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The Leap by Founders Collective

The Leap by Founders Collective

By: Gavin Tye
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 The Leap is a podcast for founders, creatives, and career-shifters who are bold enough to start something of their own. Hosted by Gavin Tye, each episode dives into the real stories behind people who’ve taken the leap...from launching startups and scaling side hustles to pivoting careers with purpose. Through candid conversations with early-stage founders, innovators, and changemakers, we explore the messy middle of entrepreneurship: the fears, breakthroughs, lessons, and mindset shifts that come with building something meaningful from the ground up. Whether you’re thinking about starting a business or already deep in the trenches, The Leap will leave you feeling inspired, informed, and ready to take your next big step.© 2025 Gavin Tye Economics Leadership Management & Leadership Personal Development Personal Success
Episodes
  • From Y2K coder to ecosystem backbone with Peter Laurie

    From Y2K coder to ecosystem backbone with Peter Laurie
    Dec 9 2025

    In this episode, Gav sits down with long-time Brisbane ecosystem mainstay and Inductive founder, Peter Laurie, to unpack his journey from Y2K software engineer to helping founders become genuinely investor ready, not just pitch-deck ready. They talk about why a technically perfect project still collapsed, how VCs actually make decisions, the traits of coachable founders, and why you should chase effective, then efficient, then elegant when building product.

    Expect a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to launch a B2B SaaS company from scratch - completely bootstrapped.

    Got questions or topics you want us to cover? Email us at journey@sixsides.co

    If you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps us reach more people!


    In this episode, we cover:

    • Why Inductive exists and what "investor ready" actually means
    • The types of founders and teams Inductive is designed for
    • How VC theses really work and why a good business can still get a no
    • The danger of the slow no in fundraising and how to spot it
    • Coachability, curiosity and the traits Peter looks for in early stage founders
    • Peter's early career in engineering and software through the Y2K era
    • The technically perfect project that still failed and what it taught him
    • Why he went back to do an MBA to understand what he "did wrong"
    • Starting a bespoke software business and the mistakes that came with it
    • Service-led product vs pure product-led growth
    • Building from first principles instead of cargo cult startup theatre
    • The startup industrial complex and "Veblen entrepreneurs"
    • Why founders should chase effective, then efficient, then elegant
    • Habits, longevity and how to stay in the game as a founder
    • Peter's advice for anyone standing on the edge of their own leap

    Chapters

    00:00 No edits, no filter
    00:36 Welcome to The Leap and Peter intro
    01:29 Who is Peter Laurie and what is Inductive
    03:36 What "investor ready" really means
    06:29 How VC funds actually work and why they say "you’re not ready"
    10:37 Slow nos, fast nos and dating VCs
    12:46 Life before founding - engineering and Y2K software days
    16:47 Realising tech isn’t the real problem
    20:25 The technically perfect project that still failed
    23:17 Burnout, taking time off and starting an MBA
    25:03 Starting a new consulting business with Dean
    31:57 Early surprises and mistakes building software for others
    34:20 Turning hard lessons into simple, pragmatic models
    39:01 How entrepreneurship has changed Peter
    42:42 Unlearning perfection - effective, then efficient, then elegant
    47:31 Building Inductive and finding the real players
    52:05 The startup industrial complex and Veblen entrepreneurs
    55:15 Habits, longevity and staying in the game
    59:31 What Peter wishes he knew before taking the leap
    63:12 Advice for founders standing on the edge and where to find Peter

    Links:
    Founder Collective: https://founderscollective.com.au/founders-collective
    FC's Newsletter: https://founderscollectivecommunity.substack.com/
    Book a call with Gavin: https://call.sixsides.co

    Inductive accelerator: https://inductive.au

    Peter’s links:
    Towards an Untrepreneurial Economy? The Entrepreneurship Industry and the Rise of the Veblenian Entrepreneur:https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3479042

    Peter’s tweet thread while reading it:
    https://x.com/pjlaurie/status/1274180626782945281

    Peter on LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/pjlaurie
    Peter’s video posts on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pjlaurie/recent-activity/videos/

    Connect with us:
    Roman Galkov on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romangalikov/
    Gavin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavintye/
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 5 mins
  • The Unexpected Leap from CFO to Founder with Roman Galikov

