What do you do when the entire industry you've built your career in disappears from under your feet? For Adrian Bortignon, co-founder of Kongo Group, this "rug pull" experience wasn't just a crisis—it became his playbook for agility and survival.
In this deeply honest conversation, Sean Dunne sits down with Adrian to explore a 15-year entrepreneurial journey that began with a "white-knuckle ride." Adrian shares the unfiltered story of going from a two-person income to zero while starting a family, the immense financial pressure of the first six years, and the persistence fueled by a desire for one thing: choice.
He reveals his number one regret—working for free—and how an early lack of confidence became his superpower of over-preparation. Adrian also offers a forward-thinking perspective on the rise of AI, explaining why he embraces it as a massive opportunity for scale rather than a threat to his business.
Topics Covered:

• [01:20] The Entrepreneurial Upbringing: Growing up in a family where self-employment was the norm and having a "when, not if" mindset.
• [02:26] The First "Rug Pull": The raw experience of being inside the music industry as it collapsed in the face of digital distribution.
• [07:00] The Founder's Insecurity: How a lack of confidence in the early days was transformed into a superpower: meticulous preparation.
• [09:38] The Evolution of Kongo: The strategic pivot from a broad e-commerce consultancy to a specialized CRM implementation firm to stay ahead of market devaluation.
• [14:19] The "White-Knuckle Ride": The brutal reality of the first six years, going without an income and navigating the immense financial pressure of a startup.
• [16:18] The Ultimate "Why": How the long-term goal of having more choices for his family fueled his persistence through the toughest times.
• [18:15] His Biggest Regret: A powerful warning to new founders about the danger of undervaluing yourself and working for free.
• [19:47] Escaping the Bubble: The critical mistake of isolating yourself and why seeking external advice from day one is non-negotiable.
• [23:23] The 4 Core Values: A look inside the "North Star" that guides every decision at Kongo Group.
• [34:40] The Future of Service Businesses: The strategic plan to move from a pure service model to productizing their intellectual property.
• [38:20] Embracing Disruption: Why Adrian sees AI not as a threat that will make his business obsolete, but as a huge opportunity to scale quickly.
• [46:06] His Proudest Achievement: The profound success of building a thriving business alongside his wife.

Memorable Quotes:

• "It was always a matter of when I would start a business, not if I would start my own business."
• "It was a real white-knuckle ride for, I'd say, for the first 5 or 6 years."
• "Don't work for free is probably what I'd say."
• "You can easily build a bubble around yourself... you just need to expose yourself to professionals and make sure you're getting advice from all angles."
• "Simplification as a discipline in our business. So they're the 4 key things that I'm always referring to."
• "I don't see AI as a risk that in 12 months' time my business will cease to exist. I see this as an opportunity to scale my business quickly."

Resources Mentioned:

• Kongo Group: https://www.hellokongo.com/

Connect with Our Guest:

• Connect with Adrian Bortignon on LinkedIn:https://au.linkedin.com/in/adrianbortignon

Connect with the Host, Sean Dunne:

Website: https://dominiumcapital.com.au/dominium/

LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/sean-dunne-76067429

Thank you for tuning in to Origin to Ambition!

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