Alan Jones – Investing in Startups, Founder Coaching, and the Power of a Good T-Shirt

In this episode of Funded Futures, Emily sits down with Alan Jones, General Partner at M8 Ventures, founder coach, radio host, and t-shirt designer. With a career spanning tech journalism, startup investment, and mentoring early-stage founders, Alan shares his insights on the evolving Australian startup ecosystem, the qualities that make a great founder, and the unexpected role of t-shirts in virtual communication.Alan delves into his experience supporting startups through accelerator programs like Remarkable and Startmate and explains how the pandemic led to the launch of Communitees, a t-shirt project that supports the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. He discusses the importance of diversity in founding teams, why venture capital needs to do better in backing a more representative range of entrepreneurs, and how M8 Ventures applies a “no diversity, no dollars” approach to investment.The conversation covers how founders can navigate networking without getting trapped in industry cliques, the impact of AI and deep tech on early-stage investing, and the balance between founder visibility and company-building. Alan also shares his perspective on startup failure, why founders should focus on the journey rather than the outcome, and how resilience, adaptability, and great teams set the foundation for success.Towards the end, Alan talks about his love for obstacle course racing, particularly Spartan Race and Tough Mudder, drawing a metaphor between tackling muddy challenges and the rollercoaster journey of entrepreneurship.Links from this episode:CommuniteesM8 VenturesCatalysrComing soon: Pick My BrainAlan’s blogSpartan RaceEnjoy the episode and don’t forget to connect with Alan on LinkedIn if you want to learn more about his work!