In this episode of Give It A Nudge, Steve sits down with David Kenney, the author of Epic Execution. With over three decades of hands-on experience, David has advised the who's who of Australian entrepreneurial fame, supporting tens of thousands of founders from early-stage ideas all the way to NASDAQ listings.

David's journey into the mechanics of business began at 18 when he hitchhiked across Sydney to interview CEOs and uncover exactly what drives growth. He spent 28 years as a chartered accounting partner and has refined his sharp pattern recognition through top accelerator programs like Startmate, UNSW Founders, and Tech Ready Women. He explains how his systematic thinking helped early tech startups commercialize their ideas before the ecosystem even really existed. Instead of just delivering standard accounting advice, David focuses on getting People, Product, Promotion, and Profit right.

We dive deep into his new book, Epic Execution. It is not a generic roadmap, but a complete Founder Operating System distilled into 24 pragmatic chapters. David spent a year crafting it as a series of tough questions founders need to ask themselves to test reality against their assumptions. He breaks down why pathological optimism can be a founder's biggest asset, but also their downfall if they let ego and the need for social media validation drive their decision-making.

Steve and David also trade thoughts on surviving the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, the massive shift in commercial real estate with 750,000 square meters of empty office space, and how the rise of AI is forcing companies to be more human-centric. David opens up about his personal operating system too, from mentoring youth startups to his non-negotiable 6:00 AM walks and freezing ocean swims at Shelly Beach.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro and the authenticity of unedited podcasts

01:54 - The 28-year accounting career and 30,000 founder meetings

05:03 - Commercializing university ideas in the early tech ecosystem

07:39 - Why pricing and capital allocation are the true foundations of scale

13:08 - Leaving a major partnership to drive deeper advisory impact

16:56 - Writing Epic Execution and forcing founders to ask hard questions

22:05 - The philosophy that great businesses are bought not sold

27:38 - Cash flow mistakes and the reality check loop for founders

31:18 - Navigating founder egos and the trap of social media perception

37:39 - Advising startups through the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic

46:00 - Empty office buildings and the new era of co-working spaces

50:38 - How AI is shifting knowledge work and the value of human connection

57:27 - Mentoring youth startups and morning swims at Shelly Beach

Links:

Connect with David Kenney → https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkenneyofficial/

Epic Execution → https://www.epicexecution.com/

Connect with Steve → https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegrace/

The Nudge Group → https://thenudgegroup.com/

Give It A Nudge Podcast → https://www.youtube.com/@giveitanudge/

The Trouble With People → https://thetroublewithpeople.substack.com/