Dear Sir Stephen Tindall - our Founders aren't safe. HERE’S proof!
Will some real NZ leaders please stand up?!
Kia Ora,
I’ve been off the social media grid for over 2 months now (for a reason soon to be undisclosed) but today I have some big news that I felt VERY strongly about sharing. So here goes……
After the shameful debacle that has been the gaslighting gong show from Andy Hamilton, Pat MacFie & Monty Betham, the Directors of Manaaki / We Are Indigo, over the past year about their documented bad behaviour towards Maori & Pasifika Founders who they did wrong, were proven in doing wrong and yet continue to not show any remorse whatsoever, Callaghan Innovation today released an independent research report on Founder Wellbeing. And holy shit it is a truly depressing read. So buckle up team, and let me serve you up some cold hard facts for dessert and then I want an answer to a very simple question………
WHEN will NZ’s ecosystem ‘leaders’ actually step up and take Founder safety seriously and stop just sitting on the sidelines while more of our Kiwi Founders get bullied, intimidated, exploited, hurt and screwed?
Kiwi Founder Research TDLR :
- 91% of Founders said being in a startup has had some impact on their mental health (72% globally)
- 70% of Kiwi Founders have said they have had anxiety (37% globally)
- 55% of our Founders have suffered from burnout (36% globally)
But let’s really kick off with the biggie in the report, and one which validates and infuriates me as I have been speaking up so loudly and publicly for some of these Founders - this verified and independent research showed that 1 in 2 Kiwi Founders have experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviours in our very own startup ecosystem in Aotearoa, and this is higher for women. DISGUSTING - and devastating!
But tbh I’m not surprised because I’m a Founder, my friends are Founders, I’ve seen some these bad behaviours and a BUNCHHHHHHH of Founders over the years have come to me with soooooooo many of their own sad stories (and receipts). This was one of the main reasons why I stepped up in the first place to go to bat for Founders re Manaaki / We Are Indigo + The Kings Counsel and the entire backchannel army of Andy Hamilton’s heavily influential industry circle of buddies, mates and recently fired Cabinet Ministers (too soon? #SozNotSoz) But I digress. . . as I usually do when I’ve been sitting drinking a heavy Pinot Noir on the couch when I’m GENUINELY passionate about stopping any pieces of ‘you know what’ from hurting any more innocent and vulnerable Kiwi Founders.
But back to today's released Callaghan Innovation report - it gets worse. As expected, women experienced more inappropriate behaviours than men. 34% of women did nothing about it because they thought that doing something would negatively impact them and their businesses. Let that sink in. 34% of women DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING because they didn’t feel they could!
And zooming out for a second, only around 10% of startups invested in Aotearoa are Women only Founder led, so no wonder they don’t speak up. So while I’m on a roll and fighting for my Female weapon homies, you do realise that Starts Ups with at least one female founder outperform ALL-male founder teams by 63%! Basically men generally suck compared to women Founders. haha.
So these tightly controlled power circles of mostly middle aged white male investors give Kiwi women Founders less money, they then subject these Females to more inappropriate behaviours, and then these female Founders feel they basically have no choice but to shut up and ‘deal with it’ because there’s hardly any funding for them in NZ to start with. Stuff that - They DON’T deserve it - NO ONE DOES!
I also would put $1000 bucks on it, that if you did this analysis on Māori / Pacific Founders you’d probably find similar results. Saddddddd. So back to the research and let’s get VERY pointy for a second, only 2% felt empowered to speak up about this bad behaviour. Let that sink in ladies and genttttsss.
ONLY 2% of Kiwi Founders feel empowered to speak up.
No wonder 91% of Founders said being in a startup has had a negative impact on their mental health. Being blunt - with this Callaghan report now out in the public domain our NZ ecosystem is basically looking like a predatory shark tank of bad behaviour with minimal support for anyone trying to come through. This should be the single biggest priority for those in power to address.
HOW DO WE MAKE IT SAFER FOR FOUNDERS?
AND HOLD THOSE WITH INFLUENCE ACCOUNTABLE?
And in case you have been living under a rock with no Starlink for the past 18 months, a bunch of this type of bad behaviour that this new Callaghan report highlights was actually documented in 2 of Callaghan Innovation’s own Due Diligence reports on Manaaki / We Are Indigo. These reports were entirely based on statements and evidence from Founders / Startups who bravely came forward to speak up about bullying/harassment/intimidation that they experienced first hand in our startup ecosystem.
