AFC presents From Idea to Shipped: How Founders Build a Validated Product, Fast 🚀

AFC presents From Idea to Shipped: How Founders Build a Validated Product, Fast (and Without a CTO) 🚀

You've got an idea. Maybe you've had it for months. The problem isn't the idea, it's that you can't build it. Or maybe you can, but you don't want to do it by hiring a CTO or handing a dev shop twenty-five grand to maybe build the wrong thing.

And that's the trap. The build was never the hard part. The hard part is making sure you're building something people want, before the months and the money are gone.

This month at Aussie Founders Club, we're sitting down with founders who've taken an idea all the way to a shipped product, alongside Craig Brown from Everest Engineering. How they validated, what they built first, and how they moved fast without building the wrong thing.

📅 Key Event Details

Date: Thursday 16 July

Time: 5:30pm - 8:30pm

Location: Everest Engineering, [full address], Melbourne

Food & Drinks: Provided by Everest, with pizza from Pizza Pizza Pizza 🍕🥂

Who Should Attend Founders with an idea they want to get built, especially if you're non-technical and stuck on the how. Early-stage founders, operators, and anyone sitting on a product they haven't started yet.

This one is apply to attend, so we keep the room to founders who are ready to move.

The Panel:

Craig Brown - CEO, EverestEngineering: Craig and the Everest team were the first engineering house to build Canva's first product, and they've since taken startups like Heatseeker from early build through to rapid growth. I'm keen to hear Craig on what separates the ideas that make it to a real product from the ones that stall, and how a founder with no technical team gets started the right way.

Julia Chang - Founder, Sated: Julia built Sated - a venue discovery platform for people with dietary restrictions, allergies, and non-drinking preferences - without a technical co-founder. She went through Startmate's Launch Club, shipped fast, and had her first users in the door within 30 minutes of going live. Julia is proof that non-technical founders can move just as quickly as anyone else when the build is focused on the right thing first.

Nick Davenport - Founder, Vozi: As a Founder with a technical architecture background, but hands off development wise, Nick builds AI voice agents for businesses. He's all about validating fast and shipping a first version in days rather than months.

What You'll Learn

How founders are getting products built and shipped today (without CTOs)

How to know what's worth building before you spend months on it

How to validate as you build, not after

What to ship first, and what to leave for later

Where most ideas stall, and how to get past it

Thanks to Our Sponsors

🛠 Our Venue & Catering Sponsor: EverestEngineering

We’re stoked to be hosted by EverestEngineering, a world-class product development partner that helps startups build, scale, and accelerate their software dreams. With a sharp focus on engineering excellence and collaboration, EverestEngineering takes the hassle out of product delivery - so founders can stay focused on what matters most.

🤝 In-Kind Event Sponsor: Kairos Recruitment

Another shout out to Kairos, my recruitment company that has continued to make these events possible. Through running AFC and working deeply with startup clients, we help companies scale their teams with the right people, at the right time. Whether you're hiring your first engineer or your next Head of Growth, we knows how to match startups with standout humans who thrive in the chaos.

Proudly Supported by LaunchVic

This event is proudly supported by LaunchVic, Victoria’s startup agency. Their role is to fuel the growth of Victoria’s startup ecosystem by building the confidence and capability of Victorians to create, scale, and invest in startups.

Established by the Victorian Government in 2016, LaunchVic is helping shape the future of the state’s innovation economy by:

Driving improvements in the startup investment landscape

Supporting programs that build founder, investor, and talent capabilities

Continuing to raise awareness and advocate for startups across Victoria

We’re grateful for their continued support in helping make events like this possible.

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