Funding

Trumponomics and startup raising: how to navigate turbulent waters

- May 7, 2025 2 MIN READ

As a founder who has successfully navigated the choppy waters of fundraising through the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) and the Covid-19 pandemic, I find myself facing yet another storm, this time, stirred by Trump’s recent trade policies. The current funding environment bears an uncanny resemblance to those past crises, and the implications for early-stage startups… Read more »

Advice

VC investing 101: After writing your first angel cheque, here’s what happens next

- April 11, 2025 3 MIN READ

So you’ve e-signed the docs, transferred the funds (nobody writes an actual cheque these days when they say “I’ve written a cheque”). You’ve joined the cap table. You’ve posted the obligatory celebratory LinkedIn update. Congratulations — you’re officially An Angel Investor™. But now what? If you’re a new angel investor, the post-investment phase can feel…… Read more »

Catalan tower
Advice

CapXcentric founder Warwick Donaldson on slowing down, staying small and when to avoid VC funding

- January 20, 2025 5 MIN READ

In April 2024, I started my eighth business, CapXcentric, a pre-seed to Series A capital raising coaching business. And I made a deliberate decision: I’m not scaling it.  I know, it sounds ironic. CapXcentric exists to guide founders through the capital raise process, often for high-growth, hyper-scale startups. But despite working in a space that’s… Read more »

Advice

How to explain AI to the family over Christmas lunch

- December 20, 2024 3 MIN READ

As a developer at DataStax, I often find myself trying to explain what I do for a living. For people working in tech and using AI tools or coding copilots, telling them I work with generative AI is often well understood. Sitting around the table at Christmas lunch with the family can be a different… Read more »

garry williams
Business

CapXcentric’s Warwick Donaldson teams up with Garry Williams to help deep tech founders land their raise

- September 30, 2024 2 MIN READ

Two Tractor Ventures OGs have teamed up to help deeptech founders with their funding plans. Warwick Donaldson’s CapXcentric has partnered with GROUP GROUP, the new specialist advisory and storytelling curation firm founded by Garry Williams. CapXcentric helps Australian technology startups access funding on the best terms, from the most appropriate investors. works with a range… Read more »

Rocky
Business strategy

How to bounce back after a startup’s failure

- August 8, 2024 3 MIN READ

“Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterward.” This insightful quote from the famous 1960s American baseball player Vernon Law perfectly encapsulates the entrepreneurial journey.  While experience may be a hard teacher, the spirit of winning and losing is governed by lady luck. Entrepreneurs must navigate continual learning, with… Read more »

Claire Wu
Life hacks

How to use mindful breathing to manage anxiety

- April 17, 2024 3 MIN READ

Anxiety is a huge issue that many in society go through. It is considered the most common mental health condition in Australia and America. More than one in six Australians had an anxiety disorder such as social phobia or post-traumatic stress disorder in the previous 12 months, while in America, over 40 million adults accounting… Read more »

man in maze
Business strategy

I’ve been in 3 corporate accelerator programs: here’s what I wish I knew beforehand 

- April 8, 2024 4 MIN READ

Over the past five years, accelerator and incubator programs in Australia have had their ups and downs. Some have opened, while others have closed, and through it all thousands of startups have applied for a chance to increase their odds of survival and growth.  Having now completed three corporate run accelerator programs (with KPMG, PepsiCo,… Read more »

scaffold
Business strategy

8 systems entrepreneurs need to have in place to make their startup scalable

- April 2, 2024 3 MIN READ

In our journey through the business world, we often encounter hurdles that test our resolve, creativity, and strategic thinking. Transitioning from corporate burnout to building a six-figure business within a year, I learnt the indispensable role of essential systems in achieving scalability and profitability. I want to take some time to share with you the… Read more »

binoculars, searching in long grass
Business strategy

The founder’s dilemma: what to focus on now – and next?

- January 22, 2024 6 MIN READ

‘Reformed’ founder turned academic, Chris Edwards,  analyses the most prevalent startup failure factor. In today’s competitive marketplace, it’s more important than ever to put customers first. But how do you find the time to do that when you’re running a startup or small business, where seemingly everyone and everything is vying for your time and… Read more »