I have a pretty interesting job and have daily exposure to businesses that will drive technological change which will profoundly change the world as we know it (for the better I hope). I see profound change in how the workforce (jobs) will look in the future…
One of the the things (many) I am passionate about is helping people fulfil their potential and find their calling in life/career.
Other random facts: 33 yo, father of two, Australian Ninja Warrior, Vietnamese Australian.
I honestly don't know the exact amount. I don't keep close track of how much I make /spend. If I had to guess maybe $130k? I didn't take this job for the pay, but strategically it made more sense.
On a more serious note though, what makes your job so interesting?
By way of background, I started my career in a bank.
Absolutely! Democratisation (giving people more direct access and rights) and disintermediation (breaking down of traditional value chains of industries e.g. banks and large power companies) is going to occur across nearly every industry and blockchain is the key technologoy that will underpin this.
E.g. In the future many people will be be able to trade electricity on an exchange (like the ASX) instead of purchasing from a retailer like an AGL or Origin.
We will increasingly be transacting peer to peer which removes the need for a bank. We are already doing this now without blockchain, blockchain will open the floodgates.
@dannytq: Just felt I should emphasise that the use of a public ledger does not automatically entail autonomy from government. In Australia, any business transactions involving bartering or trade exchanges are subject to the same income tax treatment as normal cash transactions. Converting assets into contracts just makes the ATO's job easier since you can bet your bottom (crypto)-dollar that they'll criminalise anonymous ledgers and structuring.
The point being that democratic systems are not exclusive from non-democratic systems. North Korea could administer their country on blockchains without giving any more freedoms to the populace.
Why would anyone neg this answer?? WTAF … the guy gave an honest answer and 2 people felt it wasn't good enough?? What more do you want, an ATO Payment Summary for FY17-18???
COWARDS.
Have you watched 2 girls one cup? If so how far did you watch?
I watched it 10 years ago. I was in Tokyo, on the way back from my 6 month exchange in Sweden. 2 American guys in my hostel showed it to me, I watched it for 10 seconds and felt ill….
What qualification do you need to get in? What is usual path of your colleagues?
There is no set qualification but people tend to have finance backgrounds, often combined with law. There are also many people with technical backgrounds (engineering / computer science) who are former founders.
You'll find that qualifications are not going to be as relevant in the future - its more about your experience and your ability to think outside the box.
Thanks. I am from above backgrounds.
What is best place to keep an look out for jobs? Also what are name of roles to search of I just look up on seek.
Mainly looking at entry into industry.
The roles are few and far between to be honest.
Most of the funds did major hiring rounds last year, so I don't think there will be major hiring for a while.
Other non specialist funds seem to be warming up to the idea of venture capital, to that end, it may open up opportunities there.
I suggest immersing yourself into everything technology, innovation, VC, that way when an opportunity arises you'll be able to strike when the iron is hot.
@dannytq: Sounds good. However, where to look for them exactly?
Also, what are some example of job titles so that i can search for them in future.
What do you even do, like what's your role?
Look at deals that come my way, undertake due diligence, prepare a report, recommend to an investment committee and negotiate terms/documentation.
Australian Ninja Warrior
Were you on TV?
You'll have to wait until Season 2 which screens in June to find out…..
Will you be posting any bargains?
I've been lurking this website for nearly ten years, only recently signed up as a member and never posted a bargain.
Unlikely I'll be posting bargains any time soon as I'm trying to cut down my discretionary spending!
Don't have to be a spender to share. I don't purchase 99% of all things I post and vote on.
True.
But a natural result of spending less, is less browsing which lowers the probability of coming across bargains.
How did you get to your current job and what was your previous work history / qualifications (just to get some context)
Ive only been in my current role for 6 months. Leading up to it I was working in a bank but had been seriously thinking about entrepreneurship and innovation for 12 months. My experience spans institutional banking, corporate advisory and funds.
This isn't just a job for me, I immerse myself in this stuff in my free time as well. I feel a deep sense of responsibility to help drive innovation in this country to benefit my family but also Australia in general. This was part of my pitch when I auditioned for the show.
I've got a combined commerce/law degree.
Why do you think we lag behind so much from the US and other countries on innovation and entrepreneurship (or maybe just my misconception?)
That's a tough question, a really good one, hard to really capture in a forum post.
In short we are a global leader in a number of fields but overall we are a laggard when it comes to overall innovation. We are one of the most affluent countries in the world per capita but no where near that when it comes to innovation, quite sad really. Key reasons: size of our country, culture, natural resources, government/policy, racial bias, geography, capital markets…
Unfortunately having an abundance of natural resources and riding that for the last few decades without having a recession has caused us to be complacent and removed the need to be innovative to maintain economic prosperity.
Adversity IMHO causes people to work harder to finder a better way. I can certainly say that's the case for me. Seeing how hard my parents worked and the sacrifices they made to give me a great upbringing motivates me. I feel obligated to use my situation to work hard and do my little part.
It's not too late though… Governmen/policy is going to be key.
Do you have any financial benchmarks that you look for in businesses that you invest in?
No fixed criteria, if anything the non financial characteristics matter more: value proposition of the product/service, views on founder/management, industry growth, size of market, technology risk etc
The financials obviously need to be aligned with the above.
Red or Blue?
a bit of an interjection, but mate what do you mean by this question? I've seen this in the last couple of AMAs and don't understand what kind of answer you are trying to elicit outta OP. Is it their colour preference or something else?
It's a reference to the Matrix movie. Google it.
Red pill all the way. Such is life. That's what makes it exciting!
How did you go about training for Australian Ninja Warrior?
I was in pretty average shape leading up to the the audition as I was focused on family and my business. I had 2 months to get in shape.
My training focused on:
- aerobic fitness for up to 3 minute duration (length of course)
- improving my grip strength and endurance
- familiarity with Ninja obstacles
- balance and agility work
- flexibility and mobility
Most of my training was done:
- home (bar, rings)
- ninja gym
- bouldering
- normal gym
Besides the sometime hazardous obstacles its the best type of training I've ever done. I'm 33 but I'm in the best shape of my life.
What stage companies do you look at?
What do you look for in a company before recommending to the investment committee?
Whats the most memorable biz idea pitched to you?
Why aren't you software programming or developing if you really want to change and innovate the future.. that's where the real magic will happen or something mechanical like automation?
Seems like all you are interested in is money which is just a means of exchanging goods and services.
Why aren't you software programming or developing..
Seems like a very rude and snarky comment from someone without a job at all.
Give a detailed example of a typical day in the office
How much money do you make after tax?