HelpMate's November Update

Everything that's been going on at HelpMate over the last month

Welcome to our November update!

This newsletter goes through everything that has been happening with HelpMate and how we’re approaching our mission to alleviate carer burden and empower those living with dementia to retain their independence.

We will begin with our focuses, then reflect on the good, the bad, and the ugly, and finish up with our goals for the next month and our questions for you.

We’re also going to be sharing a bit more information about the team here are HelpMate at the end of this newsletter!

Where we’ve been focusing

• Testing and validating some hypotheses around our solution and working towards an MVP 🙌
  

The good, the bad, and the ugly

Good

• We tested our idea and assumptions with over 20 stakeholders

• We've got a clear understanding of our goals and focus for the upcoming month based on positive and constructive feedback from conversations with stakeholders

• We're developing an MVP! Stay tuned🤩

• With lockdown ending in Melbourne, we had our first in-person team catch up with the Melbourne team! (sorry Renee)

  

Bad

• We haven't spent as much time on Blackbird’s Giants program as we would have liked due to other priorities. But we're moving full steam ahead for the remaining 10 weeks to make the most of the opportunities that come from this great program!

Ugly

• One of our co-founders, Evan left the team. He left this message as a send-off:

It’s been an awesome 2 months working with everyone on Helpmate. As of this week I’ll be leaving the team. It was a mutual decision for us to part ways, and I wish them nothing but the best.

Working with this bunch has been the most challenging but also most rewarding experience I’ve had. I learned what it’s like to work with people who make the decision to show up each day, despite the uncertainty.

I learned that work never feels like work if you’re working with the right people. That work doesn’t mean you have to leave yourself at the door. That you can’t have a great team without bringing your whole self to the table.

I’ll miss the (sometimes) 3 hour meetings and crappy jokes that were made. Most of all I’ll miss spending time with the team, while working on a problem that we cared about.

I have no doubt they’ll be up to great things in the future and I can’t wait to see where they end up in the coming years.

Signing out ✌️

Evan

• The whole team learned a lot about the importance of radical candour and communication in the process, we're now writing a shareholders agreement ♥

Our focuses for December

• Pumping out the first iteration of our solution 🔥🔥 and testing it with users

• Crushing it in Giants and getting after all of our goals 💪

Our asks

• Do you know a carer or a person living with dementia who would benefit from a simple way to navigate their caregiving, organise related logistics, and work through the NDIS and myagedcare system? Please, ask them to get in touch at helpmateau@gmail.com

Who are we?

Here, we highlight a member of our team, this month, we’re featuring Michael Lew

What do you do at HelpMate?

Like any other early-stage startup we all do everything! But my speciality is in growth, marketing, and content. In fact, I’m writing this newsletter right now 😉

I’m also an idea box and a “living meme” according to Pia.

What work do you do outside of HelpMate?

I work in content at Australia and New Zealand’s biggest venture capital company, Blackbird. I produce their podcast Wild Hearts.

I also do growth for an organisation for competitive sleepers (yes, it’s real). I’m currently creating a new international holiday called World Sleep-In Day, we’re enlisting workplaces to promote sleep health and give their employees a chance to show up to work better by sleeping in for an hour. Reach out at michael@worldsleepchampionships.com if you’re interested!

Why is HelpMate important to you?

There’s a dearth of easily accessible post-diagnosis assistance for those living with dementia and the people who care for them. It’s tragic.

Helping people stay independent is a worthy cause and one that I believe deserves far more attention.

What’s your theme song?

Blue Train by John Coltrane.

Pia, Aryan, Michael, Darren and Renee from Helpmate 💜