Mythology is usually associated with ancient civilisations, religious groups and footy clubs. But, in many ways there is a mythology that develops around any community of like minded, passionate people. A startup ecosystem is no exception. There are stories about gods and heroes in the form of legendary founders and their plights and victories. Often founders are considered heroes who triumph over adversity into great success. There are shared beliefs about how we define success, and a sense of shared identity. But to what extent do these beliefs reflect reality? What aspects of the mythology created in the relatively short history of Australian startup culture help us thrive, and which beliefs hinder us from triumphing and achieving success? Our panellists will provide their perspectives on questions such as: - What’s unique about Australian startup culture that we should be proud of? - How does the current ‘mythology’ have a negative influence on the ecosystem? - Is there too much positive bias towards founders who come from successful Aussie startups (e.g. Canva/ Atlassian)? - What barriers exist for founders coming from non-traditional backgrounds and how can we remove these? - Are we growing startups that align with our strengths & what the Australian economy needs?