My Blog Posts
I had a moment yesterday, when I realised that I have been in a slump for the first half of this year.
Keep ReadingOften when reading the stories of entrepreneurs or innovators, phrases and words like “purpose driven”, passionate, dedicated, inspirational and other variations on the theme are thrown around and put up in lights.
Keep ReadingI’ve built my career in agency over the last seven years. In that time, I’ve had the pleasure of working with some smart, passionate, creative people and helped a lot of clients achieve some major business outcomes. But now it is time to move on.
Keep ReadingWhen it comes to sharing the journey of starting a business, people want to hear about the rags-to-riches or the underdog story. We focus on the “overnight success” that has actually been toiling away for half a decade or more. No one wants to listen to the fact that many entrepreneurs are laying awake at night, sleepless as they contemplate cash flow issues and deal flow and scenarios that either see them become a sustainable business, a complete failure or (hopefully) the next “overnight success”.
Keep ReadingPatient Journey Mapping allows an organisation to reconfigure their resourcing and approach to care, based on the experience of the patient, documented through the patient’s perspective. Not only is it a useful tool to promote better health care outcomes, it is also a powerful approach and mode of thinking that enable staff to uncover opportunities for improvement and innovation within their own work context.
This paper discusses the concept of the patient experience in health care and how journey mapping can be applied within a difficult, complex and ever-changing environment to improve efficiency, effectiveness and accuracy of care delivery.
Keep ReadingI decided to spend a week being completely selfish in my interactions with the world around me. I wanted to imagine how everything would be if it were truly personal to me. I wanted the world to act on my behalf.
Keep ReadingI’ve had the honour and privilege (and all the other superlatives) of spending the whole week on an impact investment course, run by Impact Co. Initially, I was a bit skeptical about the whole process. I’ve been burned badly before and thus approached things with more trepidation than usual. The research I did on the team behind it clearly indicated that they are sharp operators so I thought it was a good path to follow. And I was very right.
Keep ReadingThe following is a rough transcript of my presentation from PauseFest 2018. My name is Pete Saunders. Today I am going to talk to you about what it’s like to start a business in Australia and scale it globally. Well, that’s not entirely true. Because we haven’t managed it yet. So to be […]
Keep ReadingI think most entrepreneurs are a little bit insane. Myself included. Particularly those in the early stages of their business, working on a side hustle, trying to create something for themselves. Entrepreneurs invest time, energy and ideas. They sacrifice after work drinks, picnics with friends and date nights to slave over code, spreadsheets or documents. They are stressed constantly and have trouble sleeping.
Keep ReadingThree months ago I was contacted out of the blue and told that I had been identified as a potential candidate for a new role. While that statement in- and of- itself isn’t that interesting, what was interesting was the type and calibre of the role — the CEO of an ASX listed health tech company.
Keep ReadingAs we gear up for launch, a moment of truth is on our horizon. The first time we’re really going out to market with a product that will provide value to the dietetics industry. It’s been two years in the making, and if we are doing things properly, there will be many more years of making.
Keep ReadingOver the last week, I was in Sydney attending the European Union-Australia Leadership Forum. A joint initiative, the event brought together around 200 people from around the world. Backgrounds included policy, research, media, politics, innovation and others. I was one of the fifty global and twenty-five Australians selected as part of the “emerging leaders” stream.
Keep ReadingFor reasons unbeknownst to me, over the last twelve months I have found myself frequently presenting to various audiences about innovation in healthcare. When I do, I am quick to point out that I am not and will not be a trained healthcare professional. I am not a doctor or a nurse or anything else. But I have developed an undeniable passion for working in the healthcare sector. More often than not, I am asked why.
Keep ReadingThe following is an adaption of a presentation to fifty Master of Public Health students at Melbourne University. It includes all slides, videos and a rough transcript. It took around an hour, followed by thirty minutes of questions.
Keep ReadingEvery start up founder wants to attract investment. Investment signifies a lot of things. Yes, money is great and for most new businesses it’s a critical factor, but what investment signifies for a lot of people is belief. That there are people out there who believe in your idea and your future so much that they are willing to take the journey with you. That they will ride the bumps and hopefully all reap the rewards.
Keep ReadingLike many, I spent Friday afternoon glued to various screens watching the events of an “incident” unfold in Melbourne. A news alert popped up to say that a driver, with a gun had gone through the CBD, hitting numerous people.
Keep ReadingThe following article has been submitted as part of a collection of stories from Global Shapers about their views of Digital Health in 2030. The full collection is being collated and submitted to the World Economic Forum. For the last few days I felt dizzy and fatigued. At night, I get cold sweats and feel […]
Keep ReadingThe Pitch@Palace week is nothing short of surreal. One morning having tea in Buckingham Palace, to boot camps on pitching taught by choreographers. The next moment, learning about international expansion, IP laws and tax concessions, to shaking the hand of Prince Andrew and being blown away by his active, genuine interest in seeing start ups succeed.
