Judges selected Jarrod Pickford's podcast-based business Storytowns as the winner of $10,000 in support at Warrnambool's The Ideas Place, following months of workshops, masterclasses and meet ups where founders developed their ideas.

Judges heard six pitches on Thursday night and selected Storytowns for its potential to work at different scales, state agency LaunchVic's chief executive officer Kate Cornick said.

"We get particularly interested when we see products that we think could take on the whole world," said Dr Cornick, who was one of the judges.

"I think Jarrod has got an opportunity here to build a business that could transform his life, transform many other peoples' lives and create jobs, which is why we do it."

Mr Pickford, whose first podcast was inspired while hitchhiking overseas and his latest focused on Daylesford, said he was scouting locations in the south-west for his next subject.

"Warrnambool is on the list for podcasts and I think that's going to be pretty soon and down the Great Ocean Road," he said.

Mr Pickford said while his idea had so far been successful, he had learned from unsuccessful ideas.

"What I learned was very valuable, you've got to be passionate about what you're doing. I failed a couple of start ups previously," he said.

Dr Cornick said a high failure rate was common among start ups but also a necessary part of their eventual success.

"We know that founders who fail the first time are more likely to succeed the second time, because they learn," she said.

The founders of other ideas on the night, including hard surfboard cases, a healthcare app for on-the-job training, custom "pop-up" small houses, energy-efficiency tests for homes and a system to recycle clothing all also won $2000 in support.

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