In this episode of Give It a Nudge, Steve chats with Melissa Reader, the founder and CEO of Violet (https://www.violet.org.au/), a pioneering virtual care platform dedicated to supporting individuals and their families during the last stage of life. 

Steve and Melissa talk about her shift from consulting to starting Violet, the unique challenges she faced as a non-tech founder in a tech world, and how she successfully bootstrapped the business while keeping control. They also cover Violet’s innovative approach to blending humanity and technology to offer scalable, impactful solutions.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction and setting the scene
00:18 - Meet Melissa Reader of Violet
01:17 - Quick pitch on Violet and its mission
03:12 - Transition from consulting to founding Violet
04:52 - Melissa’s personal story and inspiration behind Violet
06:29 - Building Violet: Combining humanity and technology
09:59 - Overcoming challenges in a non-tech founder journey
13:10 - Distribution challenges and initial marketing strategies
15:59 - Winning support and recognition for Violet’s mission
21:04 - Expansion into international markets and future plans
25:35 - Bootstrapping Violet and maintaining equity
30:26 - Future plans and new product launch

This episode is perfect for anyone interested in how technology can be used to support people during one of the most challenging times in life, and how personal experiences can drive impactful innovation.

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