More than 10 years ago, I attended a startup meetup somewhere in South Yarra. I believe it was hosted by depop8 (a co-working space) founded by Erz and Jodie Imam, who was also running Occasional Butler. At the time, Occasional Butler was competing with Airtasker in the local services marketplace

I remember attending the meetup, although I can no longer remember who was speaking. What I do clearly remember is eating pizza and meeting the two founders of Quad Lock, Rob Ward and Chris Peters.

At the time, they told me stories about their journey. They already had a warehouse in the United States and were manufacturing in China through Hong Kong. They shared some of the challenges, surprises and crazy experiences they had encountered along the way.

I also met Justin Kui at that meetup. We recently reconnected, and I discovered that he is now the General Manager of ALPAKA, a Melbourne-based bag and accessories brand that has grown internationally. Before becoming General Manager, Justin was heavily involved in the brand’s creative direction, video production and marketing campaigns.

In 2024, Thule Group agreed to acquire Quad Lock in a deal valued at approximately AUD 500 million. Quad Lock has also partnered with Australian Formula 1 driver Oscar Piastri, who became one of the brand’s global ambassadors.

Reflecting on the journeys of these two companies and ourself, I cannot help thinking about the countless startups and businesses that began around the same time. Many have disappeared, while only a few continue to grow. Lucky or not, FilmNeverDie is one of those businesses still standing.

Often, I reccounted how lonely it can feel to start and run a company. But I am not alone. Among my friends are business owners and startup founders, not to mention a handful of close-friends where I regularly lean on one another for encouragement, advice and strength as we move through difficult periods.

There are many times when I want to quit and take a nine-to-five job. To be honest, I might even make more money that way. I often ask myself: is all of this worth it?

One of the reasons I continue building FilmNeverDie is the incredible encouragement we receive from our customers. Our 4.7-star Google rating, based on more than 500 reviews, gives me hope that we are doing something right.

But the greatest joy has always been building this company with a group of like-minded people—learning and growing alongside our team and our customers.

In an age when everything is becoming instant, automated and increasingly shaped by AI, wouldn’t it be good to have something analog and slow for a change?

In a world that seems to grow more complicated every day, wouldn’t it be nice to have less—and return to the basics?

I am talking about the countless settings found on digital cameras and smartphones. With analog photography, you often need to understand only a few essential things: aperture, shutter speed, ISO and framing.

Having a goal and a destination is important. But often, the real joy—and sometimes the pain—is found in the journey: the slow, long, zigzagging journey.

Perhaps the journey is what makes the destination worthwhile.

So, let me leave you with this:

Enjoy the Scene, Not the Screen.