    The Unexpected Leap from CFO to Founder with Roman Galikov
    Dec 2 2025
    In this episode, Roman Galikov shares the real story behind his leap from CFO to founder, the unexpected turns along the way, and why creating Create Financial has unlocked a new chapter of energy and purpose.Expect a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to launch a B2B SaaS company from scratch - completely bootstrapped.Got questions or topics you want us to cover? Email us at journey@sixsides.coIf you enjoyed this episode, please leave us a 5-star rating and a review on your favourite podcast app. It really helps us reach more people!In this episode, we cover:Roman’s journey from Russia to the UK to AustraliaHow he fell into accounting and why it stuckThe early signals that he wanted to build something of his ownHis first near-leap and why he abandoned itMoving to the US to launch RedEye’s expansionMaking the leap into Records and why it didn’t gain tractionPivoting into Create Financial without meaning toThe reality of early-stage software expectationsThe loneliness of building alone versus with a co-founderWhy founders need better accounting foundations than they realiseThe unexpected workload of shaking hands and generating demandHow the Founders Collective exploded overnightRoman’s views on risk, optimism and staying groundedWhy financial runway and timing matter more than passionHow he defines success today and what keeps him alignedThe importance of personal routines when everything else changesChapters:00:00 Intro00:52 Getting started and pre-show banter01:24 Gavin sets up the show and Roman’s intro02:33 Who is Roman and what does he do?03:55 Create Financial and early traction05:05 Founders Collective and the surprising growth07:10 Reflections on the first FC events07:43 Life before becoming a founder09:23 Roman’s move to the US with RedEye11:47 What being a CFO in tech is really like13:38 A day in the life of a tech CFO15:23 Early hints that something was shifting17:18 Roman’s first ever near-leap19:48 How he got pulled into a big accounting firm instead21:28 The software idea that kept coming back23:28 The leap into Records and leaving full-time employment24:46 The relief and reality of quitting his job26:50 Validation, optimism and runway27:50 Why Create Financial was originally just a side hustle29:13 The surprise challenges of early-stage software31:21 Pivoting into Create Financial with momentum33:34 The messy truth about cleaning up bad financial advice34:31 The workload of generating demand as a founder35:49 Surprises in the broader founder ecosystem37:12 How Roman has changed personally38:41 Habits, sobriety and staying grounded39:18 Optimism vs pragmatism as a founder40:31 Redefining success and chasing financial freedom42:20 Staying connected to your mission45:32 What Roman wishes he knew before taking the leap46:58 Roman’s advice for founders on the edge of their leap49:37 How the journey has changed how he sees himself51:29 Where to find Roman and wrap-up52:10 OutroRoman Galikov is a co-founder of Create Financial...they help founders and business owners take control of their money with smart, personalised financial advice.They specialise in wealth strategy, risk protection, and long-term planning - without the jargon. Think of them as the team that helps you build a financial engine strong enough to support your ambitions, not just your expenses.Gavin Tye is a sales strategist and the creator of Sales Market Fit (SMF) — a game-changing framework that helps B2B startups unlock predictable, scalable growth. With over 20 years in high-value SaaS sales, Gavin has cracked the code on why businesses stall in their sales cycle and how to fix it.SMF aligns positioning, go-to-market strategy, and sales execution into a repeatable rhythm that wins more clients with less friction. Gavin is also the co-founder of SixSides, the event-community platform helping organisations turn one-off events into lasting momentum and stronger engagement.Learn how to stop relying on hope and start winning with deliberate, proven strategies at salesmarketfit.co — and build connected communities with sixsides.co.Links:Founder Collective: https://founderscollective.com.au/founders-collective FC's Newsletter: https://founderscollectivecommunity.substack.com/Create Financial: https://createfinancial.com.au/SixSides: https://www.sixsides.co/DealBuddi: https://www.dealbuddi.com/Connect with us: Roman Galikov on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/romangalikov/ Gavin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gavintye/
    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Building Busable with Heroly Chour: The Leap from Government Employee to Tech Founder

    Building Busable with Heroly Chour: The Leap from Government Employee to Tech Founder
    Nov 24 2025

    In this episode of The Leap, Gavin sits down with Heroly, founder of Busable “an intelligent software platform built for bus and coach operators to bring control and clarity to their operations”


    After years in government helping design programs for small businesses, Heroly saw the same pain points over and over: founders drowning in red tape, not knowing what support was actually out there. Instead of just writing another policy, he decided to fix the problem directly.


    That decision kicked off the leap from the safety of the public sector into the chaos of startup life.


    This episode digs deep into what it really takes to leave a stable job, deal with imposter syndrome, build something from scratch — and stay true to your purpose when the uncertainty hits hard.


    💬 In This Episode:

    • How Heroly went from government strategist to founder
    • The moment he knew he had to build Busable
    • Rewiring from public-sector process to startup pace
    • How to deal with losing your safety net
    • The early mistakes that shaped Busable’s direction
    • Building trust with customers when you’re brand new
    • The power of community and transparency in business support
    • How to lead when you don’t have all the answers
    • Why clarity of purpose matters more than confidence
    • The real cost (and freedom) of taking the leap

    🕒 Chapters

    00:00 Welcome to The Leap
    01:10 Meet Heroly and the story behind Busable
    03:05 From Government to Startup — the transition
    05:45 The idea that sparked Busable
    08:20 Early lessons in risk and resilience
    10:52 What leaving a safe job really feels like
    13:30 Learning to move fast and break things
    16:05 Bootstrapping Busable and building trust
    19:40 Reconnecting with purpose when things get hard
    22:55 Lessons learned from government life
    26:00 Staying grounded and avoiding burnout
    29:18 What Heroly wishes he knew before taking the leap
    32:40 Advice for anyone thinking about making the jump

    🔗 Links

    • Busable: https://busable.app/
    • Busable's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/busable.app/
    • Heroly on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/herolychour/

    About Founders Collective

    Founders Collective is a community built to connect like-minded founders, creators, and builders who believe in sharing the real stories behind the journey, not just the highlight reel. Our mission is to spark honest conversations, build meaningful connections, and help founders grow through collaboration, courage, and shared experience.


    - Substack: founderscollectivecommunity.substack.com
    - Gavin Tye on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gavintye
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
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