WORK WITH ME
You don't need more advice.
You need someone in the room.
Deep, 1:1 coaching for founders, execs, and senior leaders who are building something that matters.
300+
founders coached
Currently coaching 4 founders. Taking on 1 more this quarter.
WHAT YOU GET
Three layers. One engagement.
Strategy
“Where are you going?”
Define direction, stress-test against reality. Six-month goals. Twelve-month targets. Three-year ambition. You leave with a clear direction, a prioritised roadmap, and the confidence to decide fast.
Business Operations
“How does the machine run?”
Everything in your head, in Slack threads, in WhatsApp - we get it out and into a single source of truth. Processes mapped. Knowledge captured. The company scales without you being the answer to every question.
Personal OS
“How do you run?”
Most founders run their life on 47 open tabs and a vague sense of dread. We redesign how you personally work until chaos becomes a system. Less cognitive load. Faster execution.
HOW IT WORKS
No fluff. No frameworks. Just depth.
- Flexible cadence - fortnightly, monthly, ad hoc
- Live coaching sessions mixed with async deep work
- Very few engagements. Deep, not wide.
“If you want surface-level, there are a thousand people for that. If you want someone in the trenches - I'm here.”
MY METHODOLOGY
How I think about building companies
Strategy
Every engagement starts with your North Star. What's the one metric that matters most? From there we build down:
North Star Metrics
The single number that tells you if you're winning
Vision, Mission & Goals
Where you're going and why it matters
NCTs (Narratives, Commitments, Tasks)
The goal-setting framework I use with every founder. Narratives give context, Commitments are the outcomes, Tasks are the actions.
Operations
Most founders run their company from their head. That works until it doesn't.
Single source of truth
Everything documented, accessible, findable
Process mapping
Make the invisible visible
Knowledge capture
So the company scales without you being the answer
Personal Operating System
How you work determines how your company works.
Reflection Stacking
Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly reflection cadence
Edrolo OS
The weekly ritual that keeps you focused on what matters
Elephants
Name the things nobody's talking about
PROOF
What they say
To say Batko left Startmate in a better place than when he took the reins would be an embarrassing understatement. Batko literally re-founded Startmate, and Australia thanks him for it.
Niki Scevak
Co-founder, Blackbird Ventures
I thought I was a pretty productive person... but there were a ton of ‘oh crap’ moments where I saw just how much better things could run. Doing Puddle Pod has probably saved me weeks of time every year for the next decade.
Christie Jenkins
Managing Director, Techstars Sydney
I can attest to the stickiness of Batko’s teachings - two years later I’m still using the habits and methods from Puddle Pod.
Chris Quirk
Principal, Rampersand
PuddlePod is like the teacher I wish I had when I first started my career. A bit on how to do more with less, and a lot about doing the right things, in the right way, at the right time. For me - so I get to run my day rather than being run by it.
Annelieke de Wit
Researcher, Monash Energy Institute
Life hack on steroids - taking me to 100, faster than any other option.
Ariane Barker
Non-Executive Director & Angel Investor
Your ‘how to CEO’ series has been more helpful than just about anything else I’ve come across! Love what you and the team are doing at the moment that knowledge and support counts most.
Early-stage tech CEO
Via LinkedIn
I’ve loved your ‘How to CEO’ series, it’s allowed me to reframe a lot of how I think about my work.
Startup CEO
Via email
For the first time in 6 years I feel like my role as CEO has completely changed, and I’m finally able to work on the business rather than in the business. The feedback on strategy and vision was particularly inspiring.
CEO, 6-year founder
Via Substack
This is incredible. I’ve learned so much from this series. This content is the playground to teach every startup operator how to become/be founder obsessed.
Startup operator
Via email
Someone passed your board meeting template to me in my first week on the job as CEO. We thought: we hate Board packs - there’s gotta be a better way. Been using that model for the last 2 years.
CEO
Via Slack
He’s one of the best managers you can possibly have. He puts his heart & soul to it. He’s got the right balance of being strict on work deliverables but still maintains a cordial and very relaxed environment.
Former colleague
Performance review
FIT
Is this right for you?
This is for you if…
- Founders and senior execs at any stage
- Execs stepping into bigger roles
- Senior leaders drowning in operational complexity
- Anyone who wants a thinking partner, not a lecture
This is not for you if…
- People looking for a quick fix
- Anyone who wants to be told what to do
- Founders not ready to do the work
FAQ
Common questions
How much does coaching cost?
It’s case-by-case depending on your situation. I charge an hourly rate - live sessions are at one rate and asynchronous deep work (reviewing docs, preparing frameworks, written feedback) is at another. Reach out and we’ll work out what makes sense for you.
How long do engagements typically last?
Completely up to you. There’s no lock-in. I’m here to help you progress and get the right outcome - we keep going as long as it’s useful.
Can you work with my team, not just me?
Absolutely. You can bring multiple people into the session - your co-founder, leadership team, whoever you’d like in the room. Whatever format works best for you.
Do you work with pre-revenue startups?
Absolutely. I work with founders at every stage - pre-revenue, scaling, or well-established. What matters is high ambition and a willingness to do the work.
Where are you based?
Sydney, Australia. I work with founders and executives across Australia, New Zealand, and internationally over Zoom. Most people actually prefer it.
Ready to start?
Currently coaching 4 founders. Taking on 1 more this quarter.
No booking calls. Just a direct conversation.