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Mahesh Muralidhar is a New Zealand-based entrepreneur and startup ecosystem builder who gained prominence as the Head of People Operations at Canva during its explosive growth phase to now having a $42 billion valuation.
Mahesh founded Phase One, a venture firm focused on nurturing early-stage New Zealand founders, though he's currently paused that to focus on a broader mission of accelerating New Zealand's economic growth.
🎙️ In this brutally honest conversation, Mahesh reveals:
Why his own startup failed despite Tim Tam bribes to Uber's country manager
The one customer obsession that separated Canva from every other startup
Why 18 months of "not winning" is mandatory for unicorn success
The exact wealth calculation every 40+ entrepreneur needs to do TODAY
Why New Zealand's "safety first" culture is killing our economic potential
Episode Partner @academyex https://lnkd.in/gumX_FAd
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⏱ Timestamps
00:22 - The "product love" test that predicts startup success
02:16 - Why focusing on ONE customer beats 200 every time
04:21 - How obsessing over 5 customers trains your scaling muscles
06:09 - Mahesh's startup failure story (Tim Tam hustle included)
07:01 - The fastest way to test problem vs solution focus
09:18 - Why he chose Canva over his own startup
11:23 - The one shift Kiwi founders need to think global
13:08 - Why building Canva requires "going through fire"
16:10 - How to figure out what you actually want from life
19:08 - Why saying no is harder than picking your goal
22:59 - Inside Canva's $42 billion valuation story
24:01 - What being Head of People at Canva actually means
29:46 - Master of Technology Futures course for professionals
31:04 - The 6 Kiwi unicorns by 2030 prediction
31:55 - B2B vs B2C: The 70/30 rule that determines exit value
35:15 - The unicorn formula: 18 months of no building
38:04 - Role play: Building a $100 million company blueprint
42:14 - The reverse engineering approach to business planning
45:22 - What really keeps entrepreneurs on track (not community)
49:10 - Canva's Sunday desk move that changed everything
51:22 - Why AI opportunities don't matter (do this instead)
52:02 - Making New Zealand happier: The last chapter mission
54:30 - The best advice that keeps him grounded
#NewZealandBusiness #CanvaStory #EntrepreneurshipNZ #StartupReality #WealthBuilding #KiwiFounders
🎯 Perfect for: Kiwi & Aussie professionals 40+ considering their next career move, established business owners wanting to scale globally, anyone curious about the real story behind billion-dollar companies
