Forget government and investor support for the local startup ecosystem – in today’s world, you haven’t made it until you’ve got a reality show or documentary covering your every move.
Highlighting the glamour – or lack thereof – of startup life, Luke Anear, founder and CEO of workplace safety software startup SafetyCulture, has poured his time into producing The New Hustle, a 45 minute documentary looking to showcase what it takes to run one of the country’s fastest-growing startups.
The film, directed by Emmy Award winner Patrick Moreau, follows Anear, Canva cofounders Melanie Perkins and Cliff Obrecht, and Andre Eikmeier and Justin Dry, cofounders of Vinomofo, its purpose to raise awareness within the wider community by making the tech and startup industry more relatable, Anear said.
“Aussies are strong early adopters of technology; we love the convenience it gives us, the educational and entertainment value, and of course connecting with friends and family over the plethora of messaging apps,” Anear said.
“The documentary will help give Aussies a rare inside look into how tech companies like Vinomofo, Canva, and SafetyCulture are created, and more importantly, the reasons why. Ultimately, I want to show that it really is just normal people that are creating technology that improves our daily life.”
Eikmeier, who has been vocal about the struggle it took to get Vinomofo off the ground and the impact it had on his family, added, “We want the smartest 17 year olds leaving high school wanting to be a startup founder, not a lawyer, doctor or engineer.
“You can live a safe life in fear, or a glorious one by having a go. If security is a key driver for you, then perhaps it’s not for you, but if you’ve got an idea, don’t die wondering.”
Startup programming seems to be the hot new thing, with Channel 7 recently wrapping up its run of The Dream Academy, a six part series following the third cohort of muru-D’s Sydney accelerator program.
The documentary followed the likes of Cuberider, DriveYello, and Our Little Foxes, tracking their progress from the accelerator bootcamp and selection process through to Demo Day.
You can catch the trailer for The Hustle below. There is no word yet on a distributor, with Anear in discussions with a number of parties.
Image: Andre Eikmeier in The Hustle. Source: Supplied.
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