# The Unmakers: James Donald's journey from oil rigs to consumer research

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mumbrellacast-311595/the-unmakers-james-donald-s-journey-from-oil-rigs-to-consumer-research
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/mumbrellacast-311595/the-unmakers-james-donald-s-journey-from-oil-rigs-to-consumer-research.md
Podcast: [Mumbrellacast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/mumbrellacast-311595)
Published: 2026-04-28T03:04:00+00:00
Episode link: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/MEEME5209726209.mp3
Audio file: https://traffic.megaphone.fm/MEEME5209726209.mp3
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Duration seconds: 1810

## Resource

Two decades ago, James Donald was working on an oil rig in Norway. This month, Ideally -- the market research platform he co-founded -- raised over $13m in an investment round that will help the NZ-based startup push into the US, and launch a new product Ideally Canvas. Donald speaks with Tim Burrowes in the latest episode of Mumbrella’s Unmaker Series podcast, about his journey from oil to artificial intelligence and consumer research, and how he helped build a company worth north of $90m in a few years. He also discusses his company's new product, Ideally Canvas, which gives brands a real-time, continuously updated consumer profile rather than a static snapshot; the limitations of synthetic data; and how Ideally is able to offer a nimble consumer insights service that competitors will routinely charge ten times more for. Podcast edit by Abe’s Audio.

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## Transcript

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