Today we’re in conversation with Michael Batko, the CEO of Startmate.

After years in finance and consulting in his early days, Michael moved to Australia to work in a bar - and ended up at early-stage startup Mad Paws. We have the pleasure to hear Michael’s career journey in the startup space and the things he’s learnt along the way. If you’re interested in hearing his advice to founders and VCs alike–from the worst way to pivot to how to find a niche as a VC–this episode is for you.

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome to The Way Forward

00:20 - Sponsor shoutout 

00:47 - Intro to today’s episode

01:02 - Michael’s early days in early-stage startups

5:47 - A learning about financial modeling - it’s all about the story

6:43 - Hiring for attitude and not skill

9:23 - Aligning your career with your life’s mission

11:20 - Advice to early-stage founders above the age of 30

13:47 - Traction vs product-market fit 

15:25 - Disappointments 

17:54 - What Michael looks for in startups from an investor perspective

20:47 - The worst way to pivot

22:38 - How Michael maintains his mental health

24:40 - Advice for VCs 

26:00 - A common misconception about going into VC

28:11 - What VCs bring to the table (and it’s not just capital)

31:27 - Signals and anti-signals of great founders

33:21 - What Michael would like to see more of from the NZ/AUS startup space