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What is 30under30?
30under30 is an Anthill initiative launched in 2008 to encourage and promote entrepreneurship among young Australians. This year’s batch of nominees was extensive and impressive. So much so that we believe several young talents who didn’t snag 30under30 top honors still deserve your attention and recognition. We’re calling them our Up-and-Comers. More.
Mike Boyd, QLD (b. 1987)
Name: Mike Boyd
Age: 23 (Born: November 1987)
Gender: Male
State: QLD
Cupstart is a unique tweak on a pressing problem among java junkies: having to queue up and wait, and wait, just to get a decent cup of joe.
The brainchild of Mike Boyd, the Cupstart app lets the user select a venue and order a brew online, then pick it up ready to go on arrival. Also included is a pre-paid option, so there’s no need to fret over loose change.
Four months after first being conceived, Cupstart picked up its first cafe client. The next three cafes signed on in three days, and now the service looks ready to spread like wildfire.
Beginner’s luck for the 23-year-old Brisbanite, one might say. Except that it’s not his first business. By Boyd’s measure, it’s already his seventh. To locate the pre-business Mike, you would have to go back to before age 11, when he was making money reselling lost golf balls.
“I truly believe that being an entrepreneur is one of the most sure-fire ways to making a difference in the world,” says Boyd — who, in addition to his serial entrepreneurdom, is also in demand as a lecturer, consultant and business coach.
The instructional virtues tie in well to his work with The Hive, a not-for-profit that hosts monthly chats and networking events for local entrepreneurs. Boyd directs the Brisbane chapter of the group, which has since grown to cover Sydney and Melbourne.
He also had a hand in Seventh Bloom, a subscription service that arranges weekly deliveries of premium flowers, varying the boutiques each week according to what’s been freshly cut.
“Entrepreneurs spot opportunities where others see problems and find a solution that is of value to the market,” he says. “I love solving problems, I love giving back and I love changing people’s lives.”
Just before the launch of Cupstart, Boyd says he received a call from an ad agency representing “one of the largest consumer goods brands in the world,” about licensing his software for a similar concept in a related industry. Unable to disclose too much about the deal, he simply declares with a grin, “We’re in discussions.”
Smells like something big is brewing.
Anthill asks: Mike Boyd, what is your superpower?
“My super-power is also my weakness: I cannot help but notice opportunities. I enjoy the blessing of being able to see problems/headaches/interruptions in a positive light because I understand the opportunities that ‘problems’ bring with them.”
The Hive: Mike Boyd introduces Yaro Starak
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To check out the full list of Anthill’s 30under30 winners, click here.
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