Beyond the Hype: Scaling Your AI Startup

Forget the fluff and dive into what really moves the needle.
​This isn’t your usual startup spiel, it’s a session built for founders, builders, and dreamers who want to launch and scale AI or SaaS ventures fast. Real stories, practical mental models, and unfiltered advice from folks who’ve been in the trenches and know how to get to market fit, in months, not years.

## ​What’s on the docket?

​Warm-Up Networking
Kick off the evening with casual networking, connect, relax, and vibe with fellow founders and builders.
​Keynote Spotlight (15 mins)
Hear from Safi, a seasoned serial entrepreneur and SaaS scaling expert, as he shares key insights from his journey.
​Unfiltered Live Panel (30 mins)

• ​Get your burning “how do I…” questions answered—no scripts, no filters.
• ​Learn how to move from MVP to market fit with product-led and marketing-led strategies.
• ​Practical advice for non-technical founders: smart pivots and early revenue tactics.

​Open Q&A (13 mins)
Bring your questions and engage directly with the panel for real-time advice.
​Networking & Demo Social
Wind down the evening with dinner, drinks, and possible live demos, keep the conversations flowing and forge valuable connections.
​What you’ll walk away with:

• ​Smart go-to-market strategies — pricing, positioning, partnerships that actually work
• ​Scalable, cost-effective infrastructure tips for your data pipelines and cloud setups
• ​Clear insights on funding: when to bootstrap, when to raise, and how to build a team that scales

​Who’s this for?
​Founders, product folks, SME leaders, and anyone ready to turn AI ideas into real revenue — no deep tech skills needed, just the drive to get moving.
​Ready to fast-track your AI journey? Bring your questions and your ambition. Let’s make scaling your startup feel less like a marathon, and more like a sprint.
​Who Should Attend?
​Founders, SME leaders, product managers, and anyone ready to turn AI ideas into real revenue—fast. No deep technical skills required.
​Ready to accelerate your AI venture? Reserve your spot now, bring your questions, and let’s fast-track your growth!

## How to RSVP

Beyond the Hype: Scaling Your AI or SaaS Startup
⌚6:30 pm – 9:00 pm, Thursday, 14th August 2025
📌Melbourne CBD (exact venue details on registration)
🎟️Grab your spot: https://lu.ma/kqlsw96e
Let’s turn your startup sprint into a success story

## ​Panelists

​​✨ Dr. Sam Donegan is a Melbourne-based medical doctor and digital health leader with a track record in healthcare innovation. With an MD from the University of Melbourne and a background in biomedical science, he’s founded and scaled health tech ventures, including Fora Therapy and SupportSorted. Sam has led multimillion-dollar digital health projects, and currently drives innovation at the Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence community, MLAI. His strengths span AI, UX design, and EMR systems, with a focus on improving patient outcomes through technology.

✨ Safi Heidari is the Co-Founder of Maxinify. Safi is a seasoned entrepreneur, researcher, and innovator with a PhD in Computing and Information Systems. With over 15 years of experience across academia and industry, Safi has built and exited two startups, raising over $500,000 in equity-free grants. At Maxinify, he helps founders scale with lean SaaS solutions and data-led growth strategies, turning customers into loyal advocates. He’s deeply passionate about building founder-friendly growth pathways grounded in sustainability and accessibility.

​​✨David Nickson is the Founder of Moli, helping businesses scale through AI, web development, SEO, marketing and automation — with a focus on results-driven digital growth. David previously ran a two-person agency that delivered automated marketing solutions for global real‑estate leaders CBRE and Savills. Co‑founded Kei Truck Connect, grew it to 100K Instagram followers and 17K monthly site visits, and closed an international sale to a Japanese buyer. Co-founded Promptchains.ai, he built AI workflows to automate SEO content, scaling traffic for clients and launching it as a SaaS.