45: Getting to know Mitch and Gav - Our B2B SaaS Journey

In this episode, Mitchell and Gavin take a break from the usual product updates to share the personal backstories that shaped them - from childhood and family life, to early career detours, to how they eventually teamed up to build SixSides.

Chapters

(00:00) - Intro - co-founders, holiday timing, and why this episode
(01:07) - Gav’s 2026 challenge: learning harmonica
(01:49) - Why we’re doing a “get to know us” episode
(02:48) - Gav’s childhood, moving around, and early perspective shift
(06:11) - Mitch’s childhood, Central Coast life, and independence
(13:44) - Family pressure, mentors, and what shaped Gav
(16:38) - Counselling, relationships, and communication lessons
(24:45) - Mitch’s path into coding: GTA SA-MP and first paid dev work
(31:20) - Gav’s path into sales: labour work, Vodafone, mining, and SaaS
(37:58) - Redeye, the MBA, and the start of Sales Market Fit
(41:06) - Mitch goes solo: the spreadsheet gig and long-term client
(50:38) - RecruitKit: product lessons and selling reality
(52:50) - How Mitch and Gav met (CV Check), and the coaching era
(59:00) - EventKit to SixSides: Laracon AU, community angle, and the Laravel IP snag
(01:10:59) - SixSides today: what “six sides” means, working together, and what’s next

In this episode, we cover:

Why we recorded a “get to know us” episode for the holiday break
Gavin’s childhood, moving around, and the perspective it gave him
Mitchell’s upbringing, independence early on, and the teachers who influenced him
Counselling, relationships, and learning to communicate better
How Mitchell got into coding through GTA: San Andreas Multiplayer scripting
Gavin’s winding path into sales - from labour roles to Vodafone, mining, and SaaS
The stepping stones that led to RecruitKit, EventKit, and ultimately SixSides
How Mitch and Gav met through a CV Check sales process (and why Mitch resisted)
Why SixSides focuses on community-building, not “just another event app”
Where the name SixSides comes from and the six sides of an event
What it’s like working together as co-founders, and how they handle friction
A look ahead at growth, hiring, and what 2026 might demand

Expect a candid, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to launch a B2B SaaS company from scratch – completely bootstrapped.

Got questions or topics you want us to cover? Email us at journey@sixsides.co

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Connect with us

SixSides: sixsides.co
Book a call with Gavin: call.sixsides.co
Mitchell on Bluesky: mitchdav.is
Mitchell on LinkedIn: mitchdav
Gavin on LinkedIn: gavintye
Gavin on YouTube: gavintye1
SixSides on LinkedIn: sixsides
SixSides on X: sixsidesevents
SixSides on Bluesky: sixsides.co
SixSides on Youtube: sixsidesco
SixSides on Substack: sixsides