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- By Charles Miller
Sad but true – one of my small pleasures is keeping the Sistema drawer tidy.
Structured nesting, a special container for lids, and strategic positioning of each stack like Tetris – bliss.
The founder of Sistema (‘systems’ in Italian), Brendan Lindsay, received a Knighthood in the recent King’s Birthday Honours list – and very well deserved it was.
Congratulations, Sir Brendan.
In 1987, Brendan Lindsay started making plastic coat hangers in his garage in Cambridge.
There was no grand vision, just a commitment to producing something useful and doing it well.
Over time, he shifted to food containers and founded Sistema, which would become a global leader in smart, stylish, practical kitchen storage.
In 2017, Sistema was sold to US giant Newell Brands.
Sir Brendan focused on quality, people, and listening to customers.
That clarity of purpose, combined with humility, is what Jim Collins recognises as the pinnacle of leadership: founders who are ambitious for their company, not their ego.
They take responsibility, stay grounded, and think long-term.
That mindset has powered some of New Zealand’s most impressive startups.
Xero brought cloud accounting to small business and now serves millions globally.
Rocket Lab took satellites into orbit, proving we could lead in aerospace.
LanzaTech turned industrial pollution into biofuel.
Sharesies made investing accessible.
Halter used AI collars to reinvent livestock farming.
IdeaLab, a leading US startup incubator, analysed hundreds of startups and concluded five factors shape success: timing, team, product, business model, and funding.
While all matter, timing stood out – responsible for over 40 per cent of outcomes.
Not blind luck but sensing when the market is ready.
Sistema’s timing was spot on.
As BPA plastics were rejected and families rethought food storage, Sistema delivered a high-quality, practical, locally-made solution.
The iconic clips and clean design stood out.
Sir Brendan and his team delivered a product that was well-engineered and resonated with consumers at just the right moment.
Timing can also apply to a broader wave.
The year 2006 saw the emergence of several successful New Zealand startups, driven by the spread of cloud computing and broadband.
Xero and other SaaS ventures were perfectly placed to catch this wave.
The Trade Me sale inspired many, while angel investment and a maturing tech ecosystem gave momentum.
Kiwi founders began to believe they could go global. The team, of course, is critical.
All these companies were led by founders who built strong cultures.
Sir Brendan’s first hire stayed with him for decades. Xero and Rocket Lab also scaled with values-driven, resilient teams.
As the saying goes, culture eats strategy for breakfast. Just as importantly, each company solved real-life problems.
Sistema gave families control over food waste and food safety. Sharesies helped first-time investors take their first steps.
Halter gave farmers control over animal health and land use while freeing up time.
Xero put financial control into the hands of business owners – no degree required.
Business models were sound. Sistema kept manufacturing local.
Sharesies scaled from microtransactions.
Rocket Lab commercialised infrastructure, not just product. Funding does matter, but it tends to follow the fundamentals.
Sir Brendan grew through reinvestment. Others, like Xero and LanzaTech, raised funds from private equity and public markets.
Get timing, team, product, and model right – and capital will come. So what can today’s Kiwi founders do?
Watch how customers behave – not just what they say, stay ahead of industry and tech trends and be courageous.
Don’t rush to be first – be ready to be right. Hire good people, who challenge and stretch you.
Solve real problems. Stick to the basics.
You don’t need to be a visionary. But you do need to be grounded and committed.
Brendan Lindsay never sought fame – he sought excellence, with determination and humility.
That’s the Kiwi founder archetype at its best.
- This article first appeared in our sister publication, Eastern Times.