Keep ReadingI recently spent two days attending the Australian Biotech Investment Conference, enticed by the opportunity to present Health Delivered in one of the “early stage” company spotlights. As the final speaker, I chose to attend both days, so I could learn what was important in the eyes of the audience and try to tailor my message to their interests.
Keep ReadingThe last few weeks have been a real struggle. But within that struggle I have learned three very important lessons.
Keep ReadingTwo weeks ago I had the privilege of representing Melbourne at the Global Shapers Annual Curators Meeting, in Geneva. Over the four days I was able to meet and get to know a number of other Shapers from almost every country on the planet. I was able to visit the World Trade Organization, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations. I was exposed to a variety of customs, backgrounds, viewpoints, struggles, successes and more laughs than I’ve had in a long time. It was definitely memorable and as Shapers usually only get one term as Curator, a legitimate “once in a lifetime” style event.
Keep ReadingI spend a lot of time trying to distract myself from my own thoughts. They have a tendency to take on a life of their own and without management end up spiraling out of control.
Keep ReadingI enjoy writing. I find it cathartic because it’s a way for me to work through the thoughts in my head and hopefully construct a narrative that others will find interesting. Outside of that, it’s a way for me to document how things are going, what’s relevant in my life and to see how I’m progressing as a person. I’ve tried to tackle both professional topics, but also personal ones like resilience, depression, trust and failure.
Keep ReadingI get asked that question a lot. Over my career, I’ve found it harder and harder to describe in a few short sentences what I do because the various titles come with so many preconceived notions and usually don’t give the role justice. After work a couple of weeks ago, we were at the bar […]
Keep ReadingAround a month ago a potentially life-changing opportunity landed on my desk. It was the chance to combine much of my recent work and expertise on a challenging, exciting and potentially hugely influential project. It was something that sparked a truly emotional response and my first instinct was to drop everything and go for it.
Keep ReadingI was sitting in another meeting with a potential investor last week. It was very much the same old spiel until the woman running it said something that really resonated: “We don’t invest in just anyone. We need to make sure you’re resilient.” That was followed up by a number of examples of resilience at work, in personal life, and during conflict and rejection.
Keep ReadingThis has been somewhat of a crunch time week in terms of our company’s progress. We’ve moved past the time of idea generation and ‘what if’. Now it’s about identifying exactly what it is we need to do, why we need to do it and what value it is adding to our product and our customers.
Keep ReadingThe following is an excerpt from my presentation to the Melbourne University MPH group for their Health Promotion course. It was presented on 30/03/2016. It includes highlighted slides/videos and edited text.
Keep ReadingI have spent the last few days in Japan, attending the Global Shapers Asia Pacific Conference. With the theme of peace, there was no more fitting place to host it than Hiroshima. I decided to attend on a whim. Finding time to disappear for a few days was not a straightforward task, between paid work, starting a new business and trying to remain very active across two volunteer roles.
Keep ReadingWe kicked off with our business advisory team today. Eight hours of questions, conversations, challenges and planning. The first time when someone outside of our team has truly sat down and started to scrutinise what we’ve done to date, what it all means and what the future could look like.
Keep ReadingMost people have ideas. Some are good, most are not. For some, ideas have become their currency, as they develop, design and co-create solutions to problems they’ve identified (or invented). For those of us in the realm of digital development, communications, or dare I say it, the entrepreneurial space, we are judged on the strength and viability of our ideas. There is no better recognition of a good idea than someone external willing to invest their time and money in helping the budding project see the light of day. Between that and someone willing to pay to use your product, it’s ultimately what we all strive for.
Keep ReadingThe recent WADA decision to ban 34 Essendon players as a result of the club’s supplements scandal has sent shockwaves through the sporting community. As expected the ruling has lead to numerous debates about who is to blame and whether the penalty is too harsh on the players.
Keep ReadingI started 2015 on a mission. I thought I had finally found where I was meant to be. I genuinely thought I was contributing something of value to places and people who were trying to change the world around them. What I didn’t realise was that I was working my way deeper into the belly of the most toxic work environment I’ve ever been part of.
Keep ReadingA few months ago, I was introduced to the notion of “personal branding” by my old boss and one of the best in the game, Pete Singline. Pete described to a small group of us what it meant to go through a personal branding workshop, the types of insights it may uncover and the outcomes you could set up for yourself.
