{"id":42341,"date":"2023-10-20T15:20:30","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:20:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/from-xero-to-hero-why-the-startup-giant-is-giving-back-to-the-local-ecosystem-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:20:30","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:20:30","slug":"from-xero-to-hero-why-the-startup-giant-is-giving-back-to-the-local-ecosystem-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/from-xero-to-hero-why-the-startup-giant-is-giving-back-to-the-local-ecosystem-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"From Xero to hero: Why the startup giant is giving back to the local ecosystem – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"New<\/div>\n

Contributing to the local startup ecosystem is at the heart of Xero\u2019s operations because it too started with nothing, the accounting software giant\u2019s new managing director Trent Innes says.<\/p>\n

The fact that Xero hasn\u2019t lost its startup spirit has helped it stay ahead of the game, Innes says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a very innovative company,\u201d Innes tells StartupSmart.<\/em><\/p>\n

Paying it forward<\/strong><\/h3>\n

It\u2019s important for the big startup players to give back the community and help nurture the next generation of entrepreneurs, he says.<\/p>\n

Innes says their program Xero for Startups aims to mentor, connect and share advice with aspiring entrepreneurs and new startups on the scene.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re pushing out content to help startups to understand the industry and the opportunities,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Xero is also running a monthly breakfast series alternating between Sydney and Melbourne sharing expert advice from Xero\u2019s own team and their networks.<\/p>\n

With last month\u2019s Melbourne event selling out, Innes is excited to see more new faces at the Sydney session next Wednesday.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of fantastic skills and knowledge, why wouldn\u2019t you impart that and help,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Product iteration<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Innes is currently travelling Australia with the Xero Roadshow to meet with customers and showcase new products.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe industry\u2019s going through quite a generational shift at the moment and we have a big responsibility to help them with that,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

In the last year alone, Innes says Xero released more than 800 product features and updates.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we\u2019re growing really strongly,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

They now have more than 600,000 customers in over 180 countries with less than 15% market share, he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve proven that you can build a global company from this part of the world,\u201d Innes says.<\/p>\n

Achieving this required continually taking on board feedback from customers and partners to meet their needs and balancing that with product innovation, Innes says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we do that balance probably better than anyone,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Innes says it\u2019s important for startups to focus on building products with the user in the front of mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cXero\u2019s been a design first company from day one,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve taken what could effectively be a very complex problem and made it beautiful to the fact that people now love doing accounting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Follow StartupSmart on Facebook<\/strong>, Twitter<\/strong>, LinkedIn<\/strong> and SoundCloud<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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