On episode 77 of Startup 360, we’re talking about storytelling, influence, AI, parenthood and the increasingly important business of staying human with Ranya Alkadamani, founder of Impact Group International.

Ranya worked for Kevin Rudd when he was foreign minister, in a career that also spans media, international affairs, intelligence and communications. That’s given her a rare view of what happens when ideas meet institutions, politics and the people they’re supposed to serve.

For founders, there’s plenty to unpack.

Simon and Julie get into why relationships with government should start long before you need something, why great products can still fail the “so what?” test, and why founders need to understand not just what they’re building, but how the people outside their bubble will experience it.

That’s especially relevant when the conversation turns to AI. Alongside enormous opportunity, there’s also growing anxiety about what gets automated, what skills we risk losing, and whether efficiency translates into progress.

Ranya also talks candidly about motherhood, identity and discovering that success and capability in one part of life don’t necessarily prepare you for another. She had post natal depression after her first child and shares how that shaped her thinking about the world and the way forward.

Startup 360 is a SmartCo. Media production, produced and edited by Matt Jackson, and supported by Deel. Hire, manage and pay – anyone, anywhere.

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