The budget: The facts on capital gains tax, family trusts, shares and the impact on startups

The budget: The facts on capital gains tax, family trusts, shares and the impact on startups

After 3 non-event federal budgets for the startup sector, all hell broke loose on May 12 when treasurer Jim Chalmers announced capital gain tax changes that will reduce the size of the cheque startup shareholders receive in a liquidity event. The backlash has been enormous and the sector is hoping Treasury will hear their pleas and create carveouts for startups and their investors, as well as small business. But amid the sound, fury and 47% equity social media memes, what does it all mean? That’s what Jack Qi, partner from startup advisory and accountancy firm William Buck explains on episode 59 of Startup 360. Will founders go overseas? Is this the end of Australian innovation? Who are the winners and losers from the government’s changes? Qi unpacks it all in this special edition of the show that puts the sexy back in the Tax Act. And because Startup 360 is all about staying human and finding out what makes people tick, Qi reveals he really wanted to be a fighter pilot - but ended up ensuring startup founders and their employees and investors pay no more tax than they have to, instead. And loves it. f you want to know the facts amid the fury, this episode is essential listening. Startup 360 is a SmartCo. Media production, produced and edited by Matt Jackson, and supported by Deel. Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, and read StartupDaily.net [http://startupdaily.net] for all the ANZ tech news for free!

The hidden cost of startup hustle: Burnout, breakdown and leadership

Startup founders are told to hustle harder, push through and never let the cracks show. But what happens when the pressure becomes too much? This week on Startup 360, host Simon Thomsen sits down with workplace mental health advocate Graeme Cowan for a candid conversation about burnout, psychological safety and the hidden emotional cost of building a business. Graeme, a founding board director of R U OK? [https://www.ruok.org.au/] and host of the Caring CEO [https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-caring-ceo-for-leaders-who-want-to-grow-teams-who/id1555420803] podcast, shares his own experience of crashing after the dotcom collapse and spending five years out of work with severe depression. From that journey came a mission to help leaders create healthier, more resilient workplaces. “The old saying, a problem shared is a problem halved,” Graeme says - a simple idea that sits at the heart of this week’s episode’s message about vulnerability, connection and asking for help before burnout takes hold. This episode dives into why startup culture’s obsession with resilience can sometimes fuel burnout instead. Graeme shares practical ways founders can check in with their teams, recognise early warning signs and build sustainable habits before things spiral. Startup 360 is all about staying human and finding out what makes people tick. This show is a SmartCo. Media production, produced and edited by Matt Jackson, and supported by Deel. Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, and read StartupDaily.net [http://startupdaily.net] for all the ANZ tech news for free!

OpenAI’s Thomas Jeng on why AI won’t replace founders anytime

OpenAI’s APAC startups lead Thomas Jeng has a warning for founders worried AI is about to replace them: calm down. The tools are getting smarter at breakneck speed, but the people building the future are still very much in the driver’s seat. Speaking with Startup 360 co-hosts Simon Thomsen and Majella Campbell, Thomas - a former founder, VC operator and now OpenAI’s first startup hire across Asia Pacific - unpacked what AI can actually do for startups right now, where the hype goes too far, and why Australia’s startup ecosystem continues to punch above its weight globally. Throughout the conversation, Thomas’ core message remained consistent: AI is an incredible accelerator, but not a substitute for human insight. “If you’re breaking new ground, there will inevitably be things the AI does not know,” he said, pointing to the irreplaceable value of customer conversations, market intuition and founder conviction. The discussion also veered into the increasingly human side of AI adoption. Thomas shared that he uses ChatGPT to help explain Singapore maths to his children, plan family holidays, analyse parenting advice and even think through relationships. But he’s also cautious about over dependence, particularly for kids. For founders overwhelmed by the pace of AI, his advice was refreshingly practical: don’t try to automate your entire business overnight. “Probably pretty much everyone can take one step forward,” he said. Whether it’s improving one workflow, connecting a new data source, or simply learning to prompt better, the biggest gains often start small. Startup 360 is all about staying human and finding out what makes people tick. This show is a SmartCo Media production, produced and edited by Matt Jackson, and supported by Deel. Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, and read StartupDaily.net [http://startupdaily.net] for all the ANZ tech news for free!

Humanitix’s Josh Ross on putting the human in impact tech

A decade ago, Joshua Ross and his good mate Adam McCurdie went looking for an idea that would have maximum impact in doing the most good. So they decided to take on the global ticketing industry and launch Humanitix. Their second crazy big idea was to give away all the company’s profit. They’ve succeeded on both fronts. Since Humanitix was founded in Sydney in 2016, it’s given away $21 million to charities and projects, including ethicist Peter Singer’s The Life you can Save. The Atlassian Foundation has helped the pair take on a cutthroat industry and thrive. Humanitix now operates in Australia, New Zealand, the US, Canada and UK, and Hollywood superstar and kindred spirit Hugh Jackman recently signed on as head of impact. Josh sits down with Simon on Startup 360 this week to talk about that adventure and what it means to have a not-for-profit social enterprise - something that doesn’t fit the normal philanthropic model. It’s inspiring and uplifting story of how impact and happiness comes not from the money you make but what you do with it next. And it turns out that Josh and Wolverine read the same books. Startup 360 is all about staying human and finding out what makes people tick. This show is a SmartCo Media production, produced and edited by Matt Jackson, and supported by Deel. Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere.

How to travel better and cheaper with AI

The global business travel market is worth more than $2 trillion annually, but when most employees seek to get from A to B, how it works is not something many think about. Altitude AI founder Aimee Armstrong has, transforming the industry to help smaller businesses save time and money thanks to AI. She's Simon and Majella's guest on episode 55 of Startup 360 this week. Her story is as fascinating as her ambitions, having previously worked as a motorcycle mechanic and raced Yamaha 600cc motorbikes - so Aimee knows a bit about risk and moving fast too. She also worked at some of Australia's top tech companies, including Siteminder, Go1 and Domain. Using AI to redefine how the business world moves, she's companies lower their travel spend and making it easier for employees using an AI travel agent that can book entire trips via work tools such as Slack, and helping them deal with fiddly details such as company travel policies. It's a great conversation with some travel tips from Aimee too. Startup 360 is all about staying human and finding out what makes people tick. This show is a SmartCo Media production, produced by Mikey Marren and edited by Matt Jackson. This episode is supported by Deel. Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube, and read StartupDaily.net [http://startupdaily.net/] for all the ANZ tech news for free!