Eden Shirley on Disrupting Yourself, Surviving Crisis, and Building a Culture of Warriors

Episode SummaryEden Shirley, founder and CEO of AutoGuru, shares how he turned a near-collapse during COVID-19 into a high-growth B2B success story with FleetGuru. Eden breaks down how AutoGuru evolved from a consumer marketplace for car servicing into a powerful SaaS platform processing over 35,000 fleet transactions a month across Australia and New Zealand. He explains how strategic product pivots, a relentless focus on financial discipline, and embracing embedded payments technology unlocked new revenue streams and transformed the business model.He reveals hard-won lessons on surviving financial crises, why raising startup capital before you need it is critical, and how founders can successfully scale by empowering their teams. This episode covers everything from navigating startup funding challenges and investor management to building a scalable B2B SaaS platform and leading through market uncertainty. If you’re exploring business model transformation, growth strategies for SaaS startups, or the leap from founder-led operations to sustainable leadership, this conversation is packed with actionable insights for long-term business resilience.Time Stamps02:04 – The adolescent startup mindset: Why AutoGuru still feels like day one09:55 – COVID hits: Facing near collapse and the “Great Pivot”17:07 – The real story behind raising capital during a crisis23:35 – Bootstrapping vs. raising, why timing is everything27:10 – Building a culture of warriors: How Eden kept his team together35:00 – The B2B pivot: Launching FleetGuru and unlocking hypergrowth42:33 – Processing $1M a day: Scaling B2B transactions and embedded payments46:00 – Letting go of control: Transitioning from founder-led to scalable leadership53:00 – Managing investor pressure and recapitalizing the business59:10 – Health, burnout, and the personal cost of startup life01:03:00 – Building a global-ready SaaS platform: The leap to New Zealand01:10:00 – Growing from 50 to 100 employees: How Eden is planning for scale01:18:11 – Why optimism is critical at the scale-up stage01:22:41 – The key metrics every founder should track (and why revenue per employee matters)01:29:00 – What’s next for Eden: The exit vision and building a global businessResources🚗 AutoGuru – Australia’s leading car servicing marketplace - https://www.autoguru.com.au/👥 Connect with Eden Shirley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/edenshirleySponsors:Perspective X is supported by our wonderful sponsors:Vanta: Vanta is the all-in-one solution for startups to become compliant quickly and build a security foundation with ease. Startup customers get $1000 off Vanta at dayone.fm/vanta/paulineMighty Partners: Mighty Partners is a growth lender supporting ambitious Australian companies with bespoke debt funding solutions.Day One listeners are invited to book a complimentary venture debt consultation with Mighty Partners. To schedule your call, simply follow the link and mention "Day One Free Consult"dayone.fm/mighty Perspective X is part of Day One.Day One helps founders and startup operators make better business decisions more often. To learn more, join our newsletter to be notified of new Perspective X episodes and upcoming shows. Mentioned in this episode:Mighty Partners_PX_May 2025Vanta_PX_May 2025

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