Sportstech startup SPT raises $5 million: Founder William Strange on the pros of a sales-focused mindset

For Melbourne entrepreneur William Strange, the most valuable experience he’s received as a startup founder wasn’t found at a startup at all, but at a commercial real estate firm.

“Commercial real estate was where I learnt to take being told no in my stride, and anyone who’s worked in the area knows those first few years are really rough,” Strange told StartupSmart.

“But if you don’t get knocked out by that then nothing will. I don’t think you can live as a startup founder if you don’t have that sort of determination — the determination to pursue opportunities and prove people wrong.

“I always knew that entrepreneurship was the way I wanted to go. I used to have a little black book that I’d write business ideas down in,” he says.

Strange’s time as a commercial real estate agent started right after he left high school, and he says “pounding the pavement” for two years taught him a strong work ethic, eventually leading him to dive into the Shark Tank in 2015 with subscription-based underwear company Three65 Underwear. While the entrepreneur locked in an on-screen deal worth $120,000 from sharks Janine Allis and Naomi Simson, Strange revealed in 2016 that he didn’t end up going through with the deal and instead sold Three65. Read more

Dominic Powell - Smart Company - 4 Dec 2017