Hi, I’m Nic. I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about the tech industry, how technology is impacting us socially and at work, and how we can build products that not just make money but materially benefit our society, our environment, and our individual lives.

I grew up in Adelaide, Australia, studied Chemical Engineering and then a Master of Energy Systems at the University of Melbourne, and had no idea the software industry or tech startups even existed until I met my soon-to-be co-founder while working as a Chemical Engineer in Sydney. We accepted an investment in Santiago, Chile, and I spent nearly a year there trying to build our business, taking on the role of what I later found out was called product management.

I read all the books on startups and PM-ing (Zero to One is the best), listened to the podcasts (the old Startup pod by Gimlet is the best), and tried to become an expert at this craft that I had wandered into. Since then I’ve worked as a PM in the music industry, renewable energy, and now in cloud computing for the past five years. I’ve hired and fired people, coached and promoted people, and have been mentored by world-class product managers, engineers, and venture capitalists. Most importantly, I’ve worked on products that I’m proud of - from lab-scale pilot projects to billion-dollar businesses - and that have been successful both financially and in the way they solve real problems. Because fundamentally I care about effectively identifying and solving problems.

I now continue to work in product management, invest in software startups, and provide consulting on product management and business strategy to B2B startups. When I’m not doing these things I’m probably drumming, songwriting, reading, doing yoga, playing tennis, traveling, or looking for a great new restaurant. The picture is from my hot air ballooning expedition in Cappadocia, Turkey.