And what happened to these Founders who were part of this 2% who felt empowered and were brave enough to speak up for the bad actions done by Manaaki / We Are Indigo and its Directors Andy Hamilton, Pat MacFie and Monty Betham - ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!! These Founders were not supported and simply ignored and ghosted, and then after I spoke up for them publicly I then got legally threatened by the King’s Counsel, got gaslit to shit publicly and privately by Manaaki’s Directors through the entire industry as they scrambled to save their ‘credibility’ off their own self inflicted gov funded business titanic. And then to top off and to prove how absolutely personally intertwined the behind the scenes of NZ ecosystem power works, Creative NZ’s leadership and all the way to Minister Carmel Sepuloni herself then committed to award these same Bad Actors another 5.3 Million dollars of taxpayer payer money (AFTER proof exists to show what was done to the innocent Maori & Pasifika Founders). Oh yeah - did I mentioned Manaaki LIED to get the 5.3 Million?
So basically this is the message that was sent loud and clear by the ‘industry’, government and the ecosystem was this - STUFF you Founders - we back the bullies - with millions of more dollars and enable even more of this type of behaviour to the next victims (*sorry I mean Founders). And if you may or may not have guessed it by now - I am not a fan of this decision to award Manaaki another 5.3 million (which they LIED for), and I am NOT a fan of Creative NZ, it’s CEO and even Minister Carnmel Sepuloni’s lack of leadership considering she’s Pasifika and her own people were some of the victims here - and yet she stayed and continues to stay silent. I definitely ain’t saying I’m voting for National - but I definitely ain’t voting for Carmel and her gong show of hypocritical cultural posturing when her own Pasifika people have been hurt and she sits back STILL and does NOTHING about it. I HATE getting political involving parties as I’m homies with a few crew but as an individual - Minister Carmel on this isue has NOT shown a single grain of leadership for these vulnerable Maori / Pasifka Founders - and speaking for the Founders who were done wrong and watching this slow train wreck continue - I will happily tell Minister Sepuloni or Stephen Wainwright, Creative NZ’s CEO EXACTLY the same. On Air, In Person, via email, text, phone or even via smoke signal if required.
Apart from shouting loooooooooooong and loud about these issues affecting our Kiwi Founders over the past few years (out of pure frustration and anger and mostly with a total lack of HR nouse or political strategy), I’ve since spoken to MANY investors, industry faces and key business voices, who while giving me props and ‘having my back’ behind the scenes continue to bury their heads in the sand on this topic publicly for those that really matter - THE FOUNDERS. Team - you don’t need to give a shit about me and see how I’m doing - I can handle this bullshit - but many of our Founders DON’T have a voice, these Founders DON’T Feel safe and these Founders CONTINUE to be hurt. Step up for them!
So sadly, a few of these influential people who I once really respected on the come up are NO longer in my circle, no longer in my network and honestly - being blunt - are pure cowards. These same leaders that have been running these organisations, businesses, groups and more are happy to turn up to these big industry events and galas for some bullshit PR, and flex on social media chasing clout for clicks talking about how they're supporting the ecosystem - yet they won’t stand up publicly when it matters for the same vulnerable Founders they claim to protect. Apart from champions like Ian Taylor, Rob Campbell, Ray Avery and a few others who put there money where their mouths were and went public in supporting the Founders like they did, how shameful it has been to see all these others simply talk the talk as they circle jerk each others titles and positions of power but don’t have the mana to truly go to bat for the vulnerable because they are too worried about the potential fallout and backlash from losing some long standing relationships in the ‘old boys club’.
Stuff your club! The party’s over.
And after today’s report release, it’s clear NZ’s Startup ecosystem is about to have it’s own equivalent #MeToo moment. And tbh we need to - because this iceberg of bad behaviour towards Founders from those in power needs to melt down with a blowtorch of Karma and then blown up with a tonne of Silk Road C4.
And for those that have been thinking about where these Founders can feel safe to talk too when bad shit goes down - here’s some more surprising data from the research. Investors are way down the list at only 9%. So simply put - these key ‘Investment Partners’ who are supposed to be alongside Founders every step of the way are literally about as trustworthy as me trying to make a 5 course French culinary degustation in the middle of a Burning Man Sandstorm @ 2am while listening to techno, using 1 hand, blindfolded and with no utensils. AKA - NO CHANCE!
