Why breaking old industry norms takes more than technical skill in STEM, with Sophia Kurianski (founder of Jinolo)

🎙️From Uni to CEO: How Mechatronic Engineer Sophia Kurianski Took on Decades-Old Industry Norms with JinoloChallenging outdated 3D design processes straight out of university, Sophia Kurianski turned frustration into a startup—and built Jinolo from the ground up🔍 What You’ll Learn:How questioning outdated systems can spark breakthrough ideasHow to validate a product idea before writing a line of codeWhat building a tech startup as a solo founder really looks likeWhy grants and customer discovery are key early toolsHow STEMM professionals can reframe failure in sales as growth🧠 About the Guest:Sophia Kurianski is a mechatronic engineer and the founder of Jinolo, a 3D collaboration platform transforming how technical and non-technical teams work together. Straight out of university, Sophia rejected “the way things have always been done” and built a startup that now serves over 500 customers. In this episode, she shares how problem-solving, lean execution, and persistence powered her entrepreneurial leap.📌 Episode Highlights:00:00 Welcome to Multiple Hats00:29 Meet Sophia Kurianski: Founder of Jinolo00:37 The problem with legacy 3D design workflows01:21 Bridging technical and non-technical collaboration03:34 Engineering roots and early work experience13:01 How Jinolo started: the first iteration19:26 Building a minimum viable product22:30 Getting feedback + iterating27:40 Customer discovery & early sales strategies34:37 Launching solo: founder mindset40:07 Hiring contractors and scaling46:34 Technical scalability vs customer onboarding55:00 Funding the startup & managing cash flow58:58 Personal growth through selling01:06:57 Final reflections + future vision🔗 Resources Mentioned:Visit JinoloSophia Kurianski on LinkedIn🤔 Reflection Time:What processes around you feel outdated? Could your discomfort with “how it’s always been done” be the clue to your next move?How might your STEMM background position you to create a better way?Hey, I hope you have enjoyed this interview and the career twists!While you listen, can you see the pattern - Founders tend to go get their destiny and create their own luck.And so can you!Creating your own luck has a lot to do with how you put yourself out there and speak about what you want to do.Send me a message if you want to start being at the right place, at the right time and make your own stars align.visit my website angelique.greco.com.au or send me a message on LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/angelique-greco        Want to craft a career story that opens doors?I help STEMM professionals speak with clarity, confidence, and purpose and show up as thought leaders —so the right opportunities find you.📬 Let’s connect: angeliquegreco.com.au | LinkedIn  ⭐️ Help More People Reinvent Their CareersIf you enjoyed this episode, please:✅ Leave a quick ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify 🙏♻️ Share it with a friend who's questioning their path in STEM Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.