Show Notes
Mike Cannon-Brookes and Scott Farquhar started Atlassian as two university friends with $10,000 in credit card debt. They went on to build a global software giant worth more than $100 billion — and become two of Australia’s richest people. But behind the extraordinary success, their friendship was beginning to fracture. Tech Bros authors and senior business journalists John Stensholt and Perry Williams join Sylvia Jeffreys to reveal what they uncovered about the relationship behind one of Australia’s greatest business success stories — from tensions inside Atlassian and a reported year in which the founders barely spoke, to a multimillion-dollar renovation dispute between their neighbouring Point Piper mansions. In this episode: How Cannon-Brookes and Farquhar built Atlassian from almost nothing The Point Piper property dispute that exposed cracks in their friendship What happened when tensions spilled into the workplace and why Farquhar ultimately stepped down as co-CEO How Atlassian’s culture changed as the company grew The impact of AI and 1,600 job cuts on Atlassian’s future What their story teaches us about friendship, ambition and knowing when to walk away See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from The Pay Off with Sylvia Jeffreys
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Women make up two in three beginner investors. But as investing gets more advanced, that representation starts to fall away. Global X portfolio manager Jessica Leung thinks confidence is a big part of the problem — and she knows what it’s like to feel out of place in finance, having spent much of her early career as the only woman on her team. Jessica joins Sylvia to strip investing back to basics: how ETFs actually work, what to look for when choosing one, the fees that can eat into your returns and why a boring, long-term strategy might be a good thing. Plus, they unpack the AI investment boom — including why the opportunity extends well beyond the big tech names to data centres, infrastructure and even copper — and the biggest mistake Jessica sees new investors making. This episode contains general information only and does not constitute personal financial advice. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Why does a strong CV disappear into a recruitment black hole? Former recruiter and Project Roar founder Catherine Harris joins Sylvia Jeffreys to explain how hiring has changed, what can stop your application reaching a person, and why spending hours on job boards may be getting you nowhere. They cover: How to make your CV easier for recruitment software and recruiters to read What to do if you’re worried your age is counting against you How to explain a career break, including time spent caring for children How to use conversations and referrals to find opportunities Catherine also shares what employers could gain by hiring more workers in their fifties and sixties. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Australia is one week out from the RBA’s next interest rate decision — and the possibility of another rate hike is firmly in focus. So what is the Reserve Bank actually watching? RBA Chief Economist and Assistant Governor Sarah Hunter joins Sylvia Jeffreys to take us inside how the bank thinks about interest rates, inflation and the Australian economy — and bust some of the biggest economic myths along the way. In this episode: What the RBA is weighing up ahead of its next rates decision Why interest rates affect far more than just mortgage holders Whether higher interest rates really push up rents Whether migration is adding to inflation How government spending factors into the RBA’s thinking What’s behind Australia’s housing downturn — and where prices could go from here Whether Australian households are showing signs of mortgage stress Why the RBA remains concerned about inflation Plus, Sarah explains what happens behind the scenes before every interest rate decision — from the economic data her team analyses to the papers that land in front of the Monetary Policy Board. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
SportsGrad founder Reuben Williams quit his own company — then figured out how to buy it back. But that’s only part of his story. Reuben has gone from landing his dream job at Cricket Australia, to redundancy, entrepreneurship and almost losing the business he built. He’s helped close to 850 people find jobs in sport, travelled the world chasing some of its biggest events, and rebuilt SportsGrad after a buyback deal left him under enormous financial pressure. At the same time, Reuben spent six years navigating the legal system after taking a former colleague to court over a sexual assault. The experience led him to speak publicly about what happened and become an advocate for survivors. Reuben joins Sylvia Jeffreys on The Pay Off for a wide-ranging conversation about ambition, resilience, work and what happens when life doesn’t follow the path you expected. In this episode: The CV mistakes that could be holding jobseekers back Why AI is changing the entry-level jobs market What his experience taught him about the barriers facing sexual assault survivors The four values shaping how he lives and works See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.