So Mark, what's your backstory?

I was born and raised in Sydney's outer western suburbs, growing up on a farm where my parents grew local produce. Growing up in large open spaces, I had a passion for anything related to the sky. I often saw RAAF aircraft flying overhead and dreamt of working on these miraculous flying machines.

During this time, I found my hobby, building and flying model aircraft. After graduating from aeronautical engineering, I spent over 20 years as a design engineer and manager in the aerospace, defence & medical devices industries. I've always been passionate about products and product design.

Whilst working in the medical devices industry, I became interested in small business, entrepreneurship and developing my own products from the ground up. This is where my first business DynexHobby was born. My first product was something I needed, and it just so happens that many others in the market took to it as well.

So kicking off on a new adventure, I started ramping up my business as a side hustle/hobby at first, looking, learning testing new ideas and features. Eventually, the product took on an identity of its own, and the rest is history.

What is Galassia Technologies?

My parent company Galassia Technologies serves as the springboard to offering engineering products and services to the industry. However, our premier brand, DynexHobby, offers low-cost DIY dynamic balancing and vibration analysis solutions to hobbyists, drone operators, researchers, and the light industry.

How did you come up with Galassia Technologies?

Our original product, the Vortex, was launched in 2014 on a shoestring budget. It was born from the frustration of balancing high-performance propellers for small drones. At the time, nothing in the world existed to fill this gap for DIY users.

How did you go about building and launching the business?

Slowly. It took a year to research and develop the technology behind the system in order to launch our MVP. Countless hours of bench testing, trial and error, failure, redesign and testing until we could prove this technology could be delivered to the market at a low cost. Once we had an MVP, we looked at local manufacturing, online distribution channels & customer support.

How have you grown the business?

The business has grown organically, although very slowly. The market segment we service is a niche, and our marketing often involves creating videos demonstrating the product and educating the public on how the technology works. We also have social media channels, hobbyist forums and special interest groups that promote our products to other users. The biggest breakpoint was adopting super-users at an early stage that promoted the product and demonstrated its benefits to others.
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What's your biggest selling product?

Impulse 2 is the biggest seller. It is the central heart of our product range and acts as an enabler to other related products.

Any big failures and learnings?

Quality. We developed an internal QC process at the production stage early in the journey. However, some early customers were still experiencing out of box failures regularly, meaning warranty claims, costs and loss of faith. It was easily fixed by introducing additional QC checks before shipping, and we have never had any issues since. Lesson - Always be vigilant about your product quality before it leaves the door!

What motivates you daily to do what you do?

For me, it's knowing that there are still many problems to solve and many markets to explore. Having grown up in the '80s and '90s, tech seemed stagnant. However, with the introduction of the iPhone, the world seemed to have exploded with potential that never ceases to amaze me. I always look for new opportunities to get involved in where new tech is heading, such as AI & Quantum computing.

What's next for you and your business?

We are expanding our product offering to new domains and related industries. We are entering the area of miniature engine health monitoring to help predict imminent failures to improve reliability and reduce downtime.

Your go to digital tools?

Facebook, Mailchimp, YouTube

Any inspiring founder books you recommend?

Zero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future

Any podcasts you love?

Zeihan on geopolitics

Any quotes you live by?

"Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”
- Albert Schweitzer

What do you love + hate about being a founder?

Likes - Freedom to create new things that can change people's lives
Dislikes- Not everyone feels the same passion as me!

How do you look after your mental health as a founder?

Gym regularly, early morning.

Sum up what it means to be a founder

Persistence, perseverance & perspiration

Any advice for other founders?

If you're going to face the market, do it with something you truly believe in. Otherwise, keep searching.

Your details, socials etc.

www.galassiatech.com.au

www.dynexhobby.com

YouTube