Keep ReadingEver since I was a child, I wanted to be the best at something. I was never able to decide what, I just had an underlying desire to be the best. Unfortunately, I was a fat kid, so most sports were out, and although I was bright, I never really paid attention in class, so academia was also out. I have a very short attention span and a low tolerance for boredom, so finding a long term career has also proven to be problematic.
Keep ReadingTwo weeks ago Global Ideas Forum wrapped up for 2015. I say wrapped up, in the sense that the public event came to a close. The reality is that an event that lasts only a weekend still takes a full twelve months to plan, execute and analyse afterwards.
Keep ReadingNewton’s Third Law states that “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction”. My favourite illustration of this is Newton’s Cradle, as it neatly demonstrates conservation of momentum and energy. Over the past few weeks, I have watched with interest as this principle seems to be playing out in the American media and to a lesser extent, our own.
Keep ReadingSeptember 10 is “R U OK?” day in Australia, an initiative that seeks to encourage people to check up on their friends and family by asking how they are in aid of suicide prevention. It is, without a doubt, a very important and worthy cause and one very close to me, which is why I am conflicted about whether I think it is a positive or negative initiative.
Keep ReadingThroughout my career, I have been lucky enough to be exposed to a wide variety of clients, across industry, size and maturity. I have been able to learn more about what creates successful businesses and what employees look for when they seek out work through direct experience and by osmosis, for which I do not claim any credit.
Keep ReadingThree years ago I made the conscious decision to move to Melbourne and start a career in some kind of creative work. I had a Masters degree in Visual Communication, a smattering of internationally published work and clients but no real understanding of the world I was getting myself into. Creative fields, particularly design, are competitive at the best of times but that is magnified in a place like Melbourne, where so many people are vying for so few places. I quickly learned that the functional role of a designer was not for me — I didn’t work fast enough, I wasn’t that technically skilled and my conceptual thinking didn’t translate onto the screen. Most importantly, I felt no passion for the trade I was trained in; I knew the value of good design but I wasn’t the one to deliver it.
Keep ReadingIn the lead up to this weekend’s Mardi Gras in Sydney, ANZ has commissioned a number of ‘GAYTMs’ around Sydney. The transformed ATMs include a variety of different designs, colours, patterns and sequins. From unicorns and drag queens to rainbows and tattoos, each GAYTM is a riot of colour and textures to celebrate the festival. But at the heart of this much-publicised brand gesture is an overarching showing of support for diversity.
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We all have a responsibility to protect our planet and the people who live in it. It’s not just world leaders and businessmen who have the power to create change – we’re all responsible for shaping this world; we’re all designers.
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A recent print campaign by Volkswagen has honed in on the message that it’s impossible to focus on the road while texting. The campaign is beautiful in its simplicity of message and continues the VW tradition of incredibly intelligent communications.
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Few Australians would be aware of Derek Jeter and his long and illustrious baseball career. But almost all of us would be aware of the New York Yankees, probably the biggest sporting team brand in the world (save for maybe Manchester United). Jeter has been the face of the Yankees for 20 seasons and is set to retire at the end of this one. Nike has paid tribute to the shortstop and in doing so, aligned itself with the population of New York and the wider sports community.
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Earlier this year, Camden Borough Council came under fire for their “Camden Bench”, a design inspired to dissuade drug deals, bag theft, skateboarding and littering. But the design was also heavily criticised for stopping homeless people from using the bench as a place to sleep at night.
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For the last two weeks, the internet across all media has been abuzz with news out of Hobart as the Dark Mofo festival rolled out. A huge variety of events, performances, food, culture, art and a bunch of naked people combined to make Tasmania the go-to winter destination. And at the heart of it all is the MONA (and therefore, David Walsh) brand.
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A growing trend in short-term brand activations is getting traction, not just in Melbourne, but everywhere. “Pop Ups” are becoming a viable way for businesses and brands to utilise spaces in short term experiments, to keep themselves fresh, keep pushing ideas and trial things that may give them a long term edge and leg up.
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Bottled drinks of all varieties are often the topic of conversation, especially in sustainability circles. Whatever your feelings are about our mass consumption and the effects of plastic pollution on the planet, plastic bottles are currently a necessary evil. And at the top of it all is the humble bottle cap (pun absolutely intended). However, brands are starting to think about new ways to utilise the bottle cap to educate us, connect us and give us more reasons to keep reusing their products.
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A budget airline in the Philippines has recently shown that advertising doesn’t always require big bucks to see a big return on investment. Sometimes, all that’s needed is a simple idea, executed with intelligence.
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2021 was a strange year. And I cannot blame it all on COVID either. Having been made redundant and then moving on within a week into a job where I ended up essentially feeling worthless, had a big impact on my professional psyche. And all this was a little over a year since I’d started […]
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