you leave me, can I come too? (to be fair it was a hit in 1981 and the clip is from the Spotify of Simon’s childhood, ABC’s Countdown). So he’s leaving too – but only for two weeks on holiday to recover – and AJ Koch will step as guest host of Startup 360.
And when Simon returns, Fishburners CEO Majella Campbell will join him on the weekly podcast and YouTube video that’s more founder fun than founder mode.
For Kayla’s final show, their guest is someone she’s long admired but never met, Doone Roisin, from Female Startup Club and Groopie.
Then Simon turned the tables and had Kayla as out 10x guest to answer 10 questions.
You can listen here:
Kayla went out with a bang – and Bollinger. They talked about Blackbird’s Sunrise, the 1oth anniversary of philanthropic movement Pledge 1% and marketing alcohol, before Doone joined them to discuss the challenges women in tech face, and how her ADHD, shapes her approach to life as a startup founder.
Last year Doone was part of the Techstars Sydney accelerator program and reveals it was much harder and more challenging than expected. She launched Groopie – think the business version of OnlyFans – and also talked about what women need to do to take the first step in becoming an entrepreneur.
And here’s the photo of her. aged 3, they were talking about:
Doone Roisin – who hasn’t changed a bit in the last 30 years
Doone then swapped chairs for 10x and the chance to quiz Kayla about her life and experiences.
Simon asked Kayla how she’d changed the startup ecosystem if she could wave a wand of Medica magic.
Less men, she said, in a show where they talked about how women still aren’t funded despite data that says they’re a better investment.
“I work with quite a wide variety of clients and startups, and most of the people who hire me are men. And when I get, like, a woman client, it’s just so nice,” Kayla said.
“Like, there’s a sense of camaraderie and, like, it’s different, but it’s so rare. I just want more of that.”
And Simon revealed that Startup 360 is the show founders VCs tune into, with recent guest, 17-year-old Liam Fuller, becoming the hottest investment potential in town after being spotted on the show.
Thanks Kayla, for making podcasting great again. We’ll miss your wisdom, no fear views and laughter. This is for you.
Watch this week’s episode below:
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