Basecamp launches to help Founders scale the startup summit Announcements Last Updated: Monday 3 February LaunchVic has unveiled its latest initiative, Basecamp, a founder education program designed to help seed to Series A startup founders attract and retain top executive talent. With expressions of interest now open, the program will run across six weeks from May to June 2025. A report released in 2023 by the Tech Council of Australia and LaunchVic revealed critical gaps in non-technical roles at startups, particularly at the senior executive level. LaunchVic Chair Leigh Jasper said the shortages stem from both attraction and retention challenges and disproportionately affect first-time and technical founders. “In those early stages, making the wrong executive hire can kill a company. And as an investor one of the most common problems you hear from portfolio companies is issues hiring the right people,” Mr Jasper said. “Founders may be experts in their fields and the problem they’re solving, but won’t often have experience hiring and managing a team, especially at that C-Suite level.” Basecamp’s curriculum has been developed in consultation with founders, investors, and accelerator leaders to address these challenges. The program aims to equip participants with the tools to build a strategic hiring roadmap and secure top talent in key areas such as HR, Sales, Operations, Finance, and Growth. It also prioritises retention, ensuring hires are set up for long-term success. “This initiative not only helps founders attract the talent crucial for their growth but ensures these hires thrive in meaningful roles with clear pathways for advancement,” said LaunchVic CEO Dr Kate Cornick. “For LaunchVic, Basecamp is a cornerstone of our broader strategy to help founders scale faster while creating more high-value jobs in Victoria’s startup ecosystem.” Expressions of interest for Basecamp’s inaugural cohort are open until 1pm February 24. For more information, visit launchvic.org/programs/basecamp. For media enquiries contact holly.clark@launchvic.org. Related Posts Insights 03 Feb 2025 About to make your first big hire? Consider these questions first Insights Recruitment expert Lorena Healey shares the key watch outs for founders making their first executive hires. DEBUG VALUES: post date: 03 Feb 2025 Insights 03 Feb 2025 The secrets to building your recruitment structure Insights Culture Amp CPO Justin Angsuwat on mastering the art of interviewing, building structured hiring systems, and scaling your team the right way. DEBUG VALUES: post date: 03 Feb 2025 Case Studies 07 Nov 2024 Cuttable Started Here Case Studies Finding great people and trusting your gut: hiring lessons from A Cloud Guru co-founder Sam Kroonenburg. DEBUG VALUES: post date: 07 Nov 2024
