{"id":54007,"date":"2023-10-20T16:26:05","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T16:26:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/thick-skin-and-perseverance-swifts-joel-macdonald-on-hustle-and-grind-in-the-big-apple-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T16:26:05","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T16:26:05","slug":"thick-skin-and-perseverance-swifts-joel-macdonald-on-hustle-and-grind-in-the-big-apple-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/thick-skin-and-perseverance-swifts-joel-macdonald-on-hustle-and-grind-in-the-big-apple-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThick skin and perseverance\u201d: Swift\u2019s Joel Macdonald on hustle and grind in the Big Apple – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It can be tough for an Aussie that\u2019s relocated to the US to deal with the often self-serving nature of some in the US tech scene, according to Swift<\/a> co-founder Joel Macdonald. <\/p>\n

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It\u2019s been a big couple of years for Macdonald. The former AFL player was delivering beers on a scooter in Melbourne\u2019s eastern suburbs not too long ago, and is now running his logistics startup Swift from New York.<\/p>\n

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He relocated to the United States last year, and says the last six months have been filled with visa drama, pitches, big partnerships, and adjusting to the different way of doing business over there.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt can be intense at times. Everyone has an idea, funding, growth and traction,\u201d Macdonald says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI love the US and the people, but the tech scene can be a bit of a \u2018mutual appreciation society\u2019 where no one actually cares what you are doing when they ask you, but they are waiting for their time to pitch you what they do as soon as you finish.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI love New York and the fact that everyone in the city is there on a mission and to do something big. It\u2019s a hustle and I feel like I\u2019m thriving in it. It\u2019s a city of huge opportunity if you are prepared to hustle.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Capital raise an exhausting process<\/b><\/h2>\n

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Swift recently raised $US675,000 in funding<\/a>, the culmination of an exhausting, bruising process.<\/p>\n

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Macdonald says if the capital raise was a title fight the bout would\u2019ve gone for at least 25 rounds.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt was long, tiring and mentally challenging,\u201d Macdonald says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThere were a lot of meetings, pitches and critical analyses of the model, team and the traction.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s a marathon that requires a lot of thick skin and perseverance.\u201d<\/p>\n

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In a big development, Swift recently announced a \u201cmulti-million dollar\u201d deal<\/a> with one of America\u2019s largest ecommerce retailers.<\/p>\n

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The startup signed a NDA early on in negotiations, and are yet to reveal who the retailer is. However Business Insider<\/i> believes it to be Instacart<\/a>, a company with revenue north of $US100 million.<\/p>\n

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The process in securing the deal was long and tiring but ultimately rewarding, Macdonald says, but there was one nasty surprise at the end.<\/p>\n

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\u201cLuckily the team we were dealing with on their side was amazing and easy to work with,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe attorneys did most of the work and I almost had a heart attack when I saw the attorney invoice at the conclusion of the negotiations. \u201c<\/p>\n

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The startup lifestyle is certainly not for everyone, and Macdonald says he\u2019s been falling back on the lessons gained during his footy and early business days.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI look at things that have popped up these days and the Joel of 12 months ago would have freaked out and not slept due to too much stress,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cNow it just joins the ever growing to-do list and I squash it when the time comes. I have developed a lot of these skills through failing in business and my previous football life.\u201d<\/p>\n

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You don\u2019t put a hoodie on, crack open a beer, and become a millionaire<\/b><\/h2>\n

Entrepreneurs hoping to make it big need to have persistence and resilience, and most of all passion, Macdonald says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWithout the passion towards what you are trying to do and the relentless will to succeed, you will find it hard to not give up at that first sign of adversity,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s a grind. It can take an emotional and psychological toll if you don\u2019t have the right support network around you, the passion for what you are doing and reasonable coping mechanisms with stress.\u201d<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s important that hopeful entrepreneurs realise they\u2019ll have to put in the hard yards to be successful, Macdonald says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s tough and there is a lot to deal with,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

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\u201cZuckerberg didn\u2019t just put on a hoodie, open a beer and become a billionaire. There was an incredible amount of work, desire and passion that led to the success of that company. Don\u2019t let Hollywood trick you into thinking otherwise.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Raising your <\/i>first round of capital<\/i><\/a>? Starting a <\/i>crowdfunding campaign<\/i><\/a>? Want to grow your business <\/i>with Instagram?<\/i><\/a> StartupSmart School can help.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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