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What Founders Want is built by founders, for founders — and shaped by the insights of those who’ve been there. Our Founding Editorial Contributors are a curated group of startup founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders from across Aotearoa who help keep the platform practical, relevant, and founder-first.
They share ground-level insights, spotlight overlooked opportunities, and ensure the platform reflects the real challenges and solutions NZ founders face every day.
⚡ Want to drive real change in New Zealand’s startup ecosystem?
Join the Founding Editorial Contributors — a nationally visible group helping shape a founder-first future across Aotearoa. Applications close 06 June 2025.
Apply now → https://forms.gle/CgeidEjMRgHtdw367
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Who Are the Founding Editorial Contributors of What Founders Want?
The Founding Editorial Contributors are a voluntary group of experienced startup founders and ecosystem allies who provide candid feedback, practical insights, and valuable connections to strengthen What Founders Want — a free, neutral, and data-driven platform built around the real needs of startup and SME founders across Aotearoa.
This curated group ensures the platform remains aligned with what founders need to raise, make, and save money. Each Contributor has a dedicated space on What Founders Want to publish monthly insights, highlight regional realities, and surface practical tools.
It’s a low-lift, high-impact way to support a founder-first platform — while amplifying your voice within the ecosystem.
Purpose of the Founding Editorial Contributors
Founders face a fragmented ecosystem with limited access to capital, customers, and clarity. What Founders Want exists to solve that — but only works if it reflects the full spectrum of founder experience. The Contributors ensure it does.
They bring a diverse set of perspectives to four core functions:
1. Strategic Alignment
Guide the platform's direction to reflect the current, real-world challenges NZ founders face. Ensure tools and insights remain relevant and practical.
2. Founder Advocacy
Act as a feedback loop. Flag gaps, validate assumptions, and provide ground-level context to keep the platform founder-first.
3. Ecosystem Connectivity
Spotlight underused tools, partners, and programs — particularly from regional or underrepresented communities — to ensure national relevance.
4. Content Contribution
Maintain a personal contributor space with short, monthly updates to help founders raise, make, or save money. All content is practical and clearly attributed.
Who Should Be a Contributor?
Founders
Early-stage or scaling startup and SME founders, especially those representing Māori, Pasifika, women, rural, or other underrepresented communities.
Investors
Angel, VC, impact, and iwi-aligned investors who bring diverse funding perspectives and are committed to expanding access to capital across geographies and founder types.
Ecosystem Leaders
Incubator and accelerator leaders, community builders, and government or iwi tech advocates with a system-level view of the startup landscape.
Diverse Voices
A mix of regions, identities, and lived experiences to ensure the platform reflects the full spectrum of NZ founders.
Contributor Expectations
- Monthly Contributor Update
- Share and Amplify
- Surface What Matters
- Join Occasional Check-Ins
Share a short post featuring tools, funding pathways, or practical advice to help founders raise, make, or save money.
Distribute your update through LinkedIn, Slack, or direct networks to extend reach and ensure founder voices lead the narrative.
Identify missing tools, gaps, or new programs. Your input helps keep the platform accurate and useful.
Participate in quarterly (or bi-monthly) contributor calls to validate new ideas and surface founder-driven insights.
What Founding Editorial Contributors Do Not Do
Contributors are not part of What Founders Want’s governance. They:
- Hold no legal or fiduciary duties
- Do not vote on decisions
- Do not manage operations or monetization
- Advise only on strategy and founder needs
Meetings and Commitment
- Cadence: Roughly four virtual meetings per year
- Time: Approximately 12–15 hours per quarter, including follow-ups
- Term: One-year voluntary commitment
- Compensation: Unpaid voluntary role
Values and Culture Fit
- Founder-First: Committed to practical, empathetic support for founders
- Collaborative: Humble, partner-minded, and solutions-focused
- Neutral: No conflicts of interest or “pay-to-play” thinking
- Consistent: Committed to evidence-based advice and content quality
- Inclusive: Champions representation across all of New Zealand’s founder landscape
How to Apply
If you’re a founder, investor, or ecosystem leader aligned with the values of What Founders Want and want to contribute to a nationally relevant, founder-first platform, apply by 06 June 2025.
Apply now → https://forms.gle/CgeidEjMRgHtdw367
We’re building this with and for the ecosystem — and we’d love your voice at the table.
⚡ If this sounds like you, we hope to hear from you soon!
What Founders Want — NZ startup tools, templates, grants & funding in one place
Pages — Start a Startup · Government Support · Get Funded · Accelerators · Templates · Perks · Tools · NZ Startup Ecosystem Directory · Editorial Contributors
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