In this episode of Give It A Nudge, Steve sits down with Michael Batko, CEO of Startmate, to dive into how he’s building one of the most successful startup accelerators in Australia. Michael shares the story of his journey from consulting to startups, the growth of Startmate, and his vision for the future. 

They discuss how Startmate is supporting founders, investors, and job seekers while scaling a vibrant startup community. Michael also gives a sneak peek into his productivity-focused side hustle and reveals his ambitious plan to build a "Startmate City" for founders and innovators.

Timestamps:
00:18 - Welcome Michael Batko to the show
00:53 - What is Startmate and its mission
01:31 - Michael’s background in consulting and transition to startups
02:18 - Early days at Mad Paws and lessons from scaling startups
03:50 - The value of making mistakes in startups
06:49 - Trekking through the Amazon: Lessons from Michael’s travels
10:00 - Returning to Australia and the serendipity of landing at Startmate
13:09 - Setting up and scaling an incubator at Startmate
14:42 - The challenges of running a startup accelerator
16:00 - Michael’s thoughts on community-driven growth and marketing
17:05 - The vision for Startmate’s future and building "Startmate City"
20:48 - The success of Startmate’s investments and community-driven venture fund
24:00 - Michael’s productivity side hustle and teaching AI tools
26:13 - The hardest lessons Michael has learned in fundraising and people management

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