Startup Theatre Podcast

Hosted by Talent Army Media

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115

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Nov 2026

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About the show

Exploring the wins, challenges, & lessons from startups. Honest conversations, real insights, and everything in between. Troy Hammond & Serge van Dam, with deep roots in the startup ecosystem in New Zealand and beyond, explore the world of startups, tech, markets, and media. They break down industry trends, uncover the realities of scaling companies, and share expert insights through candid conversations. Each episode features top founders, operators, investors, and innovators, offering lessons, perspectives, and stories from the frontlines of business and technology.

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November 4, 2026Episode 31 hr 11 min

Hackers Are Inside Your Inbox: Tom Britton on the Binance Hack, AI and Surviving a Breach

👀 North Korea has just been blamed for a US$6 billion crypto heist. So how do hacks like that actually happen, and what should founders do the day it happens to them? Troy Hammond sits down with Tom Britton, co-founder of CyberTeam, New Zealand's 2025 cybersecurity startup of the year. Tom has secured systems at Xero, BNZ and the Ministry of Health through COVID. Then he backed himself, and grew his team 400% in a year without raising a cent. In this episode : • What really happens in the hours after a ransomware attack, and whether you should ever pay • The red team job where Tom got caught at the third door • Why shaming the person who clicked is the worst thing a founder can do • How AI has changed the game: unrestricted models, prompt injection through your inbox, deepfaked voices and fake recruiters targeting developers • Three things every startup should do on Monday • The dark days of building a security company against the big players, and the "smash the rocks while the tide is low" advice that kept him going • What keeps Tom up at night: phones, kids and sextortion ⭐️ Startup Theatre is brought to you by Talent Army, recruiters who get tech. Building a team in New Zealand or Australia? Visit www.talent.army. Chapters 00:00 Intro: the Binance hack 01:56 Why attribution is so hard 05:21 From games programmer to cybersecurity 09:42 The red team job that went wrong 12:15 COVID and the Ministry of Health 13:28 Inside a ransomware response15:54 Should you pay the ransom? 16:45 Starting a security company against the big players 19:50 Persisting through the dark days 22:28 Growing 400% with no outside money 24:11 Lessons from Binance for founders 29:14 Unrestricted AI and the new script kiddies 35:08 Fake recruiters and supply chain trust 38:54 Deepfakes 44:23 The biggest security mistake startups make 45:31 Three things to do on Monday 50:37 Walking into someone's worst day 54:21 What founding CyberTeam cost 61:46 Rapid fire 64:51 Phones, kids and sextortion (content warning) Find Tom and CyberTeam at www.cyberteam.co.nz or on LinkedIn.

October 28, 2026Episode 21 hr 11 min

How to Win with Taste in the Age of AI with James Hurman

When anyone can build anything with AI, what sets the winners apart? James Hurman says it's taste. Troy Hammond and Serge van Dam are back in the Auckland studio with James, founder of Previously Unavailable and the venture studio New & Improved, the team behind TrackSuit, Ideally and Drumbeat. James explains why two people using the same AI tools can create something valuable or something worthless. He also covers why taste comes from constant exposure to great work, and why it matters more than ever now that ideas and research are abundant. He shares the danger of building fast and forgetting to talk to customers, and what his team learned from Ether and its "15 F*** Ups" list. We also cover:• From top of NZ advertising to building companies• Trading services for equity, brick by brick• Going from saying yes to everything to saying no to almost everything• Why B2B ideas travel better from New Zealand• Why place matters for founding teams• The psychology of lucky people behind his kids' book• Why NZ needs a proper tech export metric• The number one predictor of profitable advertising (hint: it's funny) Whether you're a founder, marketer or builder, this one's about the skill AI can't replace. This episode is brought to you by Talent Army: www.talent.army Thanks to Zeil for hosting us in their Auckland studio. 🎧 Follow Startup Theatre for more conversations with founders, investors and operators.

October 21, 2026Episode 156 min

Trying to Find Product-Market Fit… for a Political Party with Qiulae Wong

Every startup has to find product-market fit. Qiulae Wong is trying to do it for a political party. Troy Hammond and Serge van Dam sit down with the Leader of The Opportunity Party for a founder conversation about building a challenger brand in New Zealand politics. Q shares what it took to raise money with no financial return, find her ideal voter beyond a 2–3% early-adopter base, and scale from about 15 candidates to 42. She also covers taking over Gareth Morgan's founding vision, handling tall poppy syndrome, and why breaking the left–right divide is the real disruption. We also cover:• Culture built on "well-founded hope"• Donation caps, the 5% threshold and new entrants• New Zealand's tech opportunity and weightless exports• AI policy and the public sector, with some friendly pushback• The mistake she learned the most from• Her five bottom lines and a cross-party 10-year health plan This isn't an endorsement. It's a conversation about founder thinking applied to democracy. This episode is brought to you by Talent Army, New Zealand's best startup recruitment company. www.talent.army 🎧 Follow Startup Theatre for more conversations with founders, investors and operators.

