In this episode of the Ways to Wealth Podcast, Charlie is joined by Richard Cross!

Richard is a seasoned entrepreneur and founder of Budgee, a modern financial planning tool built to replace clunky spreadsheets and help businesses model cashflow with operational clarity. His journey began in academia, where he and his peers set out to commercialise their postgraduate research—eventually leading to the creation of ecoPortal, a health and safety platform now used by major enterprises across New Zealand.

Richard shares candid insights from more than a decade in start-ups: bootstrapping for over six years, pivoting based on real customer need, and learning how constraints often spark the most meaningful innovation. He reflects on how skills from academia—curiosity, rigour, problem-solving—translate powerfully into entrepreneurship.

The conversation also explores the launch of Budgee, the future of cashflow forecasting, and how entrepreneurship offers a unique kind of psychological freedom. Richard shares his thoughts on raising resilient children, building businesses that last, and his long-term aspiration to contribute to the space tech sector.

A thoughtful episode for anyone navigating the financial side of business, turning research into reality, or redefining wealth on their own terms.

Find out more about ‘Budgee’ here:

www.budg.ee

Watch all episodes of the Ways to Wealth Podcast here:

www.eccuity.com/podcasts

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