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500 Days of Building a StartupJust over 500 days ago, I made a decision. To stop talking about an idea... and start buil...
24/07/2026

500 Days of Building a Startup

Just over 500 days ago, I made a decision. To stop talking about an idea... and start building one. Building a startup isn't glamorous.

It's hundreds of decisions nobody sees. It's weekends. Early mornings. Late nights. Learning new skills. Rewriting plans. Hearing "no." Then getting up the next day and doing it all again. Looking back over the last 500 days, here's what has actually happened:

📈 Built
1 national fintech startup from the ground up.
A public MVP and website.
A complete investor strategy, financial model and governance framework.
Intellectual property strategy.

Multiple investor decks, with the latest evolving through many revisions.
🤝 Investor & Partnership Journey
- Contacted 100+ investors, venture capital firms, foundations, corporations and strategic partners across Australia and internationally.
- Submitted applications to Australian and international VC firms including Airtree, Blackbird, Square Peg, Investible, Main Sequence, General Catalyst, Battery Ventures and Founder Collective, among many others.
- Progressed discussions with US-based Post Oak Group, including due diligence and executive meetings regarding international capital raising.

💰 Fundraising
- Received a verbal commitment of AUD $200,000 from a prospective lead investor.
- Continued pursuing a $1 million SAFE Seed Round.
- Built relationships with angel investors, venture capital firms and family offices in Australia and overseas.

🏆 Recognition
- Selected for the Smart Precinct NQ Founder Capability Program.
- Chosen as one of the Top 15 founders to pitch publicly.
- Featured in the Townsville Bulletin following the Founder Pitch Showcase.

The reality?
Not every email receives a reply.
Not every investor says yes.
Some said we were too early.
Some said we weren't the right fit.
Some simply never responded.
But every conversation improved the business.
Every rejection improved the next pitch.
Every challenge made me a better founder.

My biggest lesson after 500 days?
Startups aren't built by one big breakthrough.
They're built by showing up consistently when nobody is watching.
I'm still building.
Still learning.
Still refining.
Still pitching.

And I'm more excited about the next 500 days than the first.

Thank you to everyone who has supported, challenged, encouraged and believed in the journey so far.

We're only just getting started.

A few photos from a pretty special night.Last Thursday I had the opportunity to stand on stage at the Smart Precinct NQ ...
03/06/2026

A few photos from a pretty special night.

Last Thursday I had the opportunity to stand on stage at the Smart Precinct NQ Founder Pitch Showcase as one of the final 15 founders selected across North Queensland.

For me, this wasn't just a 3-minute pitch and a few minutes of Q&A. It was the first time I've ever publicly shared a vision that's been sitting with me for many years.

PLEASEDONATE Australia started as an idea, then became a dream, and over the last 18 months has become something I'm fully committed to building.

Standing in front of a room full of founders, investors, business leaders and supporters was equal parts exciting, terrifying and rewarding.

No matter where this journey leads, I'll always remember that moment.

Thank you to Smart Precinct NQ, the panel, the organisers, and everyone who has supported me along the way.

The journey continues. 🚀

Seeing PLEASEDONATE Australia featured in this week's Townsville Bulletin as part of the SPNQ Founder Pitch Showcase was...
30/05/2026

Seeing PLEASEDONATE Australia featured in this week's Townsville Bulletin as part of the SPNQ Founder Pitch Showcase was a proud moment.

Just over a year ago, PLEASEDONATE was simply an idea.

Today, it has evolved into a growing fintech concept with a clear mission:

To help ensure that 90%+ of every donation reaches the actual cause Australians intended to support.

Standing alongside 14 other founders and innovators from across North Queensland at the JCU Founder Pitch Showcase was both exciting and humbling. Every founder on that stage is solving real problems, creating opportunities, and contributing to the future of our region.

While the pitch itself lasted only a few minutes, it represented hundreds of hours of research, planning, learning, setbacks, conversations, redesigns, and persistence.

For me personally, this journey has reinforced a simple lesson:

Progress doesn't always come from giant leaps. Sometimes it comes from continuing to show up when nobody is watching.