September 9, 2026Episode 1058 min

Why a Minister and Mayor became a startup fan

Why is government so bad at adopting new technology? And what would it take for New Zealand to build an economy where tech and startups sit alongside our traditional industries? This week, Serge Van Dam sits down with Wellington Mayor and former Cabinet Minister Andrew Little for a wide-ranging conversation about government, technology, risk and the future of New Zealand’s economy. Andrew gives an unusually candid view from inside government, including why the public sector is so risk-averse, why agencies gravitate towards large consulting firms and established technology providers, and why Kiwi startups can sometimes find it easier to win government customers overseas than at home. They also explore Wellington’s opportunity to become a genuine global startup city. Andrew lays out an ambition for 100 new startups a year, more globally significant technology companies, and a city where tech becomes a fundamental part of Wellington’s economic identity. The conversation covers AI inside local government, the $600,000 council website controversy, legacy technology in healthcare, procurement incentives, New Zealand’s “weightless economy”, and why political leaders struggle to articulate a compelling vision for a modern technology-driven economy. Plus, Andrew reflects on leadership, failure, resilience, his own technology literacy, what he admires about entrepreneurs, and whether he might ever invest in a startup himself. A fascinating conversation about what happens when politics, government and startups collide — and what New Zealand needs to do differently if technology is going to help drive the next chapter of our economy. Startup Theatre is hosted by Troy Hammond, Serge Van Dam and Adrienne Muir. This episode is brought to you by Maximus — an AI-powered go-to-market agency for B2B companies. Find out more at MaximusGTM.com. Why is government so bad at adopting new technology? And what would it take for New Zealand to build an economy where tech and startups sit alongside our traditional industries? This week, Serge Van Dam sits down with Wellington Mayor and former Cabinet Minister Andrew Little for a wide-ranging conversation about government, technology, risk and the future of New Zealand’s economy. Andrew gives an unusually candid view from inside government, including why the public sector is so risk-averse, why agencies gravitate towards large consulting firms and established technology providers, and why Kiwi startups can sometimes find it easier to win government customers overseas than at home. They also explore Wellington’s opportunity to become a genuine global startup city. Andrew lays out an ambition for 100 new startups a year, more globally significant technology companies, and a city where tech becomes a fundamental part of Wellington’s economic identity. The conversation covers AI inside local government, the $600,000 council website controversy, legacy technology in healthcare, procurement incentives, New Zealand’s “weightless economy”, and why political leaders struggle to articulate a compelling vision for a modern technology-driven economy. Plus, Andrew reflects on leadership, failure, resilience, his own technology literacy, what he admires about entrepreneurs, and whether he might ever invest in a startup himself. A fascinating conversation about what happens when politics, government and startups collide — and what New Zealand needs to do differently if technology is going to help drive the next chapter of our economy. Startup Theatre is hosted by Troy Hammond, Serge Van Dam and Adrienne Muir. This episode is brought to you by Maximus — an AI-powered go-to-market agency for B2B companies. Find out more at https://maximusgtm.com/

July 15, 2026Episode 91 hr 1 min

She Built & Sold an AI Startup in Under 2 Years for $34M

How do you build and sell an AI startup in under two years? In this episode of Startup Theatre, Troy Hammond, Serge Van Dam and Adrian Muir sit down with Jessica Venning-Bryan , CEO and Co-founder of Factor, fresh off the company's acquisition by NZX-listed Gentrack. Jessica shares the incredible journey from identifying a major problem in the global energy industry to building an AI-powered SaaS platform that was acquired in record time. She also opens up about founder relationships, raising capital, leadership, work-life balance, and why your career doesn't have to follow a straight line. In this episode we cover: How Factor was built and acquired by Gentrack The fastest startup exits in New Zealand Finding billion-dollar problems hiding in plain sight Building AI products for the energy sector How to prepare your startup for acquisition Due diligence lessons every founder should know Why founder relationships matter Raising venture capital as a female founder Leadership, motherhood, and entrepreneurship Why careers should be "jungle gyms", not ladders Critical thinking, AI, and the future of education What Jessica would build next Whether you're building a startup, investing in technology, leading a team, or dreaming of your first exit, this episode is packed with practical lessons from one of New Zealand's most impressive founders. 🎧 Subscribe for more conversations with founders, investors and operators building the future. This podcast was brought to you by Oxygen Advisors Oxygen Advisors is New Zealand's leading outsourced finance partner for startups and high-growth businesses, providing accounting, bookkeeping, tax, CFO, payroll and revenue operations services to help founders scale with confidence. Learn more at www.oxygenadvisors.co.nz . #StartupTheatre #JessicaVenningBryan #Factor #Gentrack #Startup #AI #SaaS #Founder #Entrepreneurship #TechNZ #WomenInTech #StartupExit

