The Circle of Potential
Circle of Potential — Edition 01 (Powered by Airwallex)
🌟What is 'Circle of Potential'? 🌟
Circle of Potential is a curated, intimate evening for founders who are actively building and looking for the kind of deep connection that sometimes leads to finding your cofounder. Not browsing, not "exploring ideas," not collecting business cards.
This isn't a networking event. There are no panels. No pitch competitions. No awkward 'mingle with a lanyard' energy.
Instead, you'll sit in a circle with ~25 other founders and have the kind of conversation you usually only have at 1am with your cofounder, about what you're really building, what's actually hard, and what no one tells you about the early days. Some of the best cofounding relationships start exactly like this, with honesty, shared context, and a room you actually want to be in.
What happens on the night
🕠 5:30pm — Doors open. Drinks, snacks, and settling in.
💰 5:45pm — Getting Financially Ready from Day Zero: a 10-minute real-talk segment where Nancy shares how she set up Musefunnel's financial infrastructure from day one using Airwallex. Separate cards for every subscription, expense tracking before revenue, and why financial hygiene matters before you think it does.
🔵 6:00pm — Opening circle. Nancy Cao (founder, Musefunnel) & Vernette Chia sets the space. Why we're here, how the circle works, and the one rule: no surface-level answers.
🔥 6:20pm — The Circle. A guided, facilitated conversation designed to go deeper than "so what's your startup?" Expect real talk about founder fears, early-stage decisions, and the things you don't post on LinkedIn.
🍕 7:30pm — Pizza, drinks, and open conversation. This is where the real connections happen.
🤝 9:00pm — Close.
What you walk away with
After the event, every attendee receives a Connections Guide. Think a personalised document with curated warm intros to the founders you connected with most. No cold LinkedIn requests. No "great to meet you!" messages that go nowhere. Just real, warm, intentional introductions designed to turn one evening into lasting founder relationships.
Looking for a cofounder? Let us know! We also offer optional cofounder-fit introductions based on complementary skills, stages, and what you're building. It's not a matching algorithm. It's a thoughtful, human intro to someone who might be the missing piece.
Who this is for
Circle of Potential is for founders who are actively building a company. Whether you're pre-revenue, early-revenue, or in the thick of it. You should be someone who:
Is working on something real (not "thinking about maybe starting something")
Wants genuine connection with other founders, not just contacts
Is open to going deeper than the usual startup small talk
Might be looking for a cofounder, a complementary builder, or simply someone who gets it
How applications work
We keep the circle small on purpose, it only works if the right people are in the room. When you apply, we'll ask a few short questions about what you're building and where you're at. We review every application and confirm attendees within a few days. This is not about status and we’re not an exclusive dinner club you pay to get in…It's about fit and intent. 💙
The details
📅 Friday, 10 April 2026
🕠 5:30pm – 8:00pm
📍 Surry Hills, Sydney
🍕 Snacks, drinks, and pizza included
💸 Free — sponsored by Airwallex
Circle of Potential is a monthly founder circle hosted by Nancy Cao and Vernette Chia in partnership with Airwallex. This is Edition 01 of 3.