Ep 31 – The CEO of Pitchblak On Picking Yourself Up and Trying Again

Ep 31 - The CEO of Pitchblak On Picking Yourself Up and Trying Again
It is nothing but inherently human to fear the chance of failure. In this episode, we discuss just this with millennial entrepreneur Adrian Osman, and how he transformed his setbacks into launching pads of exploration and success. Adrian is the CEO of Pitchblak, a startup education and advisory company that has helped over 200 startups raise investment for their business.
Adrian Osman
For many high (or even average) achievers, failure can feel like an overwhelmingly daunting possibility. However, setbacks are always going to be a key ingredient in the cocktail of life and in business. The things we care about often do. This reality served millennial entrepreneur Adrian Osman in style; the setbacks her experienced from failing his first five business actually serving as the launching pad he needed to create his latest project, Pitchblak.
In this jam packed episode, Adrian delves into the highs and lows of his own startup journey; how it earned him the empathy and inspiration he needed to help other entrepreneurs launch dreams of their own. From the importance of a good mentor to avoiding the number one reason startups fail, Adrian provides us with practical strategies and steps to ensure that entrepreneurs will avoid making the same mistakes. For anyone wrestling with how to launch their entrepreneurial idea, how to gain investment for their startup or struggling with the aftermath of failure – this one’s for you.
Street Cred:
Adrian is the CEO of Pitchblak, a startup education and advisory company that has helped over 200 startups raise investment for their business and has even been endorsed by Glen Richards from Shark Tank Australia.
Highlight Reel:
How his childhood as an introvert fuelled Adrian’s creativity [3:00]
Why Adrian decided not to pursue University [5:38]
How working at a sales agency developed his leadership skills [6:16]
How Adrian found his mentor and the early businesses they created [6:55]
Where Adrian gets his persistence from [10:54]
The importance of finding a mentor to accelerate your learning when getting into entrepreneurship [12:38]
How he bounced back from multiple failed businesses in a row [14:12]
The number one reason why startups fail [16:30]
How to validate your ideas before launching your product [18:11]
How the idea for Pitchblak came about [23:54]
How they created a sustainable business model that would help a large number of entrepreneurs [28:00]
What he’s learnt about young startups since launching Pitchblak [31:00]
Adrian’s advice to millennials in their early 20’s [36:50]