#140 Ben Grabiner: UK upbringing, selling startup to Apple, applying learnings from LocalGlobe to build Side Stage Ventures

Ben Grabiner is a Partner at Side Stage Ventures, a newly formed Venture Capital firm in Australia. Previously he co-founded Platoon which was acquired by Apple. Platoon was created during Ben's time working at Local Globe, as an early employee at the firm. (Local Globe is now recognised as a leading seed stage VC fund in Europe). It’s now time to explore your curiosity. Please enjoy!(Timestamps below)***Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn or TwitterContact us via our website to discuss sponsorship opportunities, recommend future guests or share feedback, we love hearing how to improve! Thank you for rating / reviewing this podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, it helps others find us and convince guests to come on the show! ***💥 This episode is brought to you by Fullstack Advisory, Australia's top tech accounting firm, designed specifically for innovative tech founders and investors. They provide founder-friendly support across Accounting & Tax, R&D Tax Incentives, Bookkeeping, and CFO Advisory -- so you can focus on what you do best, innovating and growing your business. Get in touch with Stuart and the team today! ***00:55  - Where were you born and live now? 02:06 - What was your first job and now? 02:39 - High Flyer in Ben’s life 03:28 - Big family with 3 siblings 07:08 - Independently minded 08:50 - Career aspirations at age 18 11:25 - First date with media and tech 14:00 - Leaving corporate to found his first startup 16:45 - Struggling to raise capital 18:36 - UK startup ecosystem in 2014 20:14 - Joining Local Globe as a VC investor 24:00 - The problem that led to creating Platoon 28:25 - Business model with music labels 30:35 - Reflections on differences between the two startups he’s built 32:09 - How did the sale to Apple happen 34:55 - Balancing family and career 37:30 - Moving from the UK to Australia 40:50 - Building a network from scratch 42:54 - Origin story of Side Stage Ventures 45:09 - Applying a founder mindset to building a VC 47:17 - Uncovering unique founders early on 48:55 - Growing Side Stage with co-founder in Markus 50:17 - Rapid fire final sprint***