The First Kudu
Ben Shaw
Wins, losses, lessons and laughs.
From 'naughty lists' to sprinting swans, wandering ducks to Amarula-based incentives, The First Kudu takes you on the roller coaster ride of a start-up and dives into real learnings along the way.
The narrative invites you to journey through the chaos with the young team, and unpacks in gritty detail what goes into building a tech start-up - with stories of fun and failure honestly told in equal measure.
The First Kudu tells the story of HouseME, a rental technology company founded in South Africa that grew to 34 employees and 50 000 registered users, processing hundreds of million of rands each year. The company won awards, raised several rounds of fund and was sought after by competitors.
It was exciting. It was excellent. And then... it was dead.
Ben Shaw (former CEO) and Lorne Hallendorff (former COO) provide a whirlwind tour of what goes into building a start-up at the southern tip of Africa, and what they would do differently, were they to do it again.
Duration - 5h 28m.
Author - Ben Shaw.
Narrator - Ben Shaw.
Published Date - Tuesday, 09 January 2024.
Copyright - © 2023 Benjamin Shaw and Lorne Hallendorff ©.
Location:
United States
Description:
Wins, losses, lessons and laughs. From 'naughty lists' to sprinting swans, wandering ducks to Amarula-based incentives, The First Kudu takes you on the roller coaster ride of a start-up and dives into real learnings along the way. The narrative invites you to journey through the chaos with the young team, and unpacks in gritty detail what goes into building a tech start-up - with stories of fun and failure honestly told in equal measure. The First Kudu tells the story of HouseME, a rental technology company founded in South Africa that grew to 34 employees and 50 000 registered users, processing hundreds of million of rands each year. The company won awards, raised several rounds of fund and was sought after by competitors. It was exciting. It was excellent. And then... it was dead. Ben Shaw (former CEO) and Lorne Hallendorff (former COO) provide a whirlwind tour of what goes into building a start-up at the southern tip of Africa, and what they would do differently, were they to do it again. Duration - 5h 28m. Author - Ben Shaw. Narrator - Ben Shaw. Published Date - Tuesday, 09 January 2024. Copyright - © 2023 Benjamin Shaw and Lorne Hallendorff ©.
Language:
English
Opening
Duration:00:00:17
Foreword
Duration:00:02:31
Introduction - Happy Chaos
Duration:00:05:24
Chapter 1: Roadside Rap to Residential Renting (Team of 1)
Duration:00:13:11
Chapter 2: The Early Days (Team of 2)
Duration:00:23:10
Chapter 3: Acceleration (Team of 5)
Duration:00:15:18
Chapter 4: Fuelled by Angels (Team of 13)
Duration:00:16:40
Chapter 5: Building a Real Business (Team of 14)
Duration:00:13:26
Chapter 6: Secret Agent to Estate Agent (Team of 15)
Duration:00:17:35
Chapter 7: Refining a Vision (Team of 20)
Duration:00:15:06
Chapter 8: Bells and Whistles (Team of 28)
Duration:00:15:49
Chapter 9: A Swan in a Hurry (Team of 33)
Duration:00:08:46
Chapter 10: Monday to Friday - When Crazy is Normal (Team of 34)
Duration:00:13:28
Chapter 11: All Aboard (Team of 34)
Duration:00:11:07
Chapter 12: Kudu in the Wild (Team of 25)
Duration:00:17:01
Chapter 13: The Final Prance (Team of 10)
Duration:00:09:30
Lesson 1: Focus (The Tracks)
Duration:00:23:49
Lesson 2: Product (The Engine)
Duration:00:21:52
Lesson 3: Funding (Fuel)
Duration:00:24:26
Lesson 4: Team (Train Crew)
Duration:00:32:26
Lesson 5: Customers (Passengers)
Duration:00:14:03
Applying the Lessons
Duration:00:06:12
Afterword
Duration:00:05:22
Acknowledgements
Duration:00:01:51
Ending Credits
Duration:00:00:15