<p>In this episode of Give It A Nudge, Steve sits down with David Kenney, the author of Epic Execution. With over three decades of hands-on experience, David has advised the who&#39;s who of Australian entrepreneurial fame, supporting tens of thousands of founders from early-stage ideas all the way to NASDAQ listings.</p><p><br></p><p>David&#39;s journey into the mechanics of business began at 18 when he hitchhiked across Sydney to interview CEOs and uncover exactly what drives growth. He spent 28 years as a chartered accounting partner and has refined his sharp pattern recognition through top accelerator programs like Startmate, UNSW Founders, and Tech Ready Women. He explains how his systematic thinking helped early tech startups commercialize their ideas before the ecosystem even really existed. Instead of just delivering standard accounting advice, David focuses on getting People, Product, Promotion, and Profit right.</p><p><br></p><p>We dive deep into his new book, Epic Execution. It is not a generic roadmap, but a complete Founder Operating System distilled into 24 pragmatic chapters. David spent a year crafting it as a series of tough questions founders need to ask themselves to test reality against their assumptions. He breaks down why pathological optimism can be a founder&#39;s biggest asset, but also their downfall if they let ego and the need for social media validation drive their decision-making.</p><p><br></p><p>Steve and David also trade thoughts on surviving the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic, the massive shift in commercial real estate with 750,000 square meters of empty office space, and how the rise of AI is forcing companies to be more human-centric. David opens up about his personal operating system too, from mentoring youth startups to his non-negotiable 6:00 AM walks and freezing ocean swims at Shelly Beach.</p><p><br></p><p>Timestamps:</p><p>00:00 - Intro and the authenticity of unedited podcasts</p><p>01:54 - The 28-year accounting career and 30,000 founder meetings</p><p>05:03 - Commercializing university ideas in the early tech ecosystem</p><p>07:39 - Why pricing and capital allocation are the true foundations of scale</p><p>13:08 - Leaving a major partnership to drive deeper advisory impact</p><p>16:56 - Writing Epic Execution and forcing founders to ask hard questions</p><p>22:05 - The philosophy that great businesses are bought not sold</p><p>27:38 - Cash flow mistakes and the reality check loop for founders</p><p>31:18 - Navigating founder egos and the trap of social media perception</p><p>37:39 - Advising startups through the chaos of the COVID-19 pandemic</p><p>46:00 - Empty office buildings and the new era of co-working spaces</p><p>50:38 - How AI is shifting knowledge work and the value of human connection</p><p>57:27 - Mentoring youth startups and morning swims at Shelly Beach</p><p><br></p><p>Links:</p><p>Connect with David Kenney → https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidkenneyofficial/</p><p>Epic Execution → https://www.epicexecution.com/</p><p>Connect with Steve → https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevegrace/</p><p>The Nudge Group → https://thenudgegroup.com/</p><p>Give It A Nudge Podcast → https://www.youtube.com/@giveitanudge/</p><p>The Trouble With People → https://thetroublewithpeople.substack.com/</p>