In 2017, I answered a LinkedIn post from a guy named Sam, who was asking if anyone wanted to help start a news company for young people. Turns out I was the only person who replied, but I’m glad I did.

That conversation turned into The Daily Aus, and eight years (!!) later, it’s a team of nearly 20 young people producing newsletters, podcasts, social posts and videos for millions of Australians. Pretty cool.

But here's what I wish someone had told me before we started: building a business is not quite like what you see online.

The real lessons aren't in the success posts. They're in the decisions you make when you have to make crucial calls on the fly. The conversations that change everything.

One of the most important insights from years of building? Success isn't about perfect decisions. It's about building systems that help you recover quickly from imperfect ones.

Building TDA is our new 8-part series where we share what actually happened. Not the highlights reel - the full story.

This isn't your typical startup success story. There's no garage, no coding genius (though Sam continues to claim he is), no betting the life savings. Just two 20-somethings making it up as they went along, powered by stubbornness and an unhealthy amount of caffeine.

Edition 1 is out this Thursday, and drops weekly over 8 editions. We start with that LinkedIn post and walk through every major decision point that led us to this point. You'll get the unfiltered moments, including the investor pitch where I think I blacked out from nerves and how we knew it was time to quit our jobs.

Are you ready for the story behind the headlines? Sign up here!

Hiring doesn’t have to start from scratch (trust us)

Starting from zero is hard, and looking for new people can be a full-time job on its own.

That’s why Employment Hero is a game-changer. It digs through your current team and talent pool to find who’s the right fit, so you don’t have to keep posting and hoping.

You get quick peeks at profiles and scores to see who’s worth a closer look. Honestly, your next star hire could already be closer than you think – Employment Hero helps you spot them.