A huge thank you to the team at Smart Precinct NQ, Shelley Grainger, Aaron Birkby, JCU, the mentors, volunteers, sponsors, fellow founders, and everyone who has supported the innovation ecosystem in North Queensland.

The event wasn't about raising money on the night.

It was about building connections, gaining feedback, creating awareness, and taking another step forward.

PLEASEDONATE is still at the beginning of its journey, but every conversation, introduction, meeting, and opportunity helps move the vision forward.

Thank you to everyone who has supported the project so far.

The work continues.

🚀

🔥 Huge milestone for PLEASEDONATE Australia.I’m incredibly proud to announce that PLEASEDONATE Australia has officially ...
19/05/2026

🔥 Huge milestone for PLEASEDONATE Australia.

I’m incredibly proud to announce that PLEASEDONATE Australia has officially been selected in the TOP 15 founders to pitch at the 2026 Founder Pitch Showcase hosted by Smart Precinct NQ in Townsville.

Out of 41 startup applications across North Queensland:
➡️ 23 founders were shortlisted into the Founder Pitch Capability Program
➡️ 15 founders were selected to take the stage and pitch live

To now be standing amongst some of the region’s most ambitious founders and innovators is something I’m genuinely grateful for.

On Thursday 28 May 2026, I’ll be pitching PLEASEDONATE Australia live — a platform built to modernise charitable giving in Australia through transparent, recurring micro-donations integrated into everyday bill payments.

Even more meaningful to me personally is this:

PLEASEDONATE’s MVP has been built by the founder using AI-powered development through [Base44](https://base44.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com) — proving that technology is now empowering everyday entrepreneurs to build and launch ideas faster than ever before.

This journey has come after years of setbacks, rebuilding, learning and refusing to give up.

Now it’s time to step onto the stage.

A massive thank you to the SPNQ team, mentors, Aaron Birkby, the program partners, and everyone supporting innovation and entrepreneurship in regional Australia.

North Queensland’s startup ecosystem is growing fast — and this is only the beginning. 🚀🇦🇺

🚀 BIG milestone for PLEASEDONATE Australia today.What started as an idea during one of the hardest periods of my life is...
19/05/2026

🚀 BIG milestone for PLEASEDONATE Australia today.

What started as an idea during one of the hardest periods of my life is now becoming real.

I’m proud to officially share that the first MVP (Minimum Viable Product) of PLEASEDONATE Australia has now been built — personally by me as founder — using AI-powered development through Base44.

As someone without a traditional software engineering background, this journey has shown me the incredible power of AI, vision, persistence and ex*****on.

PLEASEDONATE Australia is being designed to become a national digital giving platform that transforms everyday bill payments into transparent micro-donations for Australian charities and causes.

The mission is simple:

➡️ Make giving effortless
➡️ Increase transparency and trust
➡️ Help more than 90% of donations reach the actual cause
➡️ Modernise charitable giving for everyday Australians

The reality is this:

AI is changing entrepreneurship forever.

Founders can now move from idea → prototype → MVP faster than ever before. What once required large development teams and massive capital can now begin with vision, determination, and the willingness to learn.

This is still only the beginning for PLEASEDONATE Australia, but today marks a major personal milestone.

Thank you to everyone who has supported, encouraged and believed in the vision so far.

The future of giving in Australia is about to change. 🇦🇺

Another milestone moment today.Today we submitted our application to present at the Circular Futures NQ Innovation & Sus...
17/03/2026

Another milestone moment today.

Today we submitted our application to present at the Circular Futures NQ Innovation & Sustainability Summit 2026 Pitch Showcase.

This event brings together innovators, entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and investors focused on building the future of sustainable innovation in Queensland.

Being selected would provide an opportunity to share our vision in front of a highly engaged audience and connect with people who believe in bold ideas that can create meaningful impact.

For me personally, moments like this represent something bigger than just submitting an application.

They represent the hundreds of hours of thinking, refining, building, and believing that go into creating something from the ground up.

Whether you’re building technology, a company, or a movement, progress often happens quietly — through consistent effort and small steps forward.

Today was one of those steps.

We’re hopeful to be selected for the Pitch Showcase in May 2026, and regardless of the outcome, the work continues.

Every application, every conversation, and every step forward moves the mission closer to reality.

Onward.

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