I linked an app to my bank and it quietly invests my spare change into KiwiSaver. I sat down with Feijoa co-founder Mark White-Robinson to find out how it works, and why the self-employed are the ones missing out on free government money.
A stroke forced one business owner to step away from his company. What he built when he came back, a team of AI business advisors, changed how he runs everything. This is what the rest of us can learn from it. Imagine sitting in your office, having an argument with...
This is a post about AI accountability in business. Specifically, about what happens when you stop supervising the tools you've handed the keys to. David Morrison said something that stopped me in my tracks. We'd started the call the way many business owners do. Both...
Most success stories get tidied up in the telling. The gear, the team, the breakthrough. What actually happens looks a lot less polished. It usually starts with someone doing the thing badly, in a truck on a lunch break, on a gaming headset, with nothing to lose. Te...
I met Chelsea and Dan this week. Chelsea said something that has stuck with me. "I always knew, even before I owned a business, that you don't skimp on marketing. Don't try and do it yourself for a year, screw it up, and then hire someone." She and her husband Daniel...
Employment Disputes in NZ: Prevent Costly HR Mistakes Employment disputes in New Zealand are one of the most expensive risks businesses overlook. Most owners think about risk in financial terms — cashflow, debt, tax obligations, profit margins. But personal grievance...
Most Kiwi business owners do not struggle with ambition. They struggle with capacity. It is one thing to build a business. It is another thing to build a business while raising young kids, protecting your relationship, and keeping the wheels on at home. In this Beyond...
Most Kiwi businesses do not start with spreadsheets and strategy decks. They start with an idea, a few good people, and a willingness to give something a crack. Parrotdog is one of those stories. I first connected with Matt Stevens through a FinTech accelerator...
I met Kurt standing in line at Rock the Bowl in New Plymouth. I was waiting for my bonus kids to get their t-shirts signed. One of those slow-moving queues where conversation happens naturally. Somewhere between the merch table and the sharpie pens, he mentioned his...
For those curious about what actually happens inside a fintech accelerator, the recent Fintech Lab Bootcamp in Wellington offered a front-row seat. It wasn’t just pitch decks and buzzwords. it was a practical, people-first look at how early-stage ventures build...
Building a Different Kind of Student Living At Prime Campus, Tim Calder is building more than just accommodation – he’s creating a new model for student living that balances strong returns for investors with genuine care for tenants. With nearly $14 million in assets...
Automation for small businesses can feel like a buzzword, but when you strip it back, the lessons for business owners are straightforward. After years of working with Swift-IA, the biggest takeaways aren’t about tools or acronyms they’re about how to think differently...
You don’t need to be in politics to deal with conflict. It’s something we all have to manage at some time. And disagreement is not a bad thing. It’s just an opportunity to learn. Still, it helps to have a way of handling tension that doesn't escalate it. In this...
Busy doesn’t always mean profitable. In fact, some of the hardest-working business owners we meet are unknowingly losing thousands each year through silent “profit leaks” — small inefficiencies or blind spots that compound over time. The danger? These leaks don’t show...
A Conversation with Ben Calder and Wulf Solter Scaling a startup isn’t about chasing perfection. It’s about building momentum, staying focused, and surrounding yourself with the right people. I sat down with Ben Calder and Wulf Solter—co-founders of Wherewolf—to talk...