In this episode of The First, David Whittle, co-founder of Lexer, delves into his personal and professional journey, tracing how a childhood spent across continents and a blend of artistic and scientific parental influences shaped his worldview.

David studied commerce and arts at Deakin University, where he developed a keen interest in technology, setting the stage for his first digital ventures. He cut his teeth at Australia’s first internet media buying company before co-founding Trafion Technologies and later holding leadership roles at M&C Saatchi, where he led major digital transformation projects.

His decision to leave the corporate world to co-found Lexer was fueled by a desire to build a scalable, software-led business with enduring value. Lexer, a customer data and experience platform, serves enterprise clients globally. He emphasizes building trust-based co-founder relationships and focusing on motive, intellect (often signaled by humor), and shared vision. The early strategy was counterintuitive — start with enterprise clients rather than small businesses — to build defensibility and scale from the top down.

The conversation touches on product strategy, pricing models, the importance of customer behavior over words, and the critical role of culture in scaling. On fundraising, he outlines how the approach matured from survival-mode angel investments to a structured Series B round driven by a scorecard of investor criteria.

AI emerges as a key theme, with Lexer embedding AI across workflows to boost personalization and efficiency. David offers candid advice to early-stage founders: start early, be ready to fail, follow your instincts, and let go of ego. Above all, he underscores the importance of choosing the right people to build with—because the people with the best people win.