S1T2’s origin story: Red tape leads to business success

A CHANCE encounter and government red tape led these Aussie young guns down an unlikely path together. But it almost didn’t happen.

IT ALL started in a university lecture theatre. Tash Tan and Chris Panzetta knew each other by sight but had never spoken before, only referring to each other as that weird ‘girlfriend guy’ and ‘the soccer guy’.

Almost a decade on, the pair run their own successful technology business, S1T2, in Sydney with a staff of nine people. But it almost didn’t happen.

Businesses small and large often have unusual origin stories — usually in the basement of someone’s house or while on pub crawl somewhere, someone has a flashbulb moment. But Mr Tan and Mr Panzetta’s story starts in a university film society formed only because they wanted to make short films — like all creative uni students studying media degrees.

It was the mid-noughties at the University of New South Wales. Mr Panzetta started a film production society with his mates because the existing movie society on campus was more about film appreciation than going out there and making them yourself. But the real reason S1T2 exists today is because of public liability laws.

In order to shoot footage in public, the aspiring filmmakers found out they had to have public liability insurance and the way to get that was to form a company. So the then-eight core members of the society stumped up $600 each (a lot of money for uni students) to incorporate as a business.

At a later point, Mr Tan is brought into the fold by another member and Mr Panzetta was, at first, reticent about his inclusion. But the two are now as close as friends and business partners can get, with the two even taking a break together in Brazil.

But back in 2006, as everyone was preparing for graduation and life outside the ivied gates, Mr Tan and Mr Panzetta were thinking about their futures too. Most of the team had ambitions to work in the professional film industry but Mr Tan and Mr Panzetta had other ideas.

“We were in the basement of my house and everyone came in and we said we thought this could work,” Mr Panzetta said.

Mr Tan said: “We thought about how if we want this company to succeed then we need to think about where the industry is going to go. From that point on, we adopted an approach that was digital focused.”

Today, S1T2 works across a whole spectrum of production services including creative, film production, animation, experiential and more.

Back then, the two had to buy out their original partners, which they could only do with a loan from their parents of a few thousand dollars, which also netted them their first work computer.

The first client they ever nabbed was the result of some somersaulting and vacation-interruptus.

Mr Tan said: “A friend of mine worked at an ad agency and it was four days before Christmas. They said they had overheard a conversation that Visa had a project with a tight deadline over Christmas, a tiny budget and no one wanted to do it. So we jumped at it.

“Visa even asked us if we had finished uni yet. But we had already made our plans — I was going to Melbourne, Chris was going to Europe and our animator was in Singapore.”

But the boys finished the project with Mr Panzetta writing the copy on his plane trip to Poland and Skype sessions across the continents. Visa was rapt with the work and it remains a client today.

Their drive and ambition saw them build their business into a success, especially throughout the GFC years. And despite their creative backgrounds, the boys have made sure every project is sustainable from a business and commercial perspective.

In the last few years, the guys have added two staff members every year and their clients include Adobe, Macquarie University, Kellogg’s, Pfizer, Dior and the NSW Government.

Despite their unusual beginnings, as a team that has been there and gone through it, they’re now in a position to offer some sage advice for youngsters who are thinking of running their own outfit too.

Mr Panzetta said: “Before you had to go get a job somewhere and learn the ropes but today, with the accessibility of technology and information that is out there, you can do it. It’s all about willpower.”

Mr Tan said: “I say to them, you can do it too. A lot of people say they’re going to do something but you need to take action. Just do it Yes, it’s Nike’s motto but you should go for it. Australia is a country that really gives people opportunities if you just reach out.”