ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Five New Zealand–linked founders drop hard-won truths!
This highlight episode brings together five New Zealand tech entrepreneurs at very different stages—Shaun Quincey, Liam Kampshof, Nick Damiano, Steven Zinsli, and Anna Henwood. It’s a punchy reel of what actually moves the needle in startups: selling into enterprise, building brutally simple products, and staying alive long enough for the compounding to kick in.
You’ll hear why enterprise sales is a “dark art” that starts by finding the real buyer, the founder mindset of “stop what’s not working and don’t die,” the moment a recap turns an engineer into a founder, and why loving uncertainty can keep you in the game for 15 years.
🕸️ Enterprise infiltration: map budget cycles, find the true decision-maker, ask for money early.
🧰 Prototype grit: shower tests, mastitis milk samples, and a raincoat-and-laptop cowshed setup.
🔁 Pivot discipline: “stop doing the wrong thing,” survive, and let time create trust.
🧠 Founder trigger: when a recap pushes a product-first engineer to build their own company.
🎢 Roller-coaster reality: loving uncertainty, community, and autonomy in startups.
🤖 AI & robotics: software-first medtech, simple sensors over dashboards, and pragmatic adoption.
💼 Go-to-market: from field demos to enterprise programs that actually close.
Connect with the Guests:
Shaun Quincey — https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-quincey-53548132
Nick Damiano — https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickdamiano
Liam Kampshof — https://www.linkedin.com/in/liam-kampshof
Steven Zinsli — https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-zinsli-💳-aa813184
Anna Henwood — https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-henwoodLearn more about NZVC & HostsNZVC: https://www.nzvc.co.nz
Mark Pavlyukovskyy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/
Hendrik Remigereau: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/
Timestamps:
00:00 — Intro00:30 — Shaun on “enterprise infiltration” and finding the buyer
03:31 — Liam’s prototypes and cowshed data
04:32 — Steven: stop what’s wrong, don’t die, play the long game
06:26 — Nick: a recap, a product plan, and the founder decision
08:00 — Anna: the roller coaster, autonomy, and loving uncertaintyIf this sharpened your startup/business brain, hit 👍, drop your questions for the founders below, and subscribe for more New Zealand founder deep-dives.
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