Show Notes
When you think of premium feature timber for cladding, decking or façades, your mind likely goes to cedar - that rich, beautiful wood loved by architects and homeowners.
But there’s a cost. Cedar and other prized timbers are often harvested from ancient, irreplaceable forests. Logging them disrupts ecosystems, accelerates climate risk, and destroys biodiversity - all to meet demand for aesthetic and performance expectations from people who don’t often know the true cost of their choices.
Daniel Gudsell saw the problem. And rather than telling people to stop using beautiful timber, he set out to build a better option.
His company, Abodo, is pioneering a new category of rapidly renewable, high-performance wood - grown in sustainable forests, thermally modified to stand up to the elements, and positioned to win hearts as well as specs.
It’s part science, part supply chain, and a lot of brand - building a better future for timber by changing not just the product, but how we perceive it.
After more than 20 years in the space, Abodo is gaining global traction. But as Daniel shares in this episode, in many ways they’re just getting started. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Business Is Boring
What started as a way to escape meal planning admin has turned into a powerful tool shaping the future of food.
From starting Crimson Education as a teenager to leading a company operating at a $300 million revenue run rate, Jamie Beaton has been on an extraordinary journey. In this episode, Simon Pound talks with the Crimson founder about his path from acceptance into 25 of the world’s top universities to scaling a billion-dollar global education business. They cover the creation of Crimson Global Academy, the role of AI in shaping education, and Jamie’s new teaching role at the University of Auckland’s Business Navigators program. Along the way, they explore lessons in resilience, leadership, and building ambitious ventures from Aotearoa to the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What started as a conversation between three friends in Whakatāne became a new category in drinks - a premium sparkling Mānuka honey beverage rooted in kaupapa Māori.
What if your meetings, interviews, or coaching sessions could turn themselves into structured insights, ready-to-go content, or instant action points? That’s what Contented AI - a Christchurch-based startup led by Lucy Pink and Hannah Hardy-Jones - is building.
Rowan Simpson has helped shape some of Aotearoa’s most iconic startups - from Trade Me and Xero to Vend and Timely - usually from behind the scenes. But with the release of his new book How to Be Wrong, he’s stepped into the spotlight to share some hard-earned lessons about success, leadership, and the quiet people who build great companies.