Under the Current Podcast: #6

what emerges in early stage companies, discovering founder identities, and launching and relaunching

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Starting a new company? Let’s be honest – it’s hard.

In the midst of a global pandemic? Yep, definitely hard.

Compared to a decade ago there are now far more places to get support in those early days, but Andrew Hutton and the team at Day One feel there are still some gaps that urgently need to be filled.

With the belief that entrepreneurship is going to be the most important skill of the 21st century, Day One are seeking to rethink the way early stage companies get built, going beyond the narrative of venture capital as the be-all and end-all, and to support all kinds of founders who are focused on outcomes, not just achievements.

In this conversation we get into challenging the conventions around building early stage companies, the identity shift when becoming a founder, how to focus on outputs first, and understanding which game you’re really playing.

Show notes

06:30: The conventions around ‘early-stage’ startups

14:00: Conforming to typical milestones and points, and what’s shifting

20:30: What emerges during the early stages, and the questions of identity around being a founder

32:30: Chasing dreams with rigor, and the shift from inputs to outputs

40:00: What Andrew rewired in himself as he became a company founder

47:00: The meta game of running a business that helps other businesses

52:00: Building a community and education business that isn’t built around a guru

55:00: Launching, relaunching, and what happens when the energy starts to dissipate

61:00: Pockets of influence and figuring out the game you’re playing

64:00: Underestimating time