A Founder's Journey with Hadleigh Ford

B2B Inspired

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Going from superyachts to SaaS isn’t your typical founder story—but that’s exactly what makes this episode stand out. In this episode of B2B Inspired, Dale Koerner is joined by Hadleigh Ford, founder of SwipedOn, to explore the unexpected journey behind one of New Zealand’s B2B tech success stories.

Hadleigh shares how a frustrating detail on a $100M yacht sparked the idea for SwipedOn, and how he built the product from scratch with no technical background. He unpacks the lessons learned through early failures, global growth, and two major acquisitions—while staying grounded in culture and customer simplicity. Whether you’re starting out or scaling up, this episode is full of honest insights on product-market fit, resilience, and thinking bigger than your starting niche.

For more B2B insights, ideas and opportunities, head to www.blueoceanagency.co.nz
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Chapters

1. A Founder's Journey with Hadleigh Ford (00:00:00)

2. Welcome to B2B Inspired (00:00:19)

3. From Sea to SaaS: Hadley's Journey (00:01:42)

4. Birth of SwipedOn (00:06:00)

5. Growing Through Acquisitions (00:11:32)

6. Navigating Global Markets (00:17:35)

7. Marketing and Growth Strategies (00:22:10)

8. Leadership Lessons and Values (00:26:23)

9. Final Advice and Resources (00:33:59)