So I really think it’s about time that all our Kiwi Investor Leaders, Investor groups and Investor networks get your asses off those lil’ Early Stage Funding Thrones of yours and start to provide some truly safe spaces for your Founders to be heard, to actually feel safe and then provide real ways for these behaviours to be addressed and stopped from the predators and bullies who prey on them. And with only 2% of people feeling empowered to speak up, this is something ALL our ecosystem leaders need to take very seriously. And while I’m on this side quest - don’t start me on these publicly flaunted ‘anonymous’ support and report lines that I know are actually secretly backchannelled straight back to the CEO of the same organisation and then these individuals who ‘spoke up’ get siloed & silenced. (Oh yeah - I know about that gig too guys).
I’ve always said NZ wins when NZ’ers win - but with this new data out - New Zealand’s Startup Ecosystem is clearly on a train the other way.
And for context - if you’re trying to figure out how we have gone down such a rabbit hole of bad behaviours against Founders, let me quickly refresh your memory - last year Callaghan Innovation, the same organisation who just released the report on Founder Wellbeing, also completed Due Diligence reports on potential providers for their Start Up Founder Programme. These DD reports uncovered a mass of unethical and truly SHIT behaviour by some who (used to be) powerful and then tried to use their (weakening) connections to try and bury a bunch of facts and findings of the report and position themselves as the victims. Yes I am 10000% talking about the bad behaviours of Manaaki / We Are Indigo. I have receipts, many many many of them! Just google that shit.
These DD reports have now been fully investigated both privately through EY and even now by the Ministry of Justice who just last week dismissed all accusations by Manaaki / Andy Hamilton, further confirming the accuracy of the reports and it’s shocking findings. Good shit Maria for recapping this one this week! Wish more media in Aotearoa who claim to care about the ‘ecosystem’ actually did and put pressure where it counts. You can read up the Ministry of Justice’s dismissals of Andy' Hamilton’s complain in the NBR article HERE.
For someone like Andy Hamilton (why’d you block me on social media g? haha) who’s been so vocal in gaslighting the shit out of me and even done the same to World Award Winning investigator Johnny Borland who completed the Due Diligence when he was hired by Callaghan Innovation, I’m surprised Andy didn’t respond to Maria to comment for the NBR story on the Ministry of Justice official dismissal. Wonder why?
Maybe Andy Hamilton and Manaaki / We Are Indigo should now add John Borland to their long list of people to apologise to when they FINALLY have their come to Jesus moment, and simply accept responsibility for their bad behaviours and move on. We all want to. The wheels are already off team - how do you still not get it? The truth isn’t going ANYWHERE.
Since we’ve now brought up multiple government agencies, this brings me to a simple governmental question. HOW IS IT LEGALLY and ethically possible for Creative NZ and it’s clearly inept current leadership to STILL be supporting these bad actors like Manaaki / We Are Indigo with their 5.3 Million Dollar Contract after the government's own Ministry of Justice has just officially dismissed Andy Hamilton’s allegations further validating the Due Diligence Reports against Manaaki? And they were busted in publicly released OIA’s in LYING to get the 5.3 Million. And now with this new Callaghan research confirming these bad behaviours towards Founders are rife in the system from end to end, how is it commercially responsible for Creative NZ to me using millions more of our taxpayer’s dollars to still support a provider like Manaaki / We Are Indigo who has treated young Māori, Pacific Founders like this?
So again, I publicly call out Creative NZ CEO Stephen Wainwright and Minister Carmel Sepuloni. Why are you STILL willing to continue to stand by and let businesses like Manaaki continue this way, who have shown little to no remorse for their behaviours? How can you just sit by and do nothing, absolutely nothing? And with an election around the corner. Mmmmmmm.
And while I’m on the callout train stepping up for Founders - I have to do it. And this one hits close to home and gets personal for me. Today I’m gonna call out Sir Stephen Tindall here publicly. Brother - I love you man, and you’ve always been good to me with your time and bits of advice over the years which I truly appreciate, but today I have to put a line in the sand publicly standing up for these Kiwi Founders and I have to challenge you man to man on your continued involvement and support as a current shareholder and Investor in We Are Indigo / Manaaki. Is THIS the type of business and cultural leadership that you are happy for your legacy to be directly and commercially attached too? To a business like Manaaki / We Are Indigo who have literally hurt young Maori and Pasifika Founders? It’s strategically perplexing, politically confusing and ethically distressing that you have stayed silent on this whole saga.
