Building Companies That Actually Work
We started orinqualmira in 2019 because we got tired of watching good ideas die from poor execution. Too many ventures fail not because the concept was wrong, but because the fundamentals were never properly built.
We're based in Mosman, working with founders across Australia who want to build something that lasts. No shortcuts. No empty promises. Just focused work on what actually matters.
How We Got Here
Five years ago, we noticed a pattern. Founders would come to us after burning through their initial capital, frustrated because their venture wasn't gaining traction. Same story every time: they'd rushed to market without testing their assumptions.
So we built orinqualmira around a different approach. We work with ventures in their early stages, before the expensive mistakes happen. We help founders validate their core assumptions, build proper financial models, and create sustainable growth systems.
It's slower work than most people expect. But the ventures that come through our program have a much better shot at survival because they're built on tested foundations rather than optimistic guesses.
What We Actually Do
We focus on four areas that separate ventures that survive from ones that don't. Everything else is just noise.
Market Validation
Before you build anything, you need to know if people will actually pay for it. We help you test your core assumptions with real potential customers, not surveys or theoretical models. This means interviews, prototype testing, and early sales conversations that tell you what's actually going to work.
Financial Structure
Most ventures run out of money because they never built proper financial models. We work with you to create realistic projections, identify your burn rate, and figure out exactly how long you have to hit your milestones. It's not glamorous work, but it keeps you alive when things get tight.
Operational Systems
You can't scale chaos. We help you build the operational backbone your venture needs before you start growing. That means documenting your processes, setting up proper tracking systems, and creating workflows that don't break when you're not personally handling everything.
Team Building
Hiring wrong early on can sink your venture faster than almost anything else. We help you figure out what roles you actually need, how to structure compensation when cash is tight, and how to find people who can handle the uncertainty of early-stage work.
Who's Actually Working On This
We're a small group. Everyone here has built or been part of building ventures before. We know what it's like when things aren't working and you're trying to figure out what to fix first.
We don't have junior consultants running your sessions. The people you meet with are the same ones who've been doing this work for years.
Freya Ashworth
Spent eight years building fintech ventures before starting orinqualmira. Has personally worked with over 30 early-stage companies on financial modeling and operational structure. Based in Sydney, works primarily with ventures in financial services and enterprise software.
Isla Carmichael
Previously led product development at two venture-backed startups in Melbourne. Joined orinqualmira in 2021 after selling her third company. Focuses on market validation and helping founders figure out what to build first. Works with ventures across consumer tech and B2B services.
What We Care About
These aren't aspirational values we put on a wall. They're the things that guide how we actually work with founders and make decisions about which ventures we take on.
Honest Feedback
If something's not working, we'll tell you directly. We're not here to make you feel good about bad decisions. Sometimes the kindest thing we can do is help you see problems clearly before they become disasters.
Long-Term Focus
Quick wins rarely build sustainable companies. We work with founders who understand that building something real takes time. If you're looking for shortcuts or growth hacks, we're probably not the right fit.
Practical Over Theoretical
We care about what actually works in practice, not what looks good in a pitch deck. Our recommendations come from real experience with ventures, not business school frameworks or trendy methodologies.
Financial Responsibility
Money runs out faster than people think. We help founders treat their capital with the respect it deserves. That means being conservative with projections, careful with spending, and realistic about timelines.
Selective Partnerships
We turn down more ventures than we accept. We only work with founders we genuinely think we can help, on ventures that have a realistic path to sustainability. It's better for everyone if we're honest about fit from the start.
No False Promises
We can't guarantee your venture will succeed. Building companies is hard and a lot of them fail despite doing everything right. What we can promise is honest guidance based on what we've actually seen work in practice.