Imagine it is 2002.
Two guys who have just finished university decide that they do
not want to enter the corporate world. Rather, they start up their
own business. They are only 21. These young entrepreneurs begin
working in a garage at the back of their house in suburban Sydney,
Australia. With only $10,000 on their VISA credit card, they built
their first prototype.
Through blood, sweat and tears, sparks of innovation, triumph
and tribulation they eventually turn their idea into a viable
business. Eight years after starting from their garage, they are
now hiring 200 staff, with offices in 3 countries.
Sounds errily similar to the humble roots from which Next
Digital grew from.
This company is Atlassian. Their software is now used by NASA,
Disney, United Nations, Adobe as well as some of ND's clients like
News and CSIRO.
They sold a chunk of their company to
Accel Partners for $60 million yesterday. Accel is most well
known for backing Facebook.
Next Digital has some connections with Atlassian. Our first
Sydney breakfast event featured Brett Jackson who was head of
Atlassian innovation. We also used Confluence as a knowledge base
for Mailout Insermo.
And to think it started in Sydney, Australia by two guys in the
back of a garage.
So what are you starting?
How are you innovating?