My guest for Ep193 of The Startup Playbook Podcast was Llew Jury.

Llew is the General Partner and Executive Chairman of Sprint Ventures, a Queensland based VC with two funds and 18 portfolio companies that is investing in companies that build a better future. He has just helped Sprint secure funding from QIC’s VCDF for his third early stage Seed fund.

Prior to launching Sprint Ventures, Llew founded a number of successful businesses.

Between 2006 and 2016, Llew was the Founder and Managing Director of The Reload Group, one of Australia’s largest digital & eCommerce marketing agencies. Llew built the Reload business to 90 staff and 300 clients before Reload was acquired by Hardie Grant Media in 2022.

From 1999 to 2006 Llew was co-Founder of leading Queensland web, eCommerce and digital agency Alfresco, that was sold to a consortium led by the ASX listed STW Group.

In this episode we covered a range of topics including:

• The common mistakes founders make when it comes to sales and marketing
• Llew’s approach to backing and building generational businesses
• How to leverage partners for growth
• How to nurture relationships and talent
• and much more!

Timestamps:

• 1:58 Llew’s background
• 7:10 Launching his first business Alfresco, growing it and getting acquired
• 10:10 Lessons from first business and how he’s applied that to subsequent businesses
• 11:55 Advice to founders on balancing life and work
• 14:56 Things he looks for when investing in founders
• 16:32 The story of finding his co-founder at The Reload Group
• 19:46 Nurturing talent
• 23:31 The process of expanding internationally out of Australia
• 27:30 Tactics and common founder mistakes in sales, marketing and partnerships
• 37:45 Sprint Ventures investment thesis
• 42:57 His thoughts on the current investment landscape in Australia
• 46:52 Running a services business vs high growth business
• 49:28 Building relationships and playing the long game

Our partners:

A big thank you to Kylie Merritt, Ian Campbell and Craig Sommerville for their help with this interview!

Also a big shout out to our partners for the show:

Scendar 

Scendar is the OG startup accounting firm in Australia catering to all stages of your business’ life. If you’re busy running your startup, you don’t have time to do your own books and forecast. Instead, fully outsource your finance function, giving you time and resources back to focus on what you do best in growing your business. Find out more at Scendar.com

Vanta

Vanta helps businesses get — and stay — compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in-demand compliance frameworks. And with over 300 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on.
Join over six thousand fast-growing companies that use Vanta to manage risk and prove security in real time.
Startup Playbook Podcast listeners get access to an exclusive offer of USD$1000 off their plans. Head over to vanta.com/playbook to get access to this exclusive discount.

Links mentioned:

8 year podcast event:

• Live Podcast event with Leigh Jasper (Registration)

Llew’s links:

• Llew’s LinkedIn
• Sprint Ventures

People mentioned:

• Kylie Merritt
• Craig Somerville
• Jim Collins
• Georgia Barkell
• Bryan Williams
• Matt Vitale

Companies mentioned:

• River City Labs
• Subway
• Hockey Stick Advisory
• QIC
• Queensland Venture Capital Development Fund (QVCDF)
• Birchal
• Brisbane Angels
• Sydney Angels
• Melbourne Angels
• Guzman y Gomez

Feedback/connect/say hello:

[email protected]
@RohitBhargava7 (Twitter)
/rohbhargava (LinkedIn)
@rohit_bhargava (Instagram)
My Youtube Channel

Credits:

Music: Paycheck

Other channels:

Find all of the links for the podcast on Linktree here

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