AANZ Runway Event Review by Eldon Tate of Inhibit Coatings – NZ Entrepreneur Magazine

The runway is Angel Society NZ Create a calendar and give founders the chance to network and meet other investors and founders across the country.

BNZ Founders Scholarship recipient Eldon Tate attended the AANZ Runway event in Auckland in March.

Eldon is co-founder inhibit coatingis an antimicrobial company that provides safe, long-term protection for people, products and the environment.

Here, Eldon shares key lessons learned from the runway event with other founders.

AANZ and BNZ made it possible for me to attend the runway event in March. With an amazing line-up of panel discussions and an amazing mix of attendees from founders, investors and ecosystem support providers, AANZ has provided us with the opportunity to learn, connect and grow our network, so we are very pleased to announce this day. was very valuable.

I knew I would hear great stories, tips and tricks, and lessons learned from panel discussions led by Vaughan Ferguson, Anna Kominick, Susan Haley, and Greg Cross.

It didn’t disappoint. Participants found the panel discussions particularly valuable as they were able to tap into the wisdom of entrepreneurs and experts through open and candid discussion. Each panel highlighted the many trials and tribulations that founders face on their journey, creating bonds through adversity.

Among the many topics that were covered, I would like to highlight a few that stood out in all the panels.

• people, people, people – It’s all about people. It’s a subject that, in my opinion, cannot be talked about enough. While some of the key points are well known, seeing real-world examples of their value further emphasizes the importance of caring for people. Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you and build networks and relationships.
• communication – Must be able to follow people and communicate effectively with that amazing network. Open and honest communication is required in all stakeholder engagements, including customers, teams and the board of directors. Unexpected events can and will happen. The ability to communicate in difficult situations is very useful in keeping teams, customers and investors on the same page. It also helps increase the self-awareness of the whole team, helping them grow more effectively and themselves.
• Resilience – Just continuing your journey increases your chances of success, so make sure you can do that. It’s important to take steps to keep you, your team, and your support network in the game. The key to building resilience is avoiding burnout and keeping your energy up for the tough times.

On top of that, we also kept investment readiness and tracked the progress of the company in a variety of ways beyond just revenue and user metrics, and also gave tips on how to tell your story in an elegant way to your investors. This can be a great tool to help you find alignment when conducting investor due diligence and ensure that you find investors whose expertise and network can add value to your board.

We’ve heard some great examples of how they’ve focused on great technology and done a great business model right. The key is to assume that the business model is wrong until it works. This will help you avoid being too stubborn.

The final and most action-packed session of the day featured a speed dating session. It was the perfect time to lose my voice while growing my network faster than Cheetah.

If you, as a founder, are looking for the perfect balance of learning, networking and connecting with the entire New Zealand ecosystem, join us at AANZ Runway.