Tā Stephen - contrasting your leadership on this issue versus the leadership shown by previous shareholders Roger Tuivasa Sheck and Ardie Savea who simultaneously exited themselves from We Are Indigo after learning about the inappropriate behaviours by it’s Directors Andy Hamilton, Pat MacFie and Monty Bethem that came to light - it’s clearly night and day. Roger & Ardie’s exit models the leadership we need in Aotearoa that doesn't tolerate bad behaviours towards young vulnerable minorities, and anyone associated with them.
The fact you haven't even bothered to talk to any of the Founders is mind blowing, or bothered to get to the bottom of this entire cluster through your elite levels of back channels is incredibly naive, and honestly it’s kind of sad to see how even someone who’s supposed to be as connected as you, have so clearly drunk the cool aid of a now exposed industry charlatan. The fact you have chosen to stay silent on the sidelines when documented evidence and proof exists showing this bad behaviour towards the exact type of Maori / Pasifika you claim to give a shit about is sooooo truly disappointing.
You’re supposed to be one of the main voices in NZ that steps up for those that can’t. But on an issue this big you have CHOSEN to stay silent and then invest your own money in the same business who has literally caused harm to multiple Maori / Pacific Founders with no remorse or actions to fix harm caused? With all your incredible business IQ and cultural care which you have shown and proven for decades - how can you possibly do this? Shame on you my brother. NOT choice!
Sorry Sir Stephen - I have nothing but respect what you have done in the past to get you here - but have absolutely NO respect in what you are choosing to do now. And as time goes on - the list of people in this camp will continue to grow.
Anyways, back to the data - today’s recent survey commissioned and released from Callaghan Innovation further validates that something REALLY needs to be done in Aotearoa to address these really poor behaviours by bad actors in our innovation system. It’s interesting because the ‘Manaaki Mafia’ has consistently accused me of talking about just them in my early posts about bad actors in NZ. Team - let me be CRYSTAL CLEAR - IT IS NOT JUST MANAAKI! IT NEVER WAS! I was referencing a range of bad actors in our space. These issues for Founders have always been wide reaching and now we simply have some more research to see the true significance of it.
Literally as we speak there is another VERY influential leader in the Kiwi business space who has multiple Founders locked up in deadbolt NDA’s to not say a thing publicly for a bunch of their own baddddd badddd behaviour. And what can they do now? NOTHING. Bad behaviour is everywhere.
And as the report says - 49% of Kiwi Founders have experienced or witnessed bad behaviours - unfortunately, this is the tip of a truly ugly long standing iceberg of bullying, intimation and bad behaviours from MANY influential and powerful people. Many who you know - many you've looked up too and many who are simply getting fearful that one day a Due Diligence report might come out on THEM and they’ll finally be on the chopping blocks.
Simply put - this recent survey commissioned by Callaghan Innovation further validates that a bunch bad behaviours have been happening for years in NZ from some of our well known and ‘trusted’ faces and now in 2023 it would truly be awesome if some of our industry ‘leaders’ actually stepped up publicly to do something about it - because so far - the clear majority of you have all stayed quiet in the shadows. So STOP texting, DMing, emailing and calling me about it.
I DON’T want to get your ‘thoughts & prayers’ copy paste sound bite bullshit!
Will the real NZ leaders please stand up!
To our Ecosystem Leaders - Grow a pair, and go public with your support for solutions, stop just ‘liking’ shit on social media and turning up to award shows. Put your cred where your title and Mana ‘supposedly’ is and genuinely do something about it for the Founders that will protect them for years to come.
To the Founders - I already chose long ago to be be thrown under the bus through this whole shitshow - and it’s been worth EVERY single bruise, all the countless hours of energy and legal maneuvering with absolutely NO commercial gain whatsoever, because I want Aotearoa’s next wave of Founders to be truly safe, truly supported, and truly empowered.
And even though I’m an absolute HR nightmare, a truly flawed human being of passion, grit and emotion who has stuffed up soooooooooo many times in life and business, and even though my delivery may be a chaotic mess, I truly know what I stand for. And as my ‘temporary relevance’ in the NZ startup community gradually fades as I get fatter, older and balder I will continue to go into bat for the Founders. I may swing a lil slower - but hopefully this bat will carry a lot more weight behind it. Today, tomorrow and for decades to come.
Too many Founders have been hurt - and enough is enough. Founders First. FULLSTOP!!!
If you have got to this point then you genuinely give a shit - here’s the full report : https://www.callaghaninnovation.govt.nz/sites/all/files/Horizon_Research_Founder_Wellbeing_Research_August_2023_Public.pdf
Sooooooo anyways……. now who wants me to tell you about Burning Man 2023?! Haha.
Robett