Startup founders share the piece of advice that changed their career path

Many of the world’s most successful startups were created in times of financial crisis. During the GFC in the late 2000s, Uber began. As did a few little companies you might have heard of like Slack, WhatsApp, Venmo and Groupon. 

It’s an inspiring thought for anyone wondering whether now might be the time to give up the job search and start working on a startup idea.

It’s a long road ahead, and the founders of LinkedIn Australia’s Top Startups of 2020 are sharing the one piece of advice that helped them on their journey.

Employment Hero CEO Ben Thompson: 

“I would recommend that you only ever start something you are truly passionate about. The startup journey is inevitably tough. Only passion for what you're doing will give you the grit required to charge through the tough times.”

Expert360 co-founder Bridget Loudon:

“The ability to stay calm and think clearly during conflict will be one of your superpowers as a founder.”

Shippit co-founder William On:

“Don't be afraid to not have all the answers. Surround yourself with the best people who plug the gaps that you have and remember to stop and smell the roses.”

Volt Bank CEO Steve Weston:

"The most important aspect of building a disrupter like Volt is people. It’s about genuinely caring about every team member’s wellbeing and creating an environment and culture where they feel cared about, supported and can do their best."

Xinja Founder Eric Wilson:

“Be prepared to change and adapt quickly. Be open to change. You can stay true to your purpose and still change what you're doing.”

LAB3 CEO Chris Cook:

“Don’t think you can do it all yourself. Surround yourself with the best and brightest people in the industry. Handpick your people in critical roles and make sure they are better than you! Be smart about who you bring into your ecosystem. Bring them together, sell them the vision with passion and conviction."

"Remove the roadblocks and connect the dots. Then work damn hard and watch the magic happen – fast!”

WithYouWithMe co-founder Luke Rix:

“One of our values is 'be fierce', which is pretty important as you’re starting and scaling. There will be a lot of knocks, but don't forget the reasons why you started.”

GO1 CEO and co-founder Andrew Barnes:

“Do less. It sounds counter-intuitive (surely the job of being a startup founder is to do everything!?) but it is definitely true. Focus is absolutely critical at every stage of the journey, but it's particularly critical in the very early days. Try and whittle away all the extraneous noise and focus on what is core.”

Willow CEO and co-founder Joshua Ridley:

"All 'Willowers' are leaders. Regardless of title, tenure or seniority, you’re a leader! This is great advice for would-be founders and team members alike. Leadership is not a position, it’s an action and a responsibility."

Judo Bank co-founder Joseph Healy:

“Think Big. Measure Twice and Cut Once. 

"Careful early planning supporting a vision of building a scalable business. 

"Small thinking is self-fulfilling.”

Check out this year’s 10 Top Startups in Australia — and join the conversation using #LinkedInTopStartups. 

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Anmol Sharma writes: "The 'Great Power' of meeting and talking to new people or your connections should never be underestimated.

"I came to Sydney with zero networks but my curiosity to talk to new people and build my own 'Sydney family' from scratch has shown me wonderful turns and growth."

Next week, we delve into why jobseekers and returned soldiers have a lot in common.

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