May 22, 2026Episode 81 hr 23 min

The NZ Startup Trying to Save Music

Sacha Judd , Co-founder and COO of Lume Music , joins Startup Theatre to discuss the future of music, creator monetisation, and building a startup in one of the world’s toughest industries. We explore why the traditional music industry model is failing independent artists, how streaming platforms changed the economics of music, and why creator-owned communities could become the future. Sacha shares the story behind Lume Music and the company’s mission to help artists grow audiences, connect directly with fans, and build sustainable careers. Topics include: Music-tech startups Creator monetisation AI and the future of music Independent artists and streaming platforms Startup growth and entrepreneurship Fan communities and creator ownership Building disruptive technology businesses Hosted by Troy Hammond and Adrienne Muir on Startup Theatre .

May 6, 2026Episode 71 hr 23 min

Why New Zealand is Falling Behind

Jamie Beaton , founder of Crimson Education, joins Startup Theatre for a wide-ranging conversation on ambition, AI, education, startups, and the future of New Zealand. Jamie shares his journey from New Zealand student to Harvard and Yale, building Crimson Education into a global company, and why elite universities still matter in an AI-driven world. We discuss: Why top universities are becoming more competitive AI’s impact on careers and education Whether SaaS is dead Why New Zealand struggles with ambition Charter schools and fixing education Debate, entrepreneurship, and critical thinking The future of startups and talent in NZ Free speech and modern universities What parents should focus on right now One of the most intellectually honest and thought-provoking Startup Theatre episodes yet. Hosted by Troy Hammond and Serge Van Dam.

April 16, 2026Episode 61 hr 21 min

$2.8B in Insurance claims were denied last year: My AI is fixing it.

In this episode of Startup Theatre, Troy Hammond and Serge Van Dam sit down with Simon Archer, founder of PolicyCheck, to unpack one of the biggest untapped problems in global fintech: understanding insurance. Simon shares the story behind leaving a successful corporate career to build in the AI era, driven by a simple but powerful realisation. He had already missed one major wave and wasn’t going to miss the next. The conversation moves beyond the typical startup narrative into something more grounded. What actually happens when you leave corporate? Why most founders aren’t prepared, no matter how much theory they consume, and how building with AI is fundamentally changing how companies are created. At the core of the episode is a problem most people have experienced but rarely question. Insurance is a promise, yet billions in claims are denied each year because people don’t fully understand what they’ve signed up for . PolicyCheck is taking a data-first approach to fix that. They also get into: Why workflow products are becoming obsolete and data is the real opportunity The shift to lean teams and shared product ownership Building in New Zealand versus Australia The reality of incubators in an AI-first world What it actually takes to build a globally relevant company from NZ This is a conversation about timing, conviction, and solving problems that genuinely matter. Links: PolicyCheck: https://policycheck.com Simon Archer: https://linkedin.com/in/simonarcher

April 1, 2026Episode 51 hr 29 min

Software Engineering is DEAD: This is what replaces you.

Is software engineering already dead? In this episode of Startup Theatre, Troy & Serge sit down with Nik Wakelin the co-founder of Sterling . They unpack what AI is actually doing to engineering, startups, and how work gets done. This isn’t the usual “AI will replace everyone” narrative. Nik breaks down why we’re not seeing job collapse — we’re seeing something far more important: task collapse. We get into: • why software engineering is already changing • what “task collapse” actually means • why highly capable people are still doing low-value work • how AI creates massive leverage for builders • why the best operators will get exponentially better • what founders and engineers should be doing right now If you’re in tech, building a startup, or thinking about how AI impacts your role, this episode will change how you think about the future of work. Startup Theatre explores the real shifts happening in startups, technology, and how companies are being built today. Checkout Sterling 👉🏻 https://histerling.com/

March 25, 2026Episode 41 hr 1 min

I Almost Lost Everything Building This Startup

Building a startup isn’t what most people think. In this episode of Startup Theatre, Adrienne & Serge sit down with Martyn Bain to talk about the reality of building a global company from New Zealand — and the moments that nearly break you. From leaving corporate after a defining moment at home, to chasing international deals, to being days away from signing something that could have changed everything… only for it to fall apart. We get into: • the moment that pushed Martyn to leave corporate • why early customers say yes… but don’t commit • the brutal reality of enterprise sales • why “signed contracts” don’t mean what you think • how deals fall over at the last minute • what it actually takes to build and scale globally from NZ This is a raw look at the pressure, setbacks, and persistence behind building a real company. If you’re a founder, operator, or thinking about starting something, this episode will give you a far more honest picture of the journey. Startup Theatre explores the real stories behind startups — not just the wins, but everything in between.