Late Payments, Big Problems: Stephen Neli on Fixing Small Biz Cash Flow with Zellus

Episode SummaryStephen Neli is only six weeks into building Zellus, but he’s already going after one of small business’ biggest problems—late payments. In this episode, he shares the origin story behind Zellus, how he’s pitching investors and customers, and what it’s like starting up solo (with a lot of heart and a little help from Figma). Alan breaks down his pitch, offers advice on finding a tech co-founder, and chats about that sneaky startup sidekick: imposter syndrome. If you’re an early-stage founder, this one’s packed with gold.Time Stamps1:27 – Stephen’s startup story and the birth of Zellus2:20 – The pitch: how Zellus helps small businesses get paid faster5:30 – Alan’s feedback: strong structure, clear gestures, great storytelling8:18 – Who Stephen needs on the team (CTO wanted!)12:13 – Building in public and what Instagram has taught him14:52 – Partnerships, pilots, and early traction17:32 – Customer interviews, pivots, and prototyping with Figma25:06 – Imposter syndrome and learning to share the lowlights27:27 – Why sharing the lowlights helps others (and you)29:49 – Mailout mishaps and the power of founder vulnerabilitResources⚡️ Zellus on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/zellus-au/🙋🏻‍♂️ Stephen’s Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sneli/🛳️ Stephen’s Startup Voyage on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/stephen.startupvoyage🎙️ TEDx Talk: Mike Cannon-Brookes on Imposter Syndrome - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwEquW_Yij0Sponsors:Pick My Brain is supported by our wonderful sponsors:🦙 Vanta automates up to 90% compliance, getting you audit-ready quickly and saving you up to 85% of associated costs. Join 10,000 global companies like Cipherstash, Handle and Indebted that use Vanta to build trust and prove security in real-time.Get 10% off - http://dayone.fm/vanta/brain The Day One NetworkPick My Brain is part of Day One, the podcast network dedicated to founders, operators & investors.To learn more, join our newsletter to be notified of new and upcoming shows. The only content we create is content that will help Australian founders. Mentioned in this episode:Vanta PMB Ad_March 2025_02Vanta PMB Ad_March 2025_02

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