What every Startup needs to know: with Marian Johnson from Ministry of Awesome

Time & Motion Podcast with Lee Stevens

This week, I catch-up with Marian Johnson from the Ministry of Awesome in Christchurch.
She has worked with multinational giants like Unilever and Procter & Gamble, launched a television station in Budapest and eventually found her footing in New Zealand.
Marian recounts her love story that brought her back to Christchurch, her search for a career in the city, and how the 2011 earthquake became a turning point in her life. We talk digital innovation, startups, and raising capital, as she dons the mantle of Chief Awesome Officer at the Ministry of Awesome.
Learn about how increased investment competition has reshaped the early-stage startups, the pivotal role of customer validation in chiseling a successful business and the glaring gender disparity in the tech industry. (There is a conspicuous scarcity of female founders in the startup sphere!)
We wrap up with a heart-to-heart on the importance of camaraderie among entrepreneurs, the quest for the right mentors.

Hear how some of Australasia's most interesting and successful people are utilising People, Technology and Processes to live a productive life.
For more information on Lee Stevens visit www.leestevens.co
Sponsored by workforcery.com

Chapter

1. What every Startup needs to know: with Marian Johnson from Ministry of Awesome (00:00:00)

2. Experiences of a Global Career (00:00:08)

3. From Shoreditch to Christchurch (00:07:13)

4. Government Initiatives to Grow Startups (00:20:05)

5. Customer Validation in Building a Business (00:34:02)

6. New Zealand Startups (00:43:56)

7. Challenges With Australian VCs and Women (00:51:55)

8. Gender Diversity in Startup Challenges (00:54:59)

9. Looking for Stories About Productive Lives (01:07:51)